I’m a passionate Performing-Arts professional, Principal at Footlights Epsom and proud father of two daughters – they are the foundation behind my commitment to the next generation. My stage career began early and evolved into a sustained life in performance – acting, directing and producing across theatre, workshops and community showcases. I’ve led and developed youth-focused curricula, and coached hundreds of young performers to stronger technique, confidence and stage presence.

Alongside performing I built and grew successful creative businesses, including a bespoke jewellery company known for craftsmanship and distinctive design, and later founding Footlights Epsom – a dynamic performing-arts school dedicated to empowering young people.

I’m proud to have launched the first after-school Footlights clubs in local schools across Epsom, Sutton and Banstead, giving students on-site access to high-quality performing-arts training.

At Footlights Epsom I combine professional-standard training with a nurturing ethos, creating a space where creativity flourishes, barriers fall away and every child is encouraged to discover their authentic voice.

Kim is finishing her last year at Laine Theatre Arts studying Musical Theatre where she is continuing to develop her performing arts skills in singing, dancing and acting.

She started her performing journey when she was 11 years old attending a performance art where she grew up and then Italia Conti on the weekends. This initial training enabled her to be accepted into Redroofs School for the Performing Arts followed by Tring Park School for the Performing Arts. At Tring she combined her dance training with achieving 9 GCSE’s and 3 A Levels.

Currently at Laine she has passed two exams in her DDE (Diploma in Dance Teaching) in both tap and modern and aims to be fully ISTD qualified next year.

Kim brings her infectious enthusiasm and energy into her teaching and has taught in numerous summer schools and workshops before joining Footlights last year. She is dedicated to fostering an engaging, uplifting space where children can freely explore their abilities, grow their self-assurance, and develop and share a genuine love for the performing arts. For Kim, the most rewarding part of teaching is watching each child flourish – both as a performer and as an individual – and she loves seeing the next generation unlock their hidden potential and shine on stage, with a big smile!

Felicity is training at Laine Theatre Arts, working towards a degree in Musical Theatre after obtaining a BTEC Level 3 Diploma in Performing Arts. She began training in dance, singing and acting from a young age and has taken part in numerous performances, competitions and graded examinations, achieving multiple awards that have helped shape her as a dedicated and well-rounded performer.

Through extensive experience assisting and delivering workshops, Felicity has developed an adaptable teaching approach tailored to individual needs while ensuring sessions are fun and memorable. Working with large and varied groups has made her approachable, welcoming and empathetic. Felicity has extensive teaching experience with children aged 3-7 years old, delivering classes in performance and technique across dance, singing and musical theatre

Izzy has been teaching at Footlights Epsom since 2024, working with students aged 7–18. She brings warm energy, extensive experience and passion for singing, creating a supportive space where pupils can develop their vocal technique, performance skills and confidence. Izzy is finishing her last year at Laine Theatre Arts studying Singing & Musical Theatre where she is continuing to develop her performing arts skills. Izzy loves helping each student grow technically and personally – watching them discover new skills, build self-belief and shine on stage is what she finds most rewarding. She is committed to nurturing a lifelong love of the performing arts in every child she teaches.

Lola Valles is a professional Musical Theatre performer, singer, actress and dancer. A versatile performer with strong vocal ability, acting skills and dynamic movement, Lola is bilingual in English and Spanish and has a particular passion for Musical Theatre and live performance.

Lola began singing from a very young age and has been passionate about performing for as long as she can remember. As a child, she trained in dance with the Royal Academy of Dance and at Brit Kids, developing her foundations in ballet, jazz and performance. She continued to build her skills across singing, acting and dance throughout her childhood and teenage years.

Lola went on to train at Goldsmiths, University of London, graduating in 2024 with a BA (Hons) in Drama: Musical Theatre. During her training, she performed in a variety of Musical Theatre, cabaret and workshop productions.

Alongside her performing career, Lola has experience as a dance teacher, singing teacher/coach and Musical theatre teaching and has been teaching for 5 years, she particularly enjoys working with young performers and helping them develop their confidence, creativity and performance skills in a fun and supportive environment.

Taya started her dance journey at 2 years old where she grew a love for several styles of Dance. At 16, She went onto train in Musical Theatre at The BRIT School for 2 Years, Followed by 3 years at Laine Theatre Arts on their Musical Theatre and Professional Dance Diploma Course.

She has trained with several different Companies such as Tap Attack, Insight Dance Company, Space to Create and TNG.

Upon Graduation Taya was Awarded both the Laine Tap and the Jazz Award.

During Taya’s time at Laine, she took her DDE Examinations in both ISTD Modern and Tap to teach Syllabus based work alongside Open classes – and has now been teaching for 6+ years alongside Performing Professionally in the Industry.
Taya loves to share her passion for several disciplines and styles amongst all ages as she believes everyone should have access to the arts as it has opened so many more doors for her.