Ailsa Cunningham

Branch Manager/Young Performers co-course leader

Ailsa started dancing at just two years old at her local dance school in Carluke. At the age of eight she joined Jacqui Wilson school of Dance in Wishaw and was taught by both Miss Wilson and Miss Brady. Initially, she focused only on ballet but quickly began to take an interest in all forms of dancing excelling across all of our syllabi and progressing to the highest level in the school with qualifications in tap, ballet and modern. She joined the professional class at the age of seventeen to perfect her dance skills but was also recognised for her excellent singing and acting ability. She went on to star as ‘Jack’ in the Dance UK production of Jack and the Beanstalk in her senior years as a performer. 

During this time, Miss Cunningham was also studying for her BATD associate in Tap and completing a BSc in Speech and Language Pathology at the University of Glasgow. She graduated in 2007 with Honours and completed her dance qualifications with top marks. She was busy! Miss Cunningham has been working as a Speech and Language Therapist whilst continuing to teach with Dance UK – both rewarding and challenging jobs which she loves. 

She has combined her formal training in voice and communication to grow the Young Performers course since 2009, and has adapted, directed and engineered several Young Performer productions and pantomimes since 2011. She always brings out the best in her students by challenging them to grow their confidence and become the best performer they can be. Her skills have inspired many DanceUK alumni to pursue careers in the West End, cruise ships and film and TV and she is very proud! Alongside her co-course leader Miss Brady, they are ready to take Young Performers in a new and exciting direction and will combine their passion and expertise to grow it. 

Miss Cunningham is also a talented stage manager and uses her great organisational skills to control music, lighting and the general running of our productions. You will spot her with her headset and laptop, making sure that all performances run without a hitch and with perfect music! Most recently she managed our brand new progress awards and did so with ease. She is multi-talented!

Since 2017, Miss Cunningham has been working part-time as a Speech and Language Therapist and continuing to teach with Dance UK in her senior role, all while raising two wonderful children, who are both keen dancers themselves, with her little girl progressing through our school right now! She is currently preparing to sit her Level 4 Diploma exam in Dance Teaching with the IDTA, and her Acrotrix Level 1 qualification. 

Miss Cunningham is the current branch manager for Bellahouston School and loves seeing all of the dancers, from mini movers to the pro-dancers, progressing and developing their potential and growing into their sparkling personalities. We absolutely love having Miss Cunningham with us and she is an asset to our team. Here’s to a successful year!

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