Meet The Team
Lucille Briance MBE
FOUNDER
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Lucille Briance founded London Children’s Ballet in 1994 to give talented young ballet dancers a unique professional performance opportunity. It would be free to children of any shape, size, or feet if they had excellent ballet technique or star performance quality.
Lucille is not a dancer; she played competitive tennis, studied politics at university in the USA, worked at Vogue in London, and was a portrait photographer until gathering and managing the creative teams of LCB original productions. Lucille wrote scenarios for LCB ballets and worked with the RCM, Guildhall, and RAD to identify young, composers to write their first classical ballet for LCB’s orchestra of 24 musicians.
Since handing over the reins of the LCB to the capable LCB team, she has accumulated 7 grandchildren, and so is looking forward to building an LCB committee of grannies in support of LCB.
Jenna Lee
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR (Outreach)
Philip Hesketh
MUSICAL DIRECTOR
Ruth Brill
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR (Production)
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As a child, Ruth danced in four LCB productions. She returned to LCB in 2019 to choreograph and re-stage Cathy Marston’s production of Ballet Shoes, before taking over as Artistic Director from Lucille Briance, who founded the company in 1994.
Ruth began her training in the Cecchetti Method. She went on to Tring Park School for the Performing Arts and English National Ballet School. She joined English National Ballet (2007-2012) and Birmingham Royal Ballet (First Artist, 2012- 2019). Mentored by David Bintley, she developed as a choreographer. Ruth was commissioned to create four ballets for BRB including Arcadia (2017) and Peter and The Wolf (2019).
As a freelance choreographer, she has created work for English National Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet, The Royal Ballet School and New English Ballet Theatre, amongst others. She has worked on five dance films and has created pieces for The Rugby World Cup, the BBC and Heathrow Airport’s Christmas Campaign.
Ruth has completed a course in Dramaturgy, studied with the Open University and delivered dance development programmes internationally.
'Lucille founded and built an incredible charity organisation with real soul. Year after year, I kept coming back to support LCB, and that LCB spirit is the reason why. Whether LCB inspires you to continue to pursue a career in dance, or whether it gives you skills which you then take on into any career, the LCB spirit never leaves you.'
Ruth has commissioned the last three productions for LCB and is now developing the scenario and musical score for Ella’s Big Chance (A Jazz Age Cinderella), adapted from the book by Shirley Hughes.
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Jenna's journey at London Children's Ballet spans a decade, evolving from LCB choreographer and Tour Director to her current role as Acting Artistic Director. With 12 years of experience as a soloist at English National Ballet, Jenna brings a wealth of expertise to LCB.
Holding a Master’s in Choreography, Jenna serves as an Associate Choreographer of New English Ballet Theatre and has created pieces for renowned companies such as English National Ballet, Northern Ballet, and Dimensions Dance Theatre of Miami. Jenna’s choreography has been showcased on ITV, Sky, Channel 4, and CBBC. She is also the founder and Creative Director of Jlee Productions, a pioneering company specialising in classical entertainment for events.
Beyond her artistic endeavours, Jenna is dedicated to nurturing young talent. Notably, she has choreographed three full-length narrative ballets for LCB: Snow White, Little Lord Fauntleroy, and Anne of Green Gables. As Subject Leader of Choreography at London Studio Centre, Jenna remains committed to inspiring the next generation of dancers and choreographers.
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Victoria initially became involved with LCB in 2011 when her eldest son danced in Rumpelstiltskin 2011 and The Secret Garden 2013.
Her youngest son also danced in both the touring and main company in 2017 and 2018.
In 2019 she was appointed Executive Director and has been responsible for overseeing the move to the new premises in Battersea and the expansion of LCB's activities to include the Development Programme.
She is passionate about improving access for all to the arts.
Favourite LCB Ballet’s: The Secret Garden and The Canterville Ghost.
Amanda Christie
EVENTS & COMMUNICATION
Lynda Heavey
FINANCE
Victoria Davison
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
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Amanda has had a varied career including an online jewellery business to writing a best selling book called Sweet Revenge: 200 Ways to get your Own Back! Amanda comes from a theatrical background so has a love and knowledge of all forms of art. Amanda joined LCB in 2005 for what was meant to be a short period of time but has been here ever since. Amanda auditions every year for LCB but has so far been unsuccessful.
Favourite LCB Ballet’s: Jane Eyre and Anne of Green Gables
Lara Waterfield
PROGRAMMES & OUTREACH
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Lara started working for LCB in 2016 after graduating from her Master’s degree (MA Arts and Cultural Management, King’s College London, BA English Literature, Brunel University).
Lara particularly enjoys the charities outreach work, inspiring and encouraging young people to engage with the arts, reaching many isolated and vulnerable members of society and giving them the opportunity to access live performances.
Lara has always loved dance. She loves the theatre and her favourite musical is Billy Elliot. Lara also volunteers at Shakespeare’s Globe.
Favourite LCB Ballet’s: The Canterville Ghost and Anne of Green Gables
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Lynda is a chartered management accountant and joined LCB 5 years ago, having previously worked for 21 years in finance in commerce and industry.
I was attracted to LCB as I wished to work for an organisation that empowers children and young people, and this is exactly what LCB does. It is very rewarding working at LCB as it offers an amazing outreach programme, which we are very proud of and which is continually being further developed and improved.
I love ballet and the arts and so feel very privileged to be part of the small dedicated LCB team and also to work in such an inspiring, dynamic and creative environment.
My time at LCB has been most enriching and has just whizzed by. I feel very excited about my future at LCB, as our new studios will financially enable us to take our wonderful company to an even wider, more diverse audience.
Favourite LCB Ballet’s: Snow White and Ballet Shoes.
Anna Hickman Lewin
PRESS
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Anna is a complete dance fan but also a PR with 30+ years experience. Working in-house and within international PR agencies she finally established her own PR consultancy in 1994.
She has worked across fashion, interiors, design, horticulture, dance and the arts sectors and since 1998 LCB has been a special charity client.
Favourite LCB Ballet’s: The Canterville Ghost and Anne of Green Gables
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Philip has been Musical Director of the London Children’s Ballet since 1998.
Having spent much of his spare time as a schoolboy deeply involved in music-making, it is, perhaps, understandable that Philip reached the end of his student days in almost complete ignorance of the world of ballet. It came, therefore, as a surprise when his first professional post as a cellist was with the Orchestra of the Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet (Birmingham Royal Ballet). The learning curve was steep indeed but after astonishment had turned to delight he found the ballet world to be full of fascination and musical opportunity.
Since then, ballet has been an important part of his musical life, both as cellist and, subsequently, as conductor. He has conducted for some of the greatest dancers and companies in the world including the Royal Ballet and the Swedish Royal Ballet. He has also made highly successful working relationships with many leading directors and choreographers including Sir Peter Wright, Harold King, Madeleine Onne, William Tuckett. He has worked closely with LCB choreographers including Cathy Marston, Tom Sapsford, Irek Mukhamedov, Christine Sundt, Matthew Hart, Morgann Runacre-Temple, Samantha Raine, Ruth Brill and the late, great David Fielding.