Emma attended The Hammond from to I was a dance student on the three year senior school course studying dance and training to teach.
In year 2 I converted to the Musical Theatre Course. In my final year I was Head Girl. It felt like we rehearsed for weeks and I loved the intensity of that rehearsal period, spending 10 hours a day at college, probably more, with rehearsals all weekend too. I was involved in the jazz, tap, contemporary and ballet pieces. It was a steep and intense learning curve; memories include Sara Neil spending an evening teaching us how to do our hair and make up for Les Sylphides in a studio behind no 12 Liverpool Road ; Suzanne Cunningham developing and choreographing the contemporary piece as her pianist composed the music alongside her, rehearsals in the theatre with Gillian Anthony and Sara Neil watching armed with a microphone for instant notes, and the genuine thrill of spending so much time in Chester Gateway Theatre.
I had such close friends at the Hammond, and it was a wonderful experience to share with them. Another favourite memory was during my second year, when a number of us were selected to attend a week-long course at the Royal Ballet School, in its old location on Talgarth Road in London. We had a crazy and great fun week racing around London, taking classes, choreographing, performing in Covent Garden Market and more.
Together with several other girls from my year at Hammond, I joined Circo Magico Italiano touring Mexico for 9 months. After the circus, I danced for a few more years, performing in Japan and in France.
I was however plagued by bad knees, and in my mid 20s I moved into radio presenting, and later a little bit of television presenting. I have a studio at home, and I record voiceovers for many different clients across the world. I work on corporate films, training programmes, commercials and more.
