Meet Our Instructors
Kevin Thatcher (Co-Partner)
After training at the Royal Ballet School & Elmhurst Ballet school, Kevin embarked on a professional dance career for 12 years, which took him all over the world, including the USA, Lebanon, Europe and the Far East.
After settling back in the UK, he became a Personal Trainer (Premier DIP PT RSA REPS) and sports massage therapist (IHHT ITEC). He now combines his dance and athletic knowledge to create an exciting approach to health & wellbeing.
In 2006, he started the studios in East Dulwich to give people a warm and friendly environment in which they could train comfortably at their own pace & recently has embarked on a business partnership with Amanda.
Kevin teaches Adult Ballet, Ballet Sculpt, Pole, runs Personal Training sessions and also runs the Musical Theatre evenings. He is also involved within the local community and is passionate about The Push Foundation, a charity that he has set up to bring movement and dance to the elderly, or the ‘young at heart’ as he likes to say!
Email Kevin
Amanda Botterill (Co-Partner)
Amanda trained at the London Studio Centre in Musical Theatre and Dance and after working in the professional theatre she embarked on a career combining both dance and fitness.
She has been a qualified Exercise to Music professional since 1993 and has taught many different genres of dance and exercise including Step Reebok, Jazz, Aerobics, Sculpt & Ballet and is proud to be Push Studios resident ZUMBA Instructor. She is also an enthusiastic Latin American & Ballroom dancer winning various Latin Dance competitions.
Amanda joined Kevin as Co Partner in Push Studios in 2010 to combine her passion for dance and fitness with her marketing and PR knowledge having previously run her own business which she had to wind up when she had her two children!
Amanda teaches ZUMBA, Adult Ballet, Wedding Dances and Latin American Dance.
Email Amanda
Colette Hicks (Senior Personal Trainer, Pilates and ZUMBA Instructor)
Colette has been with PUSH right from the start, and will be into her fifth year in 2011.
She is a Y.M.C.A qualified personal trainer and a Pilates Institute certified Pilates mat work instructor. She recently qualified as a Zumba instructor and has full R.E.P.S membership.
Before moving into fitness, Colette was a professional dancer and during her career danced at the famous Moulin Rouge and Lido in Paris.
She incorporates her dance knowledge into her work outs by concentrating on correct technique, posture and core strength.
Colette teaches Pilates classes and is our senior Personal Trainer.
Annia Dabrowska (Ballet Sculpt, Adult Ballet and Pointework Instructor)
Annia danced from an early age, before training professionally at the Arts Educational London Schools and embarking on a career as a singer and performer.
On leaving the performing world, Annia worked in a physiotherapy environment, where she had the opportunity to get involved in both spinal and knee rehabilitation classes.
This inspired her interests in the benefits of combing classical ballet with traditional muscle conditioning techniques. Annia joined the Push team in 2008, specialising in beginners' ballet and ballet sculpt.
She is a keen runner and is currently expanding her studies to include aqua aerobics and circuit training.
Trisha Needham (Facilities Manager)
Trish is an integral part of the Push Studios team running bookings and the day to day management of the studios – she is Amanda & Kevins rock and the studios wouldn’t run so efficiently without her!
Trish is an accomplished textile designer having trained at West Surrey College of Art, then graduating from the Royal College of Art London. She sells her beautiful and original scarves, lampshades, bags and cushions to stores and boutiques throughout the UK, Japan & the USA having prestigious clients such as Liberty, Heals, Barneys New York and Japan and the Guggenhiem Museum.
Emily Anderson (Pilates, Pregnancy Pilates and Mens Pilates Instructor)
Emily trained with Stott Pilates in Matwork and the Reformer.
Having originally trained as a dancer at Central School of Ballet in London, she performed with various different ballet companies, and then went on to appear in musicals such as Cats and Chicago.
Throughout her dance career Emily felt the benefits of a regular Pilates practice, whether it was rehab after an injury or simply keeping in shape, and now enjoys passing this experience on to others.
Carolyn Everitt (Studio Manager & Pole Instructor)
Carolyn has been attending classes at Push Studios for three years and loves the studios so much that she agreed to take the position of Studio Manager – and Kevin & Amanda couldn't live without her!
She trained in ballet & dance as a youngster and loves attending Push's Ballet Sculpt, Zumba and Musical Theatre nights. She is also a member of the Push Dance performance team!
Carolyn has been an enthusiastic participant in Kevin's Pole classes, so much so that she is now a trained Pole Fitness Instructor and takes the Pole Fit classes at Push.
Ijy de Luca (Adult Ballet, Wedding Dance, Kids Hip Hop & Burlesque Instructor)
Ijy trained at the Stella Mann College passing Avanced ballet in the I.S.T.D and R.A.D syllabuses. She has worked in many fields of dance and theatre. Her credits include, the Island Breeze for Thomson Cruises, "Maria"/Dance Captain for "Saturday Night Fever" (London, UK and Asia tour), swing for "Never Forget" UK world premier tour, "Dolores" with the Hurly Burly Girlies, the award winning Burlesque group and various cabarets, launches, videos and events.
Choreographic credits include, Choreographer for "Little Shop of Horrors" for Upstairs at the Gatehouse, Assistant Choreographer "Saturday Night Fever" (UK and International) "Never Forget" and "The Wedding Singer" (for Karen Bruce), Associate Choreographer "Britannia High" for ITV1. Choreographer, "Aladdin" for 1st Family Panto, Assistant for "So You Think You Can Dance", Choreographer "Sport Relief" and most recently Assistant Choreographer for "Strictly Come Dancing- The Professionals" and the BBC1 prime time show on now!
Ijy teaches all ages and abilities at workshops, summer schools and at professional dance colleges all around the UK. Ijy loves teaching her ballet classes on a Monday at Push.
Victoria “Wibs” Cooper-Jones (Adult Ballet)
Wibs trained at the Arts Educational School & Central School of Ballet, under the tutelage of Dame Merle Park, Prima Ballerina with The Royal Ballet.
Wibs made her stage debut at The Royal Opera Covent Garden at the age of 11! Wibs has also danced with The Houston Ballet, The Boston Ballet and won a place at the Ballet Nationale de Marseille under the directorship of Roland Petit.
Wibs has found a new lease of life teaching and attending classes at Push and is a fantastic member of the Push Team – her ponché is well worth a look!
Leanne Pero (Zumba and children's Hip Hop)
Leanne is our new Zumba instructor and children's Hip Hop Dance Teacher!
Outside of Push, Leanne runs her award winning dance company The Movement Factory and her charity The Bruk Out community dance programme. Her credits include work for Nike, Big dance, Fulham football club, Mr delicious UK, Ed Tracey, Southbank centre- Overture festival, Sky news, BBC news, The media trust, Houses of parliament, Gordon Brown and ITV.
Leanne is mentored regularly by Debbie Moore OBE- owner of Pineapple dance studios .
Rachel Barlow (Yoga)
Rachel has been a yoga practitioner since 2001 and teaching full-time since 2006.
Rachel first practised Sivananda in her local gym in 2001.To understand more about this ancient science Rachel visited India in 2005 where she completed her teacher training in Sivananda and studied Astanga Vinyasa, Hatha yoga and Brahmani Yoga in more depth.
Rachel has a BTEC Diploma in sport and remedial massage therapy and is undergoing teacher training in sport and remedial massage.
Rachel's classes are dynamic, flowing and explorative with focus on breath and movement working together to create a calm peaceful inner self. She hopes to inspire her students through her own commitment to the practice of Astanga Vinyasa yoga and her passion for yoga and understanding of movement.
Kate Langely (Zumba)
Kate is the newest member of the Push Studios team using her previous skills as a Ceroc Teacher and Teacher Trainer to teach Push Studios high energy Zumba classes.
Instantly recognisable by her baseball cap and sassy samba skirt Kate's classes use a mix of her Ceroc moves and current chart music tracks to make her Zumba classes the place to be!
Brendan Matthew (Tap Teacher)
Brendan is a Musical Theatre graduate of The Royal Academy of Music!
Brendan has also studied dance / choreography at Doreen Bird College of Dance and Theatre Performance. Working extensively as a musical theatre actor, choreographer and director, a number of his works are currently being performed in London. As a performer, he has experience ranging from the Fringe circuit to recent credits in the West End and has enjoyed critical acclaim for both performance and his choreography.
As a tap teacher, his classes range from general technique using contemporary music to musical theatre repertoire. An opportunity for you to improve your confidence in dancing choreography, clarity in your timing and rhythm, learn new step vocabulary whilst paying attention to detail and style and for you to have a lot of fun!
Elaine Warburton (Zumba)
Elaine is our mad Scottish dynamo, resident DJ and part of our Zumba team.
For over 20 years Elaine has been involved in teaching fitness activities, from aerobics classes to gym instructor to dance workshops with routines from Grease to Glee. Even when she joined the police Elaine's love of fitness continued as she taught Aquafit twice a week as well as teaching step classes. She's taught everyone from 5 to 55...
Elaine first caught the Zumba bug after just one classs with Amanda. Since then the passion has grown and grown - her classes are always high energy, guaranteed to make you sweat.
Kevin Woods (Zumba & Pilates Instructor)
Kevin Woods trained as a professional dancer at The College of Dance, Dublin and then Arts Educational School, London.
Kevin them embarked on a career that spanned for 18 years working as a commercial dancer, in West End & Touring productions of Musicals and as an actor for TV & Film. He started teaching in 2005 and this has become his full-time profession since.
Kevin is an IDTA qualified dance instructor (AIDTA & LIDTA), a Licensed Zumba Fitness Instructor and is a Certified STOTT Pilates Matwork Instructor.
James Eppy (Personal Trainer)
He spent 24 years in the Armed Forces and has only recently retired from active service in 2011.
During his day-to-day job as an operational helicopter pilot and flying instructor, he also thrived as a physical training instructor and has trained and mentored personnel to achieve physical goals throughout his time in the forces.
His sporting achievements include; competing in cross country; indoor rowing and swimming at national level; biathlon at inter-services level; and training/coaching army biathlon teams to competition standard.
His unique military style approach to personal training and mentoring ensures progression towards achievable goals, whatever skillset/level his clients begin at.
Anna (Zumba Instructor)
Anna has been a professional dancer for 10 years, an air stewardess for 12 and for the last 3 years has been running music classes for pre-school children.
She has joined the team in the office mid week and is very excited to have qualified as a Zumba Instructor, covering classes here at Push. However her biggest thrill is the opening of The Push Shop selling dance and fitness wear.
Over the last 20 years when people asked "what do you really want to do" she would say "open a dance shop". At last together with Kevin and Amanda, here it is!
Debbie Ninnis (Yoga Instructor)
Debbie went to the Len Goodman school of dance! But rather than ending up on Strictly, she decided to turn her hand to yoga!
Having come from a dance background, Debbie discovered yoga 10 years ago realising that she connected with the spiritual side that yoga had to offer, as well as noticing the huge physical benefits of the asana. Over the years, Debbie has practiced under many different teachers settling on completing her Teacher Training course with Claire Missingham in the summer of 2011.
She is trained in Vinyasa Flow yoga – one breath, one movement. A karmic dynamically sequenced yoga to music. She is currently teaching a men’s beginner’s class on a Tuesday night at Push.
