Helen, Director of Studies, is a dance-artist and academic scholar whose work over the past 30 years has moved in layers of performance, community engagement, choreographic practice as research, and pedagogies of dance teaching and learning. Helen’s teaching philosophy centres on relational and inclusive ways of being in the world and encourages a transactional approach to education. Working in Higher Education for the past 18 years, Helen has led innovative changes in curriculum design, developing distance education programmes in dance and performing arts, leading revalidations of Undergraduate and Postgraduate dance provision with a focus on student engagement with feedback processes, and mental health and well-being through the integration of somatic practices. Helen co-wrote the Global Water Dances curriculum as an education consultant (2021-23), a curriculum embedding environmental awareness through a movement-based approach to teaching and learning. Helen was nominated for the award for Excellence in Curriculum Design (2024) and achieved the award of Most Empowering Lecturer (2019) at Middlesex University. Helen holds a BA (hons) Dance Studies, Roehampton Institute (1995), MFA Choreography (2007) University of Roehampton, PGcertHE (2009) and PhD (2021) Middlesex University. Helen has published work in the field of dance and somatic practices, and presented at conferences internationally within dance pedagogy, choreographic practice, and critical dialogic discourse.
Helen has served as a panel member for periodic programme reviews for:
Helen was
Moving Meditation sessions for Undergraduate and Postgraduate students, staff, and alumni, Academic Advisor group and 1-2-1 support (Middlesex University), open door policy at NSCD and contributing to Student Review Board to assess and support identified student needs.
