DCD - Dancers' Career Development

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Staff & trustees

Linda Yates – Executive Director
Linda is the Executive Director of Dancers` Career Development in London/Great Britain. She graduated from the Sorbonne in Paris and is a consultant and therapist. She is also a director of the Committee of the Council for Dance Education and Training (CDET) and deputy head of the International Organization for the Transition of Professional Dancers (IOTPD). Linda has many years arts management experience and holds degrees in French language and counselling. Furthermore she worked many years as a volunteer therapist for "Relate", one of the largest organisations for relationship counselling in the UK.

Jessica Carter – Grants Administrator
Jessica is a graduate of Sheffield University, where she studied English Literature. She has worked as a volunteer for various arts events, including a stint at the Regents Park Theatre and most recently the Cheltenham Literature Festival.

Jennifer Curry - Administrator
Jennifer graduated from the University of Surrey with a BA in Dance and Culture with Professional Training. She then obtained an MA in Cultural Policy and Management from City University, London. Jennifer has experience working and volunteering within the arts and cultural sector, at organisations such as The Place, The Fleming Collection, the Royal Society of Literature and most recently at the New York City Center in New York.

Philip Philipose - Book-keeper
Philip, our accountant joined the charity in 1996 and comes with extensive experience in retail, hotels, construction, transport, marketing and especially in the charities accounting fields.

Anja Dobler – Projects & Development - Freelance
Anja studied at the Freie Universität Berlin whilst working freelance at the Staatsoper Berlin and later the Royal Opera House London. She then completed her MA in Dance Studies at the University of Surrey and gained a Diploma in Arts Management. Following that she took up a full-time position as Communications Officer at Central School of Ballet. She worked full-time for DCD from 2003 until 2009 and is continuing her work for the organisation on a freelance basis. Anja is also a qualified Pilates and Gyrotonic Instructor.

Trustees

Tony Dyson
Dancers' Career
Development Chairman
Arts Council England Representative

Senior Associate with Donald Insall Associates, Architects and Planning Consultants. Past projects include the Opening of Somerset House Phase 2, where he was mainly responsible for the restoration of the Courtyard and, (working with Dixon Jones) the Fountain installation; the restoration of the external envelope of Kew Palace; Trafalgar Square Lighting and the settings of 8 different sculptures on sites in conservation areas in central London, the most recent of which will form a 25 metre long monument to the Battle of Britain, on the Victoria Embankment. Chairman of the independent charitable company running the Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance. Former trustee of the Michael Clark Foundation

Colin Nears CBE, MA Cantab, FRSA
Board Member since 1990, and Vice-Chairman of DCD.
Company representative for the Birmingham Royal Ballet.

Educated at Ipswich School and King’s College, Cambridge. On staff at the BBC 1958-87, as Producer and Director of Television Arts, Music and Dance programmes; and a member of the Arts Council and Chairman of their dance panel, 1982-90. Previously a member of the Board of the Royal Opera House, Chairman of Birmingham Royal Ballet, a governor of the Royal Ballet and the Royal Ballet School, and a member of the board for Rambert Dance Company. Currently Vice-Chairman of the Royal Ballet Benevolent Fund. Won a BAFTA award and the Prix Italia music prize. Was made a CBE in 1998.

Russell Milton Brown, FCA, FRGS, Hon. Fellow R.C.A, Chevalier de L’Ordre Nationale de Merite
Chairman of the DCD Finance Committee.
Independent Trustee

Educated at Stowe School. Finance Officer for Sadler’s Wells Opera and Theatre Ballet, and Clerk to the Governors, 1956-63; Chief Accountant and Production Controller for the Royal Shakespeare Company (Stratford and London), 1963-66 and Royal College of Art Bursar, 1966-86. He is also a Trustee of the Royal Ballet Benevolent Fund.

Felicity Clark
Board Member since 2000.
Represented the Rambert Dance Company, 2000-2003.
Currently an Independent Trustee.

Director of Royal Opera House Trust, 1989-1995; and Acting Director of the Appeal to rebuild the new theatre, Sadler’s Wells Theatre, 1995-6. Governor, Royal Ballet School; Board member, Mariinsky Trust; Trustee, Dancers’ Career Development; Board member, Rambert Dance Company, 1997-2003; and Management Development Committee, Royal College of Music.

Richard Panton Corbett, F.R.A.D.
Board Member since 2002
Independent Trustee.

Attended Eton 1950-55, then a 2nd Lieutenant in the Welsh Guard from 1956-58. Worked for Singer & Friedlander, 1961-1998, becoming Managing Director, 1974-1993.

Chairman, Alternative Investment Market of the London Stock Exchange from its inception until 1998; Trustee of the Royal Opera House Trust, 1988-1994; Chairman of the Finance Committee, Royal Academy of Dancing, 1989-2005; Trustee, Royal Ballet Benevolent Fund, 1985-2001; Director of South Staffordshire Water, 1998-Present and of other public companies.

Janet (Mop) Eager, MBE
Board Member since 1997
Company Representative for the Richard Alston Dance Company.

Administrator, Contemporary Ballet Trust (Dance Studio| Group), 1966-68; A Founder of The Place in 1969. Executive Director, London Contemporary Dance Theatre, 1969-1994, and Richard Alston Dance Company 1994-1997. Currently a Trustee of the Robin Howard Foundation; a Governor of The Contemporary Dance Trust, The Place (London Contemporary Dance School, Robin Howard Dance Theatre & Richard Alston Dance Company). A practicing complementary health practitioner.

Caryl Griffith
Board Member since
Equity Representative
Full biography to appear shortly

Hilary Hadley
Board Member since 2001
Equity Representative

Currently Head of Equity’s Live Performance Department, a Department responsible for safeguarding the interests of dancers employed in all areas of live performance in the commercial and subsidised sectors of the industry, both in the workplace and with external agencies.

Dr Jo Butterworth
Board member since 2009
Company Representative for Northern Ballet Theatre.

Dr Jo Butterworth currently directs two new Dance degrees at the University of Malta, a full-time Bachelors (Hons) in Dance Studies, and a part-time Masters in Performance Studies (Dance). Formerly Head of Dance at Bretton Hall, and subsequently Senior Lecturer in Dance at the University of Leeds, she initiated and directed the first BA Hons Dance programme in the North of England, and two MAs in Performance Studies and Choreography. She received her doctorate from the University of Kent in 2002 and has published articles on choreographic processes and teaching models. She ran a part-time MA in Choreography at Fontys Professional University, Tilburg, Holland from 2002-2010 and teaches on postgraduate courses at Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts (LIPA). Jo is Chair of Wayne McGregor | Random Dance Board, and a trustee of Northern Ballet Theatre. Formerly she chaired SCODHE, (Standing Conference of Dance in Higher Education) and the Dance Section of ELIA (European League of Institutes of the Arts) and was a member of the Arts and Humanities Research Council peer review college. She co-edited Contemporary Choreography: A Critical Reader (2009) for Routledge and is currently working on Dance Studies the basics due out in 2011.

Roula Konzotis, FRSA, MIoD
Board Member since 2006
Company Representative for English National Ballet.

Director of Communications at the Royal Institute of British Architects since 1999. Launched the Institute’s cultural arm, the RIBA Trust. First career was as a drama teacher. Worked for over sixteen years in the arts sector, including working as an arts consultant. Worked at Rambert Dance Company and as Director of Marketing and Press for English National Ballet in the 80s. Organised the first Healthier Dance conferences for Dance UK in 1991 and 1993, leading to the creation of the Healthier Dancer Programme. Previously on the Board of NODM (now Dance UK) and Arc Dance Company. Currently Governor of English National Ballet, a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and a member of the Institute of Directors.

Ken Marchant
Board Member since 2005
Currently an Independent Trustee.

Currently Group Programme Director for Maxima and having enjoyed a lifelong career within the IT business, Ken Marchant has been a passionate follower of Ballet since his first experience of it in Covent Garden at the age of fifteen. Ken joined the Trustees of DCD during his 8+ year period of service on the Board of Scottish Ballet and, after stepping down from that position was pleased to accept DCD’s invitation to join the Trustees as an Independent. Active on DCD’s Board, Finance and Development committees; Ken is always willing to help applicants with their business submissions; an opportunity to pay something back to an art form that has given him so much pleasure.

Marguerite Porter
Board Member since 2007
Company Representative for The Royal Ballet
Full biography to appear shortly

Gillian Raine
Equity Representative
Independent Trustee.

Trained at RADA, working both in theatre and television. Her most recent theatre appearances were in ‘Hedda Gabler’ at The Almeida and Duke of York Theatres and ‘The Reporter’ at the National Theatre. Gillian is also a trustee for the Equity Trust Fund.

Gerry Weiss, B Com, FCA, FIPA
DCD Founder Member.
Independent Trustee.

Qualified as a chartered accountant, specialising in dealing with businesses etc, in financial trouble. This led to the rescue of a major Ballet Company, and an involvement in Ballet ever since.

Founder member and past president of the British and the European insolvency practitioner organisations; founder trustee of the Dancers Pension Scheme; Trustee of Royal Ballet Benevolent Fund 1982 - 2007; Chairman London Festival Ballet (now English National Ballet) 1974-1983; founder board member of Northern Ballet Theatre; Trustee of Pension Scheme for Technical and Administrative Staff in the Arts.

Fred Emden
Board member since 2010
Company Representative for Scottish Ballet.

Deputy Chief Executive of Scottish Ballet since 2006, formerly General Manager of the Tron Theatre, Glasgow. MA in Mental Philosophy from Aberdeen University.

Robert Robson
Board member since 2010
Company Representative for Phoenix Dance Theatre

Robert comes from Scotland and studied at Glasgow University and University College, Cardiff. He worked extensively in community theatre and in 1983 became Artistic Director of Cumbernauld Theatre, a multi-purpose theatre presenting a wide variety of work and promoting community involvement. In 1990 he became Festival Director of Mayfest, Britain’s second biggest arts festival. In 1994, he became first the Theatre Director of His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen and then General Manager of Performing Arts Venues for Aberdeen City Council.

Robert Robson joined The Lowry in 1998 as Theatres Director, responsible for programming the Lowry auditoria plus additional public spaces including the foyers and open-air plaza. In early 2003, Robert was appointed Artistic Director of the award-winning arts complex for visual and performing arts.

Alison Beckett
Board member since 2010
Company Representative for Phoenix Dance Theatre.
Full biography to appear shortly.

Paul Mitchell
Company Representative for Rambert
Full biography to appear shortly.

Robert Noble
Independent Trustee.
Full biography to appear shortly.

Development Committee

  • Victoria Mather - Chairman Development Committee
  • Colin Nears CBE Deputy Chairman Development Committee
  • Russell Brown
  • Tony Dyson
  • Angela Rippon OBE
  • Anthony van Laast MBE
  • Gillian Raine
  • Hilary Hadley
  • Jan Francis
  • Cherry Gillespie
  • Robert Noble
  • Wayne Sleep
  • Ken Marchant
  • Dr Scilla Dyke
  • Toby Nomran-Wright
  • Aletta Collins
  • Dr Susan Jones

Finance Committee

  • Russell Brown Chairman Finance
  • Tony Dyson
  • Colin Nears CBE
  • Gerry Weiss
  • Panton Corbett
  • Ken Marchant

Patrons

  • Dame Ninette de Valois OM, CH, DBE – Founder Patron
  • Dame Beryl Grey
  • Leslie Caron
  • Gillian Lynne CBE
  • Wendy Toye CBE
  • Sir Peter Wright CBE

Funders

  • Peter Williams OBE - Founder