Miss Jackie Brooks (AISTD CDE) founded Brooks Dance Academy in 1995, formerly named The Shoreham School of Dance. In 2015, she opened her own, purpose-built dance studio in Lancing, now the home of Brooks Dance Academy.

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After training with the late Miss Elizabeth Hodgshon (a senior examiner with the ISTD), Jackie went on to study dance at Arts Educational dance college in London where she gained her diploma in dance and her teaching qualifications with the ISTD in Ballet, Tap and Modern.

Before starting her own school, Jackie experienced five years of professional dancing taking her to East Asia and beyond, before she decided to concentrate on her love of teaching. Jackie taught for many schools in Sussex choreographing a number of successful festival groups and helping her pupils gain fantastic results in their ISTD exams, before starting her own school in 1995.

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Jackie takes part in regular CPD with the ISTD, English National Ballet & The Royal Ballet's Inspire Programme. She is also a qualified Progressing Ballet Technique instructor. 

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Maria Doick started her training with Elizabeth Hodgshon, followed by Bush Davis School of Theatre Arts. Gaining advanced levels in Ballet (RAD & ISTD), Modern ISTD, and her teaching qualifications with the ISTD, Maria went on to dance professionally with Vienna Festival Ballet dancing Swan Lake and The Nutcracker. During her two years with VFB she toured England, Switzerland and Germany.

She also worked for Carnival Cruise Line travelling around the Caribbean followed by a Far East Tour.

Maria then decided to focus on teaching – working for many local schools entering ISTD exams and choreographing for festivals and shows. She has worked at Lancing College since 2009 directing the dance department.

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Maria has taught at BDA for many years and loves the friendly, down-to-earth atmosphere.

Alongside her professional contemporary training at Laban Conservatoire, Alice trained and performed with one of London’s most respected HipHop dance companies, Boy Blue Ent.

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Alice started her professional dance career at 19 years old when she landed a role in HipHop theatre show ‘Pied Piper’ at the Barbican. From then she went to perform in the West End with ‘Thriller Live.’

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Although remaining routed in hiphop Alice then went on to work more commercially dancing in commercials, music videos and live shows for music artists. Credits include; Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, French Montana, Will I Am, Beyoncé & Pharrell.

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Alongside her professional work Alice has also built her own creative company CRAFT ENT; which has landed her creative and choreography work. Credits include; Adidas, Universal Music, Melissa Steel, Manhattan Cosmetics and many more.

Lucy Brooks trained in Ballet, Tap, Modern, Contemporary and Jazz at Brooks Dance Academy, taking her exams up to advanced level and developed a special passion for choreography from age 14.

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She is a member of the British Ballet Organisation where she gained her Level 4 & 5 Diplomas in Dance Teaching. She is an affiliate member of the ISTD trained to teach their Contemporary syllabus, as well as a member of Rambert Grades and a certified Acrobatic Arts instructor.

She holds a Masters degree in Drama and Theatre Studies from the University of Kent where she was also an active performer and choreographer for the dance & musical theatre society. Alongside teaching, she enjoys a career in the arts working in marketing for arts organisations such as The Royal Albert Hall and Brighton Festival.

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Lucy runs our affiliate contemporary dance company 'Brooks Dance Company' for dancers aged 15+ and choreographs many of our competitive pieces for shows and events.

Agnes started dancing at the age of 4 at her local dance school in Burgess Hill in ISTD Ballet, Modern, and Tap. She completed her Advanced 1 in all three genres and also her Advanced 2 Tap. She then went on to attend Sussex University where she completed a degree in Neuroscience. At University, Agnes took up competitive cheerleading and competed at a regional and national level for 6 years. During this time, she developed a keen interest in the acro and tumbling side of the sport. This led her to find the Acrobatic Arts syllabus that she now teaches at Brooks Dance Academy, which fuses these acrobatic moves artistically with dance. Agnes also helps teach and choreograph solos for the upcoming dance season.

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Agnes also now runs her own Acro programme called
'Acro With Agnes' based in Hurstpierpoint.