Beatriz Mérida
Beatriz is a Cultural Attaché at the Embassy of Spain. An arts, culture and media professional, she has had a passion for the performing arts since her school days, when she studied classical guitar, choir singing and had ballet and contemporary dance training. Beatriz has been promoting Spanish culture in the UK since 2008. Over this period she has helped many artists to develop their careers by getting to know their needs and ambitions, discussing projects and strategies and connecting them to organisations and institutions which may be able to support their work.

Andrew Hurst
Andrew is Chief Executive of One Dance UK. He trained at The Royal Ballet School and danced with Basel Ballet, Switzerland; Ballet Gulbenkian, Portugal; Netherlands Dance Theatre II, Holland; Berlin Ballet, Germany; and Rambert Dance Company. While at Rambert he was the Company Deputy for Equity, and began his management career there before taking up the position of General Manager at Phoenix Dance. He was Company and Tour Manager of Royal Ballet for 7 years. He has a Masters Degree in Cultural Policy and Management, he has undertaken research into how personality factors influence success for professional dancers, and is qualified in the practise of psychometrics and coaching for career counselling. Andrew is proud to be the Chair of Company Chameleon, and Vice Chair of ArtsDepot. He is also a Senior Committee member of the Hospital Club in Covent Garden.

Michael Burnham
Michael’s background is fundamentally Investment Banking. Following the crash of 1987 and the demise of his banking employer he retrained and obtained an honours degree in Psychology and a variety of Counselling qualifications. His counselling practice lasted for approximately 10 years; when by chance, he decided to put the two skill sets and knowledge bases into a single activity and he became a Business Analyst, which he continues to practice on a freelance basis. Michael came to dance late in life and by a very round-about route. During the latter 10 years he re-energised a teenage interest in Photography. Never having been to a dance production, he decided to visit the MacRobert Theatre in Stirling (whilst undertaking his business analysis activity) and saw the Scottish Dance Theatre. The impact was immediate and long lasting.

Hayley Ryan
Hayley Ryan is the Create and Dance Project Manager for the Royal Opera House (UK). Working in the Learning and Participation team, Hayley aims to support teachers with classroom-based and digital creative dance activities, with strong curriculum links, to give children a better understanding of dance, and unlocking their imagination and creativity. Hayley has a first-class BA Hons in Dance and Culture from University of Surrey and, in 2010 gained an MA in Dance:Performance at the University of Chichester, where she worked with Shobana Jeyasingh, Matthias Sperling, Gregory Maqoma, Keira Martin and Colin Poole. As a Dance Artist, Hayley has facilitated a range of workshops and choreographies for all ages and abilities, for Shobana Jeyasingh Dance, the Royal Academy of Dance, and The Royal Opera House. Hayley is proud to be an Advisory Board member for AVA DANCE COMPANY.

Tony Shepherd
Tony Shepherd has been a PR since 1988, specialising in professional boxing and the performing arts. He was the Sadler’s Wells Press Officer from 1991 to 1993 and has been a freelance PR consultant since 1994. Previous clients have included: East London Dance, Rambert Dance Company, The Barbican, Javier De Frutos, Yorkshire Dance Agency, Protein Dance Company, National Dance Awards, Henri Oguike Dance Company, Southbank Centre, Phoenix Dance Theatre and Dance Touring Partnership. Tony was the PR for the Dance Umbrella Festival from 1997 to 2013. He is currently on the Board of Trustees of artsdepot in North London, and sits on an Advisory Panel for One Dance UK and frequently provides voluntary PR and communications support to a variety of charitable causes throughout Greater London and South Essex.