Meet Our Dance Team In Romford
At ACS Dance Centre in Romford, you meet our dance team, who are highly qualified and dedicated to inspiring and training dancers of all levels. With expertise in ballet, tap, modern, ballroom, Latin, street, and musical theatre, our instructors provide top-quality coaching in a supportive environment. Whether you are a beginner or an advanced dancer, we are here to help you grow and achieve your goals.
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Qualified Staff
Registered Charity: 1159627
Friendly Atmosphere
Teaching Staff
Diana Clifford FISTD
Tap Modern FISTD Imperial Ballet Associate Artist of Royal Opera House CTD, LAMDA Gold. Diana started her dance training locally from the age of 4 and then was accepted for training full-time at the prestigious Laine Theatre Arts on their Musical Theatre Course where she trained for 3 years. She then danced and sang professionally across the world in musical theatre productions at Sea for Princess, Saga and P&O cruises including parts as “Peggy Sawyer” in 42nd Street, and “Meg” in Phantom of the Opera. It was at sea that she met her husband Mark and they set up the school together from scratch in 1994. Diana is qualified with the ISTD in 7 Genres, Imperial Ballet, Tap, Modern, Ballroom, Latin-American, Disco-Freestyle and National and has Fellowships in Tap and Modern, Licentiate in Ballet and DDE in everything else. She has taught both children and adults, from beginners to Advanced 2 to distinction level. She is an approved Tutor for DDE and enjoys teaching the next generation of future Teachers in all units 1-5. She also teaches the Drama, Singing and Musical Theatre. Most recently she was extremely proud to be trained as an Associate Artist of the Royal Opera House Chance to Dance Project. This has meant working with members and lead Artists of the Royal Opera House and Royal Ballet Company and school and working in state Primary Schools to promote and teach ballet to children in year 3. She even got to dance and perform herself alongside her children on the Royal Opera House Linden Stage! Having taught for over 30 years, her Ex-pupils can now be found competing, dancing and teaching professionally too, in the West End as leading roles, across the country and on cruise ships. She has trained the National winner of the ISTD Victor Leopold Cup for Tap and her pupils have been asked by ISTD to premiere the new tap syllabi and to appear on the Set Grade videos for Ballet and Tap Grade 3. Many of her students however even if they do not go on to performing careers are now so fond of their times spent at ACS that they are bringing their own children back to dance here. Diana was extremely proud to be the winner of the “Imperial Award for outstanding contributions to Dance Teaching in 2012. ACS had 2 dance numbers accepted to perform at the Royal Albert Hall in the first ever Dance Proms. The Studios have also won their section of Dance School of the year 4 times and in 2020 were crowned Over-All Winners against thousands of schools from across the world! Diana and Mark have two grown children Joe and Chris who continue the dancing, singing and Acting tradition and now have a little grandson who seems to be itching to get on his dance shoes!
Mark Anthony LISTD Modern DDE Tap, Latin, Ballroom, Disco-Freestyle
Mark’s original dance training was at Walsall Academy of Performing Arts in his home town the the West Midlands where he obtained his ‘vocational’ examinations in Ballet, Tap and Modern dance. During his training he appeared with the London City Ballet in ‘Carmen‘ and ‘Swan Lake’. Mark’s original dance training was at Walsall Academy of Performing Arts in his home town in the West Midlands where he obtained his ‘vocational’ examinations in Ballet, Tap and Modern dance. During his training he appeared with the London City Ballet in ‘Carmen‘ and ‘Swan Lake’. After college he worked in as a professional dancer for nearly 10 years. TV appearances included ‘The Bill’ and ‘The Perfect Hero’ and he also toured with National productions of ‘Oklahoma!’ ‘Guys and Dolls’ and ‘Seven Brides for Seven Brothers’ where he played the part of Daniel. His performing career included numerous shows, pantomimes and tours as a dancer, singer/actor both in Europe and across the UK and later when employed on cruise ships he performed throughout the American Continent. He had many roles during this period including singing as Raoul in ‘Phantom of the Opera’ and the MC in ‘Cabaret’. He enjoys choreography and is especially proud of his “Janet Cram” students. He specialises in the modern boys work and was a guest tutor giving jazz and musical theatre master classes at Abbs Cross Academy. Mark, just like Diana teaches a whole range of ISTD classes from children to adults Modern, Tap, Jazz, Latin, Ballroom and Salsa. He enjoys still Teaching Ballroom & Latin at Sea for P&O and Saga Cruise lines and has also lectured in Salsa at The Royal Ballet IDS Summer School as well as hosting and teaching the Royal Opera House’s Family Tea Dance taking place at ROH in the wonderful Flower Hall ,Covent Garden with their live orchestra. Mark has Licentiate in Modern and CDE in Modern, Tap, Ballroom, Latin American and Disco-Freestyle. His performing career included numerous shows, pantomimes and tours as a dancer, singer and actor both in Europe and across the UK and later when employed on cruise ships he performed throughout the American Continent. He had many roles during this period including singing as Raoul in ‘Phantom of the Opera’ and the MC in ‘Cabaret’. He enjoys choreography and is especially proud of his Janet Cram students. He specialises in the modern boys work and was a guest tutor giving jazz and musical theatre master classes at Abbs Cross Academy. Mark, just like Diana teaches a whole range of ISTD classes from children to adults Modern, Tap, Jazz, Latin, Ballroom and Salsa. He enjoys still Teaching Ballroom and Latin at Sea for P&O and Saga Cruise lines and has also lectured in Salsa at The Royal Ballet IDS Summer School as well as hosting and teaching the Royal Opera House Family Tea Dance taking place at ROH in the wonderful Flower Hall ,Covent Garden with their live orchestra. Mark has Licentiate in Modern and CDE in Modern, Tap, Ballroom, Latin American and Disco-Freestyle.
Theatre Faculty
Chris Lunn DDE Tap and Modern
Chris has danced sung and acted all his life trained by his parents and teachers at ACS and is pleased to be following in their footsteps. He is fully qualified in Tap and Modern DDE and has Advanced qualifications in Tap, Modern, Ballet Ballroom and Latin. He was one of the children selected to premiere the new ISTD Tap grades infront of 500 examiners! He enjoys teaching and coaching both children and adults in Tap, Modern, Ballroom, Latin and Drama and singing. He has appeared in ACS and College productions in main roles such as Eddie in Made in Dagenham, Corney Collins in Hairspray, and in A Chorus Line amongst others.
His special love is Tap and Drama and he is now training alongside his teaching to become a professional Actor. Chris enjoys watching plays and musicals, climbing/bouldering and playing the ukulele in his spare time.
Gabrielle Mann. DDE
Gabrielle started her training at the ACS Dance Centre aged 3 where she found her love for performing at a very young age. With the help of the amazing faculty at ACS Gabrielle gained a place at the prestigious London Studio Centre to study Musical Theatre. After three years she graduated with a first class BA (hons) degree and played a leading role in her third year musical, Dawn in Waitress. Since graduating Gabrielle toured the country with 100% ABBA-Traction Kiss the Teacher, an ABBA Tribute show where she played the part of Anna-Frid, singing ABBA in all ends of the country from Cornwall to Newcastle. After six months in the show the group won the David O’Hara Award for Best tribute act of the year for 2022. Also in 2022 Gabrielle performed at The Rose and Crown Theatre in their Christmas pantomime, Little Red Riding Hood and the Three little Pigs, Gabrielle played the Big Bad Wolf’s foxy assistant, HufflePuff. Gabrielle has also spent two Christmases performing on the Isle of Wight, the first time in The Tale of the Naughty Elf and the second in The Tale of the Missing Mail. Both times she multi-rolled many different characters along the way, most notably this year playing Mayhem the Mailroom Elf, helping to save Christmas and bring magic to lots of children. She has also starred in a music video for Electronicore band Cabin Boy Jumped Ship with AFM Records. The music video for ‘Ghosts’ was filmed entirely in a rain room where she and another dancer used water and movement to create a piece of choreography to the bring the music to screen. Gabrielle has also recently been performing in Cabarets for Starmakers Events raising money for various charities including Dementia UK and Parkinsons UK, getting the opportunity to perform alongside John Dalton from the Kinks. Gabrielle studied for her Modern Dde teaching qualification here at ACS. Following on from successful Christmas Cabaret and Summer Musical review Singing shows here, this is her first year choreographing for the main show, she is so proud of her ACS Drama and Singing students and cannot wait to see them smash it on the big stage!
Helen Steggles FISTD. Examiner Imperial Classical Ballet
Helen is an ISTD Examiner in Imperial Classical Ballet and trained at the Arts Educational School, London. After graduating Helen taught for a variety of schools whilst furthering her teaching qualifications including Junior Performers and shortly afterwards she became part of the Ballet Faculty at Performers College where she taught vocational students for many years. Helen achieved Distinctions in her Advanced 2 Ballet and Fellowship qualifications and was honoured to be invited to take classes at both the Imperial Ballet Junior and Senior Awards, which she helped organise for many years. Helen lectures for the I.S.T.D. on their Summer and Spring Courses in London, Chichester and Italy and was involved in creating the new syllabus and DVD, “Training Ballet Technique”, which she has been presenting to teachers both in the UK and internationally. Helen was an Imperial Classical Ballet Faculty Committee member from 2012 until 2020. Currently Helen is a freelance teacher, examiner and lecturer for the I.S.T.D. Working here at ACS Dance Centre and at other Approved Teaching Colleges teaching vocational and DDE Imperial Ballet. She is also a qualified Pilates Teacher.
Molly Alba BA Professional Dance and Musical Theatre
Molly started her training at 2 years old at an ISTD school in Spain, learning Ballet, Tap, Jazz, modern and musical theatre and discovering her love for performing and especially choreography. She continued her professional training both commercial free-work and ISTD grades when she moved to the UK in 2012 and went on to study full-time at Bird College. She graduated in 2024 with a BA degree in Professional Dance and Musical Theatre, beginning her professional career in various pantomimes and professional dance performing contracts since that time. While at Birds, she completed her Modern DDE especially excelling at choreography. Outside of teaching and performing, Molly also works as a social media manager and enjoys going to the gym, playing piano and crochet. She is very excited to be joining the ACS team and looks forward to sharing her dance knowledge with our students!
Joanne Wix DDE Imperial Ballet, Tap and Modern
Joanne has been teaching ballet tap and modern at Anthony Clifford for over 10 years and previously was assistant teacher to Diana. She finished a three year course at the North London Dance Studio in 2002 and before that did a full time performing arts course at Havering Technical College where she obtained A level in dance and Btec National Diploma in Performing Arts. She now also holds an Associate Diploma and DDE in Ballet, Tap and Modern. During her training Joanne has appeared as a dancer in many shows at the Queen’s Theatre including performing with the European Ballet Company. She has also appeared at the Mermaid Theatre, Theatre Royal Drury Lane as well as in various local theatres, and in the film The Search for John Gissing, choreographed by Derek Hartley. As well as teaching for us, Joanne has also a taught at Dennard Theatre Arts, Bodens Studios and the North London Dance Studio. She was joint winner of the “Mavdor Davis” scholarship for Imperial Ballet. Joanne has three children, Ellie-Mae, Elliot and Ellison who love to dance.
Dance Sport Faculty
Debbie Clark FISTD
Debbie has been teaching for over 30 years and is a Fellow of the ISTD. She joined Cook’s School of Dancing (later to become Anthony Clifford Studios) at the age of 10, where she began her training in Ballroom, Latin and Disco dancing. At the age of 14 she won the title of ‘ISTD UK Disco Medallist of the Year’. She remained a loyal pupil of the school, completing all her amateur exams and competing in all 3 genres. At 19 she decided that her real interest was in teaching others and so began her professional training, qualifying as an Associate in 1987. In 1989 Debbie was awarded the Phyllis Haylor Scholarship for her year. For many years she was the Head of Disco/Freestyle at Cook’s, but eventually decided to concentrate on Ballroom and Latin, taking part in a TV programme, filmed at the Studio, promoting dance to young people. During her time at ACS, Debbie has been involved in the organisation and choreography for shows and has appeared at the Queen’s Theatre and in studio cabarets. With her passion for teaching, she trains dancers of all ages and abilities, from the social dancer to competitor and to those training for their professional exams.
Julie Gardner AISTD Ballroom & Latin
Julie started dancing at the age of 4 when she studied ballet. It wasn’t’t until she was 10 that she discovered ballroom and latin and even then she had a long break from dancing during her teenage years when school work took over. She returned to dancing as an adult at Cooks Dance school, (later to become Anthony Clifford’s) and she quickly progressed through all her amateur medals including the prestigious Alex Moore Ten Dance award. She easily made the transition to teaching, studying and completing her Associate qualification under the tuition of ACS, and gaining the top mark of Highly Commended and therefore the right to enter for the Phyllis Haylor scholarship. She now teaches adult classes and private lessons. She is very proud to have qualified several children for Blackpool Grand finals over the years. Her son Alfie also trained at ACS and having been accepted and trained at Performers College now is a professional dancer travelling and dancing across the world.
Melissa Hussey AISTD
Melissa started her dance training here at the tender age of 3, studying all theatre and dancesport branches offered. She has appeared in many shows over this time, including two numbers in the first ever DanceProms, held at the Royal Albert Hall and she has also been a Grand finalist at the ISTD National Disco Freestyle competition in Guilford. Since starting her dance teaching career here Melissa has taught both Disco-freestyle and Rock and Roll and enjoys also choreographing some of our Teams. She studied Latin and Ballroom as well as Ballet, Tap and Modern with Diana to an advanced level. She has also demonstrated at the prestigious ISTD Disco Congress. As well as being a fully qualified ISTD teacher, Melissa is has teaching degree from Greenwich University and is also a Primary school teacher.
Charles Richman FISTD Ballroom & Latin
Charles has been teaching dance professionally for nearly twenty years. In 2012 he became a fellow and Examiner of the ISTD and a Fellow of the IDTA. In 1998 he was awarded the John Dilworth Scholarship for Latin American dancing and was nominated for the Ballroom Scholarship the following year. In 2000 he was appointed to the ISTD Country/Western sub-committee and was a co-opted member of the Disco/Freestyle committee before that. His expertise in Country/Western dance has led to several television and video appearances. He has been featured in Line dancer magazine and choreographed several popular Line dances. He teaches Line Dancing at ACS and has been invited to guest lecture for ISTD and at Potters Resort for Line dance and latin and Ballroom. Always looking for new challenges Charles turned his talents to teaching Salsa. In 1999 he was a grand finalist in the British Salsa Championships with Katie Welch, so it was fitting that he is also became a founder member of the ISTD Club Dance Faculty including Salsa, Argentine Tango and Lindy Hop syllabus and technique where he helped create the technique book for Salsa He now is a member of the Late -American Committee. He has also branched out and enjoys teaching classes for those less mobile and the more mature members of our community in conjunction with Care homes and sheltered living accommodation, both in person and with on-line classes to help promote healthy ageing through learning to dance.
Charlie Townsend and Ineta Vaickauskate AISTD
Charlie and Ineta have been dancing together for 10 years representing England at the Highest level competing Nationally & Internationally in U21 and Amateur. Their highest competitive achievement to date was placing 3rd in Amateur 10 dance at the UK closed championships. They also tour frequently performing different shows across the UK working with various Strictly Come Dancing professionals. They have now turned Professional and will be competing as professionals. At ACS both enjoy teaching and coaching our children and adult competitors who wish to compete in medalist as well as on the Open Pro-Am circuit, including Blackpool Grand Finals and they have had Over-all National winners on several occasions. Charlie started his dancing at ACS at the tender age of 8, when he learnt Tap, Modern and Ballet along side his Ballroom and Latin American. He appeared at the first ever “Dance Proms” at the Royal Albert Hall in a Tap and drumming Duet with Joe in front of an audience of over 2000 people including the great and the good from the dance world, this is before he began specialising in Ballroom and Latin. He continues also with his second passion of drumming and is the featured drummer for the internationally renowned group Kovic, playing across the country, Europe and the US. Charlie and Ineta now are directors of their own Dance Studio in Cambridge, Supastudios and they split their time between Cambridge and teaching for us here at ACS in Romford.
Bridget Green. LISTD
Bridget is a highly qualified dancer, dance teacher, and educator from Australia. She holds a Licentiate in Imperial Ballet and an Associate Diploma in both Modern and Tap. She brings extensive professional experience to the studio, having worked in Sydney’s commercial dance industry and spent a year performing in Bollywood productions in Mumbai, India.
With training across various styles including jazz, commercial, ballet, tap, modern, contemporary and lyrical, Bridget is passionate about sharing her knowledge and nurturing a strong foundation of technique in every dancer she works with. She is excited to contribute her experience and passion to the ACS community!
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