Meet the team
The DCD team are a small and dynamic team based across the UK
We are proud to work together with a range of committed freelancers, including DCD alumni, to deliver our programmes and priorities.
'I have been extremely impressed with the organisation as a whole, its fulfilment of its promises, the welcoming nature of the employees, and the openness to talking things through to an individual, rather than following a one-size-fits-all solution to life after a performance career.'
DCD Supported Dancer
Meet our warm and friendly team
Click here to read bio.
Vanessa Lefrançois
She / Her
Executive Director
Based in Oxford
vanessa.lefrancois@thedcd.org.uk
Previously, Vanessa was a freelance consultant working in the arts and cultural sector, with experience in senior roles including Joint Director and CEO of Oxford Playhouse; Artistic Director and CEO of the Brewhouse Theatre & Arts Centre, Somerset; and Director of Recreational & Prevocational Dance at The Place, London.
Vanessa spent the first 15 years of her career working internationally as a freelance choreographer and director for opera, theatre and dance companies. A Trustee of South East Dance, Vanessa also sits on the OxLEP Culture and Visitor Economy Sub-Group and Tourism Task Force.
Vanessa has an Executive MBA (with Distinction), Bayes Business School (formerly Cass); BA (Hons) in Arts Practice and Cultural Studies (First), Coventry University; and trained at London Contemporary Dance School and Alvin Ailey, New York.
Click here to read bio.
Debbie Cowley
She / Her
Admin & Data Manager
Based in Manchester
Having originally trained as a dancer and dance teacher at Laban and London College of Dance and Drama, Debbie has over 35 years’ experience of working in dance and the creative industries. Debbie joined DCD in September 2021 having most recently worked for Cheshire Dance as their General Manager and prior to that having worked for 14 years at Trafford Council as Strategic Manager for Culture & Sport.
Prior to moving to Manchester from London in 1999, Debbie worked as a freelance dancer, teacher, lecturer and advisor, and boasted a portfolio of clients that included; Greenwich Dance Agency, Random Dance Company, Union Dance Company, the London Boroughs of Croydon, Bromley & Lewisham and working as far afield as Cumbria and the Lake District.
Click here to read bio.
Ceri Brierley
She / Her
Marketing & Communications Manager
Based in North East Wales
Ceri joined Dancers’ Career Development in autumn 2023, following an incredible year leading the marketing for Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod.
Between 2014 and 2022 Ceri, then based in Leeds, worked as an Independent Arts Manager specialising in audience development and dance. During this time she worked with dance organisations including: Anjali Dance Company, ATMA Dance, Balbir Singh Dance Company, Ballet Black, Fallen Angels Dance Theatre, Made by Katie Green, Pell Ensemble, The Place and Yorkshire Dance; alongside other arts companies touring theatre and festival work.
Before this Ceri worked in senior marketing roles at Northern School of Contemporary Dance/The Riley Theatre, Phoenix Dance Theatre, South East Dance and Company Wayne McGregor.
Ceri is based in North Wales, has a lifelong passion for dance, and holds a first class honours degree in Dance and Culture from the University of Surrey. She has been a trustee for Eleni, the dance development organisation for North East Wales, and an Artistic & Quality Assessor for Arts Council England.
Click here to read bio.
Hamish Scott
He / Him
Marketing & Development Intern
Based in Birmingham
Hamish joined DCD in June 2025, bringing with him a rich background in dance and creative media. He trained at The Royal Ballet School and Elmhurst Ballet School and maintains close ties with the Royal Academy of Dance.
Hamish spent over eight years performing with Birmingham Royal Ballet, touring both nationally and internationally. He has since built a dynamic freelance career, appearing in film and television projects including Disney’s Disenchanted (2022) and the upcoming The Forsyte Saga.
In addition to continuing his work as a freelance dancer, actor, and model, Hamish is a passionate content creator with skills in photography, drone videography, and digital media. When he’s not behind the lens or on stage, you’ll likely find him cycling or playing a competitive game of chess.
Previously, Vanessa was a freelance consultant working in the arts and cultural sector, with experience in senior roles including Joint Director and CEO of Oxford Playhouse; Artistic Director and CEO of the Brewhouse Theatre & Arts Centre, Somerset; and Director of Recreational & Prevocational Dance at The Place, London.
Vanessa spent the first 15 years of her career working internationally as a freelance choreographer and director for opera, theatre and dance companies. A Trustee of South East Dance, Vanessa also sits on the OxLEP Culture and Visitor Economy Sub-Group and Tourism Task Force.
Vanessa has an Executive MBA (with Distinction), Bayes Business School (formerly Cass); BA (Hons) in Arts Practice and Cultural Studies (First), Coventry University; and trained at London Contemporary Dance School and Alvin Ailey, New York.
Having originally trained as a dancer and dance teacher at Laban and London College of Dance and Drama, Debbie has over 35 years’ experience of working in dance and the creative industries. Debbie joined DCD in September 2021 having most recently worked for Cheshire Dance as their General Manager and prior to that having worked for 14 years at Trafford Council as Strategic Manager for Culture & Sport.
Prior to moving to Manchester from London in 1999, Debbie worked as a freelance dancer, teacher, lecturer and advisor, and boasted a portfolio of clients that included; Greenwich Dance Agency, Random Dance Company, Union Dance Company, the London Boroughs of Croydon, Bromley & Lewisham and working as far afield as Cumbria and the Lake District.
Ceri joined Dancers’ Career Development in autumn 2023, following an incredible year leading the marketing for Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod.
Between 2014 and 2022 Ceri, then based in Leeds, worked as an Independent Arts Manager specialising in audience development and dance. During this time she worked with dance organisations including: Anjali Dance Company, ATMA Dance, Balbir Singh Dance Company, Ballet Black, Fallen Angels Dance Theatre, Made by Katie Green, Pell Ensemble, The Place and Yorkshire Dance; alongside other arts companies touring theatre and festival work.
Before this Ceri worked in senior marketing roles at Northern School of Contemporary Dance/The Riley Theatre, Phoenix Dance Theatre, South East Dance and Company Wayne McGregor.
Ceri is based in North Wales, has a lifelong passion for dance, and holds a first class honours degree in Dance and Culture from the University of Surrey. She has been a trustee for Eleni, the dance development organisation for North East Wales, and an Artistic & Quality Assessor for Arts Council England.
Hamish joined DCD in June 2025, bringing with him a rich background in dance and creative media. He trained at The Royal Ballet School and Elmhurst Ballet School and maintains close ties with the Royal Academy of Dance.
Hamish spent over eight years performing with Birmingham Royal Ballet, touring both nationally and internationally. He has since built a dynamic freelance career, appearing in film and television projects including Disney’s Disenchanted (2022) and the upcoming The Forsyte Saga.
In addition to continuing his work as a freelance dancer, actor, and model, Hamish is a passionate content creator with skills in photography, drone videography, and digital media. When he’s not behind the lens or on stage, you’ll likely find him cycling or playing a competitive game of chess.
RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT TEAM:
Click here to read bio.
Ellen Chambers
She / Her
Relationship Manager
Based in Nottingham
Ellen joined DCD in October 2013, combining her passion for dance with a wealth of project management experience and her desire to help others to achieve their potential. Ellen provides one to one support to dancers as well as leading on DCD’s flagship projects such as EVOLVE and the Transition Coaching Programme, and regularly delivers workshops and talks on the Schools and Conservatoires Programme.
Ellen is an accredited Relational Dynamics 1st coach, passing the course with Distinction in April 2016. She is also a proud trustee of Dane Hurst’s Moving Assembly Project.
Since graduating from the University of Lincoln with a BA(Hons) in Drama in 2008, Ellen has contributed to the success of leading theatre-in-education organisation Freshwater Theatre Company and Squeaky Gate, a charity providing Further Education arts courses to vulnerable adults.
A life-long amateur dancer, Ellen has participated in projects with East London Dance, Big Dance with Wayne McGregor | Random Dance, and currently trains in Jazz Dance at Morley College.
Click here to read bio.
Hannah Osmond
She / Her
Relationship Manager
Based in Brighton
Hannah graduated from London Contemporary Dance School with a degree in Dance Performance in 1998 and has spent the past quarter of a century charting a career within the dance industry that has taken her on a journey through performing, teaching, project managing, producing and as a commissioned writer creating educational resource packs and other materials.
Hannah is passionate about the transformative impact that dance has on people’s lives and is thrilled to be joining the team at DCD, where she hopes to utilise her own experiences to support others with their own career transitions.
Over the years Hannah has worked across a wide spectrum of different dance genres and with people of all ages and backgrounds. She continues to work as an Producer & Project Manager and for the past 6 years has been working with Eleesha Drennan Dance. She has also worked with Deaf Men Dancing, Hofesh Shechter, Mark Murphy and Lost Dog among others. Hannah is also an Independent Funeral & Wedding Celebrant, having trained with the fellowship of Professional Celebrants in 2016. In her spare time, Hannah volunteers with Brighton-based cat welfare charity, ‘Lost Cats Brighton’, with whom she is also a member of the Board of Trustees.
Click here to read bio.
Crystal Nicholls
She / Her
Relationship Manager
Based in Bedfordshire
crystal.nicholls@thedcd.org.uk
Crystal obtained a BFA in Performance Dance from Toronto Metropolitan University in 2012, and has over a decade of experience as a professional dancer and performer. Her journey across stage and screen includes notable credits such as The Marvels, Dance 100, and a six-year tenure as a dancer and Sarabi cover in Disney’s The Lion King.
Crystal’s passion now lies in helping dancers thrive both on and off stage, enabling them to build healthy and sustainable careers. She qualified as a nutrition and health coach in 2020 and has since delivered coaching for Scottish Ballet, ENBYouthCo, the Museum of London, and Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures. As an associate team member of Applause For Thought, she regularly delivers well-being workshops in West End productions, as well as drama schools.
Crystal is thrilled to be joining the team at DCD, where she hopes to utilise her own experiences in the industry to support others to build sustainable careers at every stage.
Ellen joined DCD in October 2013, combining her passion for dance with a wealth of project management experience and her desire to help others to achieve their potential. Ellen provides one to one support to dancers as well as leading on DCD’s flagship projects such as EVOLVE and the Transition Coaching Programme, and regularly delivers workshops and talks on the Schools and Conservatoires Programme.
Ellen is an accredited Relational Dynamics 1st coach, passing the course with Distinction in April 2016. She is also a proud trustee of Dane Hurst’s Moving Assembly Project.
Since graduating from the University of Lincoln with a BA(Hons) in Drama in 2008, Ellen has contributed to the success of leading theatre-in-education organisation Freshwater Theatre Company and Squeaky Gate, a charity providing Further Education arts courses to vulnerable adults.
A life-long amateur dancer, Ellen has participated in projects with East London Dance, Big Dance with Wayne McGregor | Random Dance, and currently trains in Jazz Dance at Morley College.
Hannah graduated from London Contemporary Dance School with a degree in Dance Performance in 1998 and has spent the past quarter of a century charting a career within the dance industry that has taken her on a journey through performing, teaching, project managing, producing and as a commissioned writer creating educational resource packs and other materials.
Hannah is passionate about the transformative impact that dance has on people’s lives and is thrilled to be joining the team at DCD, where she hopes to utilise her own experiences to support others with their own career transitions.
Over the years Hannah has worked across a wide spectrum of different dance genres and with people of all ages and backgrounds. She continues to work as an Producer & Project Manager and for the past 6 years has been working with Eleesha Drennan Dance. She has also worked with Deaf Men Dancing, Hofesh Shechter, Mark Murphy and Lost Dog among others. Hannah is also an Independent Funeral & Wedding Celebrant, having trained with the fellowship of Professional Celebrants in 2016. In her spare time, Hannah volunteers with Brighton-based cat welfare charity, ‘Lost Cats Brighton’, with whom she is also a member of the Board of Trustees.
Crystal obtained a BFA in Performance Dance from Toronto Metropolitan University in 2012, and has over a decade of experience as a professional dancer and performer. Her journey across stage and screen includes notable credits such as The Marvels, Dance 100, and a six-year tenure as a dancer and Sarabi cover in Disney’s The Lion King.
Crystal’s passion now lies in helping dancers thrive both on and off stage, enabling them to build healthy and sustainable careers. She qualified as a nutrition and health coach in 2020 and has since delivered coaching for Scottish Ballet, ENBYouthCo, the Museum of London, and Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures. As an associate team member of Applause For Thought, she regularly delivers well-being workshops in West End productions, as well as drama schools.
Crystal is thrilled to be joining the team at DCD, where she hopes to utilise her own experiences in the industry to support others to build sustainable careers at every stage.
FREELANCE COACHING AND FACILITATION TEAM:
Click here to read bio.
Isabel Mortimer
She / Her
Director of Coaching and EVOLVE Workshop Facilitator.
Isabel is an experienced performance coach, focused on getting positive results for clients. She specialises in leadership development, cultural change, and enabling positive team dynamics.
She is an established leader, having been Resident Director for Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures Dance Company. She has created a portfolio of coaching and leadership programmes and has supported cultural exchange and team development work across a range of high-profile organisations. She is a fellow of the prestigious Clore Leadership Programme and is employed by The CLP to help support fellows in developing as transformational leaders. Isabel is an RD1st Lead Trainer, Accredited Coach. A Qualified CPCC, Certified Professional Co-Active Coach, and an Organisational Relationship and Systems Coach.
Isabel has endless energy for people realising their unique potential, and pursuing the powerful impact they create in the world, when they unleash their focus, flow and drive.
Click here to read bio.
Jane Ralls
She / Her
DCD Coach (Birmingham) and School Workshop Facilitator.
Jane is a professional coach with over 10 years’ experience, working mainly with individuals in the arts and charity sectors. Alongside her work with DCD, she runs a small private practice and is an associate coach with Young Women’s Trust: a feminist charity supporting young women with low or no pay.
Her solution-focused coaching helps clients build confidence, find clarity, and take practical steps forward.
Jane trained with Relational Dynamics 1st (Distinction) and as an Action Learning Facilitator in 2015 (supported by Arts Council England), and has completed Working with Neurodivergent Clients (Barefoot Coaching), Foundation-level Solution-Focused Practice (BRIEF), and Organisation and Relationship Systems Coaching (ORSC with CRR UK).
Jane’s coaching is warm, calm, and gently challenging. She brings humour and lightness when welcome, and creates space for reflection and growth. She supports clients with imposter syndrome, leadership, career change, rebalancing life and work, and strives to work inclusively with underrepresented, disabled, and neurodivergent clients.
Click here to read bio.
Louise Yates
She / Her
DCD Coach (Leeds), Evolve and School Workshop Facilitator.
Supporting leaders and individuals in transition to gain clarity and feel confident in their next steps lies at the heart of Lou’s work as a coach. Lou brings warmth, compassion, creativity and spaciousness to co-create a space where clients feel safe to explore their strengths, challenges, motivators and ambitions. Lou particularly draws upon somatic and presence-based practices for deepened awareness and sustained change.
Over 19 years Lou has worked with a wide range of clients – from those in large corporates and the NHS to small entrepreneurial and not-for-profit organisations. She now focuses on working with the performing and creative arts, the environmental sector and those wanting to make a positive impact within their communities or the wider world.
Lou is accredited by the International Coaching Federation and is a Certified Organisation and Relationship Systems Coach. She is also a faculty member of both CRR Global and Coach Supervision Academy delivering coach training and supervision globally.
Click here to read bio.
Frances Cairney
She / Her
DCD Coach, Glasgow.
Frances has twenty years’ experience as a coach, following her career in the arts and media.
She works with people from all walks of life, helping them clarify their thinking to pursue their goals and become the best version of themselves. Creating a safe and respectful coaching relationship, she blends warmth, compassion and encouragement with challenge and focus, to grow confidence, increase self-awareness and create new possibilities.
She is also a COSCA qualified interdisciplinary supervisor and an accredited BABCP Psychotherapist. She blends her coaching skills with a wide range of research-evidenced psychological tools and techniques to help individuals overcome any blocks to making change happen.
Isabel is an experienced performance coach, focused on getting positive results for clients. She specialises in leadership development, cultural change, and enabling positive team dynamics.
She is an established leader, having been Resident Director for Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures Dance Company. She has created a portfolio of coaching and leadership programmes and has supported cultural exchange and team development work across a range of high-profile organisations. She is a fellow of the prestigious Clore Leadership Programme and is employed by The CLP to help support fellows in developing as transformational leaders. Isabel is an RD1st Lead Trainer, Accredited Coach. A Qualified CPCC, Certified Professional Co-Active Coach, and an Organisational Relationship and Systems Coach.
Isabel has endless energy for people realising their unique potential, and pursuing the powerful impact they create in the world, when they unleash their focus, flow and drive.
Jane is a professional coach with over 10 years’ experience, working mainly with individuals in the arts and charity sectors. Alongside her work with DCD, she runs a small private practice and is an associate coach with Young Women’s Trust: a feminist charity supporting young women with low or no pay.
Her solution-focused coaching helps clients build confidence, find clarity, and take practical steps forward.
Jane trained with Relational Dynamics 1st (Distinction) and as an Action Learning Facilitator in 2015 (supported by Arts Council England), and has completed Working with Neurodivergent Clients (Barefoot Coaching), Foundation-level Solution-Focused Practice (BRIEF), and Organisation and Relationship Systems Coaching (ORSC with CRR UK).
Jane’s coaching is warm, calm, and gently challenging. She brings humour and lightness when welcome, and creates space for reflection and growth. She supports clients with imposter syndrome, leadership, career change, rebalancing life and work, and strives to work inclusively with underrepresented, disabled, and neurodivergent clients.
Supporting leaders and individuals in transition to gain clarity and feel confident in their next steps lies at the heart of Lou’s work as a coach. Lou brings warmth, compassion, creativity and spaciousness to co-create a space where clients feel safe to explore their strengths, challenges, motivators and ambitions. Lou particularly draws upon somatic and presence-based practices for deepened awareness and sustained change.
Over 19 years Lou has worked with a wide range of clients – from those in large corporates and the NHS to small entrepreneurial and not-for-profit organisations. She now focuses on working with the performing and creative arts, the environmental sector and those wanting to make a positive impact within their communities or the wider world.
Lou is accredited by the International Coaching Federation and is a Certified Organisation and Relationship Systems Coach. She is also a faculty member of both CRR Global and Coach Supervision Academy delivering coach training and supervision globally.
Frances has twenty years’ experience as a coach, following her career in the arts and media.
She works with people from all walks of life, helping them clarify their thinking to pursue their goals and become the best version of themselves. Creating a safe and respectful coaching relationship, she blends warmth, compassion and encouragement with challenge and focus, to grow confidence, increase self-awareness and create new possibilities.
She is also a COSCA qualified interdisciplinary supervisor and an accredited BABCP Psychotherapist. She blends her coaching skills with a wide range of research-evidenced psychological tools and techniques to help individuals overcome any blocks to making change happen.
Click here to read bio.
Jaimie Tapper
Skills for Living Facilitator.
Jaimie is an Organisational and Coaching Psychologist who draws on contextual behavioural approaches, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). She works with individuals and groups to improve their performance and enhance their health and wellbeing.
Jaimie’s portfolio career includes an executive role leading the strategic development of community health interventions and staff training, health and performance at Shoreditch Trust as Deputy Chief Executive Officer.
Jaimie is a Research Associate at City, University of London and a guest lecturer at Chester University. In addition, Jaimie works as a consultant Psychologist for a range of clients, including Dancers Career Development, the Royal Ballet Company, the Royal Ballet School and the National Ballet School of Canada. Jaimie is a Trustee of Studio Wayne McGregor and of the Prix de Lausanne.
Prior to retraining as a Psychologist, Jaimie was a Principal Dancer with the Royal Ballet company.
Click here to read bio.
Ross McIntosh
He / Him
Skills for Living Facilitator.
Ross takes a stand for what’s possible in the workplace. He designs and delivers evidence-based skills training to support adults in realising these possibilities for themselves. With a particular focus on psychological well-being, adaptability and recovery from work his approach is founded in contextual behavioural science.
At City, University of London, Ross works alongside Dr Paul Flaxman in an academic/practitioner partnership. Together, they design, deliver and research ACT Workplace Training for both the public and private sector. Ross also lectures in the application of ACT in the workplace and in coaching at City, University of London and Birkbeck, University of London.
As part of his mission to make behavioural science more accessible, useful and fun he established his start-up, People Soup, over seven years ago. People Soup is also the name of his award-winning podcast which has a strong global following and is available wherever you get your podcasts.
Jaimie is an Organisational and Coaching Psychologist who draws on contextual behavioural approaches, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). She works with individuals and groups to improve their performance and enhance their health and wellbeing.
Jaimie’s portfolio career includes an executive role leading the strategic development of community health interventions and staff training, health and performance at Shoreditch Trust as Deputy Chief Executive Officer.
Jaimie is a Research Associate at City, University of London and a guest lecturer at Chester University. In addition, Jaimie works as a consultant Psychologist for a range of clients, including Dancers Career Development, the Royal Ballet Company, the Royal Ballet School and the National Ballet School of Canada. Jaimie is a Trustee of Studio Wayne McGregor and of the Prix de Lausanne.
Prior to retraining as a Psychologist, Jaimie was a Principal Dancer with the Royal Ballet company.
Ross takes a stand for what’s possible in the workplace. He designs and delivers evidence-based skills training to support adults in realising these possibilities for themselves. With a particular focus on psychological well-being, adaptability and recovery from work his approach is founded in contextual behavioural science.
At City, University of London, Ross works alongside Dr Paul Flaxman in an academic/practitioner partnership. Together, they design, deliver and research ACT Workplace Training for both the public and private sector. Ross also lectures in the application of ACT in the workplace and in coaching at City, University of London and Birkbeck, University of London.
As part of his mission to make behavioural science more accessible, useful and fun he established his start-up, People Soup, over seven years ago. People Soup is also the name of his award-winning podcast which has a strong global following and is available wherever you get your podcasts.
Click here to read bio.
Hannah Moore
She / Her
Schools Workshop Facilitator.
Freelance.
London.
Information coming soon.
Click here to read bio.
Araminta Wraith
She / Her
Schools Workshop Facilitator.
Freelance.
London.
Information coming soon.
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