We only employ the best teachers who also work professionally within the performance industry and are guaranteed to provide innovative and creative classes. All our teachers hold a DBS check and are supported by us in their continuing professional development.
NLPAC is a Recognised School with the Council for Dance Drama and Musical Theatre and has been awarded the Council’s certificate of good professional practice. Schools awarded CDMT’s Recognised School Award demonstrate to students, parents and guardians that they adhere to the standards demanded by the industry; standards designed to protect and safeguard young people whether dancing for leisure or with an eye to a career in the profession.
Emily Byron set up the New London Performing Arts Centre in 1995. She converted a large disused office building into a thriving and successful children’s performing arts centre.
The centre offers classes to children from all backgrounds, giving quality training in all areas of the performing arts.
Emily is a graduate of Middlesex University with an honours degree in English and Educational Psychology and a postgraduate at Central School of Speech and Drama.
In 2017 Emily was honoured to receive an MBE for her services to children, young people and the community in the performing arts.
Since his time at the University of Bristol studying a BA in Music, James has been teaching for almost a decade.
His varied career of sound engineering, music production, session playing and teaching have led him to work with a range of renowned musicians including Michael Nyman, Graham Coxon, White Lies, and many more.
Alongside performing with multiple artists in London, James has played in multiple music theatre pit bands and as a session musician in Abbey Road Studios.
Francesca Wong finished her second master’s degree in vocal performance at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. She graduated from her first master’s degree at the New England Conservatory, majoring in voice pedagogy. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in music from the Hong Kong Baptist University.
Francesca has appeared as the soloist in Mozart’s Requiem and Mendelssohn’s cantata Come Let Us Sing. She also performed excerpts from Hear My Prayer and Schönberg’s Medley of Les Misérables in a production by Hong Kong Baptist University. In June 2006, she toured the USA and Canada as a soloist with the university choir.
She has taken on operatic roles in scenes concerts, including Laetitia in Menotti’s The Old Maid and the Thief, Lucia in Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor, Amore in Monteverdi’s Prologue: Incoronazione di Poppea, and Venere in Cavalli’s L’Egisto, with performances at both the New England Conservatory and the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts.
Her vocal training has included mentorship from Ms. Chan Siu Kwan, Ms. Nancy Yuen (head of the vocal department at the Academy), Ms. Patricia Misslin (renowned teacher of soprano Renée Fleming), Mr. William Cotten, Ms. Lowe Yan Cho, and Ms. Jeffie Leung.
Francesca began studying piano at the age of five. She has won numerous awards at the Hong Kong Schools Music Festival, participating in piano solo, piano duet, vocal solo, and female voice duet categories.
Monifa trained at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts for her secondary school education and continued on as a student, graduating with a Level 6 Diploma in Professional Musical Theatre in 2017.
Since graduating, she has toured the UK and Ireland in various musicals and has also performed in pantomimes.
Theatre credits include: “Little Inez” in Hairspray (UK & Ireland Tour), “Reno/Rugby” in Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (UK Tour), “Coppelia” in Coppelia, “Mowgli” in The Jungle Book, “Olivia” in The Color Purple (UK Tour), and most recently, “Fairy Full O’Beans” in Jack and the Beanstalk.
Monifa has been assisting and teaching for ten years at numerous performing arts schools in and around London. She began working at NLPAC in 2015 as a helper and has continued on as a teacher – she loves being part of the team!