our teachers
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Read More ▶Frances Ryan
LISTD MB, AISTD IB (Dip) RSA, CDE, PBT.
Frances Ryan is a fully qualified and registered teacher with the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD). She holds Licentiate status with the Society, as well as the Certificate in Dance Education (CDE).
She also holds certificates in Anatomy & Physiology, History of Dance, Occupational First Aid and Progressive Ballet Technique (PBT). Frances regularly undertakes CPD (Continuing Professional Development) courses, ensuring that her knowledge remains current and that she continues to develop her teaching practice and keep up to date with syllabus developments and teaching techniques. She is also a qualified Special Needs Assistant.
Frances began her dance training at the age of seven with the Annette Hynes School of Classical Ballet and Modern Theatre Dance, where she achieved high honours in all graded examinations up to and including Intermediate level.
Following secondary school, Frances successfully auditioned for the Merseyside Dance and Drama Centre in Liverpool, where she undertook professional teacher training and gained her teaching qualifications with Distinction.
Her studies included Classical Ballet, Modern Theatre and Jazz, National Dance, Contemporary, Tap, Pas de Deux and Repertoire, Drama, Musical Theatre and Singing. During her time in the UK, Frances also performed in a variety of musical theatre productions and pantomimes.
In the 2000s, Frances was selected to teach and prepare students to demonstrate new syllabus work at an International Dance Congress for the ISTD. She was also one of the first teachers in Ireland to achieve Licentiate status with the Society.
On returning to Ireland, Frances continued to perform regularly and has appeared in numerous stage productions, including Cabaret, Oklahoma! – where she danced the role of Laurie in the dream sequence; Carousel – in which she played the part of Louise; Fiddler on the Roof, Showboat, My Fair Lady and many others.
Alongside her teaching career, Frances has worked extensively as a choreographer, collaborating with musical societies and schools throughout Ireland. Her choreography has included productions such as Evita, Guys & Dolls, Bugsy Malone and West Side Story, and she has received a number of awards for her work.
Frances began her teaching career in a number of dance schools and primary schools throughout County Wicklow. In the early 1990s, she returned to work with Annette Hynes and, in 1994, took over the running of the school, establishing what is now known as Frances Ryan School of Dance.
The school expanded to Gorey, Co. Wexford, in 1999 and has continued to grow and develop over the years.
As the school continued to grow, Frances took the next step in its development by transforming an industrial unit into purpose-built dance studios, complete with sprung floors, ballet mirrors and barres. This provided the school with a dedicated home designed specifically for the teaching and training of its dancers.
The success of the Arklow studios led to the opening of a second purpose-built studio in Gorey, offering the same high-quality facilities and providing dancers in the area with a professional and welcoming space in which to learn, train and perform.
Today, the studios provide classes for children and young people of all ages and abilities, with an emphasis on sound technique, enjoyment and a positive approach to learning.
Frances has always believed strongly in the value of a good dance education and in the importance of children being taught by qualified teachers from the beginning of their training. She believes that dance can play an important part in developing confidence, self-discipline and self-esteem, as well as providing students with a lasting appreciation and love of the art form.
Her approach to teaching is centred on creating a warm and encouraging environment in which students can develop their technique, confidence and individuality, while enjoying their dance training and reaching their own potential.
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Read More ▶Kayleigh Enriquez
Kayleigh Enriquez began her dance training at the age of six with Innovations Stage School. Having developed a strong passion for dance from an early age, she continued her training in a wide variety of styles at several studios throughout County Wicklow.
Following secondary school, Kayleigh successfully auditioned for Bray Institute of Further Education, where she completed her Higher National Diploma. During her time there, she received extensive training in Ballet, Jazz, Contemporary, Musical Theatre, Physical Theatre, Tap, Hip Hop and Singing.
Kayleigh then continued her studies in Wales, completing her final year at University of Wales Trinity Saint David, where she graduated with a 2:1 BA (Hons) Degree in Dance Performance and Teaching.
Alongside her dance qualifications, Kayleigh is a certified Acrobatic Arts teacher and a qualified Special Needs Assistant, holding QQI Level 5 and Level 6 qualifications. She is also First Aid trained.
Throughout her training and professional career, Kayleigh has gained experience as both a performer and teacher across a wide range of dance styles. She has had the opportunity to perform work choreographed by a number of established artists, including Kai Tomioka of 2Faced Dance Company, Jessica Cohen and Jim Ennis of Earthfall Dance Company, and Gwyn Emberton of Gwyn Emberton Dance.
Kayleigh has also performed in a number of musical productions, including The Wedding Singer, The Wizard of Oz, The Clockmaker’s Daughter and the Irish premiere of The Addams Family Musical with Avonmore Musical Society.
Kayleigh has considerable teaching experience and has worked with Starcamp, Kids Inc, Spotlight Studios and a number of dance schools throughout Ireland. She has also taught in primary and secondary schools across County Wicklow. During her time in Wales, she had the opportunity to lead Dance for Parkinson’s classes, which further developed her interest in making dance accessible and enjoyable for people of all abilities.
Kayleigh is passionate about creating a positive, supportive and encouraging environment in which students feel comfortable to learn, develop and express themselves. She particularly enjoys seeing students grow in confidence, develop their skills and take pride in their achievements.
Kayleigh is delighted to be joining the teaching team at Frances Ryan School of Dance and is very much looking forward to meeting our new and returning students in September. We are delighted to welcome Kayleigh to the team and look forward to seeing her bring her experience, enthusiasm and love of dance to our classes.
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Read More ▶Natasha McGuire
LISTD MB, DDE IB, TB, Acrobatic Arts
Natasha is a fully qualified dance teacher and registered member of the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD). Her love of dance began at the age of three at Frances Ryan School of Dance, where she completed her graded examinations with distinction.
Following secondary school, Natasha continued her professional training in the UK, studying for three years at Merseyside Dance and Drama Centre. During her training, she completed her vocational examinations to Advanced 2 level and gained three DDEs (Diplomas in Dance Education) in Classical Ballet, Modern Theatre and Tap. She is also a qualified Acrobatic Arts teacher.
Natasha has gained extensive teaching experience both in the UK and internationally. During her time at Jelli Studios in Liverpool, owned and run by West End performer Jennifer Ellison, she taught students of a wide range of ages and abilities.
Her career has also taken her overseas, where she has taught and performed in Derby, Luxembourg, China and Abu Dhabi. During this time, she taught a broad range of dance styles and syllabi, including ISTD, RAD, Hip Hop, Jazz, Acrobatic Arts, Contemporary and Musical Theatre.
Since returning to Ireland, Natasha has continued to develop her teaching career. Alongside teaching at Frances Ryan School of Dance, she works with primary and secondary schools throughout County Wicklow and teaches at Bray Institute of Further Education (BIFE) on the Professional Dance Technique, Performance and Choreography course. She also coaches the Colour Guard with Inbhear Mor Marching Band.
Natasha plays an important role in the training of the school's Elite Team, working with dancers across a variety of styles and helping them to develop their technique, musicality, performance skills and confidence.
As a teacher, Natasha is enthusiastic and creative, with a strong belief in creating a positive and encouraging environment in which every dancer can develop and progress. She particularly enjoys seeing students gain confidence, develop their skills and discover what they are capable of through dance.
Natasha is looking forward to another year with Frances Ryan School of Dance and to sharing her experience, enthusiasm and love of dance with our students in Arklow and Gorey.
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Read More ▶Anna Molloy
Anna Molloy’s love of dance began at an early age. With an aunt who runs a dance school in Donegal, dance was always a big part of her childhood. Some of her earliest memories are of dressing up in little tutus and costumes before she could even walk, so it feels as though dance has always been part of her life.
Anna performed in her first dance show at just three years old with her aunt’s school, The Forristal School of Dance. She later began her formal training in Ballet and Modern with Sinéad Keaskin, then Principal of Kilkenny Academy of Dance, before continuing her training closer to home at The Ballet Barn in Carlow, under the guidance of Aideen O’Hagan and Adele Mealy.
Throughout her training, Anna studied Ballet, Modern and Jazz, completing her vocational examinations and achieving high distinctions in her final years. Following secondary school, she decided to continue her dance training and was delighted to be accepted into Northern Ballet School in Manchester, where she trained for two years.
Although her professional career eventually took her in a different direction, dance has remained a constant in Anna’s life. While living in Manchester, she continued to attend classes whenever possible, exploring a variety of dance styles. Later, after moving to London, she balanced her full-time career with teaching Ballet to children in the evenings, giving her the opportunity to share her enjoyment and enthusiasm for dance with a new generation of students.
Since returning home to Ireland, Anna has realised how much she missed having dance as an important part of her life. This has led her to begin working towards her DDE qualification under the guidance of Samantha Murphy at Slaneyside School of Dancing.
Anna also remains involved with her aunt’s dance school in Donegal, helping backstage as a Stage Manager during productions and choreographing routines when the opportunity arises.
For Anna, dance is about much more than technique. She believes it can encourage creativity, confidence, discipline and self-expression, while, most importantly, being something to enjoy. She is looking forward to continuing her own development as a teacher and sharing her love of dance with her students.
Outside the studio, Anna enjoys good food, coffee and spending time with friends, as well as challenging herself through her new interest in CrossFit.
Anna is delighted to be joining the team at Frances Ryan School of Dance and is very much looking forward to meeting our students in Arklow and Gorey and becoming part of their dance journey.