Amy Barr MA, BMUS, PGCE
Artistic Director
After graduating with a bachelor's degree in music from Queen's University, Belfast, Amy went on to gain a post graduate certificate in education (PGCE) in secondary level music. Amy's love of musical theatre was piqued during her undergraduate years and she subsequently returned to Queen's University to study for a master's degree in music, specialising in musical theatre and vocal pedagogy.
Amy has worked with many professional and amateur production companies across the province including Blunt Fringe, where she stage managed productions of The Last Five Years, Jaques Brel is Alive, and Putting it Together.
In 2013 Amy founded the academy as a performing arts school with a focus on musical theatre, singing and dancing. Inspired by the television show Glee, the academy also included Northern Ireland's first showchoir, which mixed the choral singing of pop music with dance and story telling.
As well as managing the day to day running of the academy, Amy has held many roles including Director, Production Manager, Stage Manager and Musical Director overseeing the academy's productions of many of the best known musicals, including Annie, The Wizard of Oz, Into the Woods, Beauty and the Beast, Sweeney Todd and Singing in the Rain amongst many others. In 2014 and 2015 Amy led the academy's showchoir to back-to-back victories in the National Showchoir Championships in Dublin.
For the last few years Amy has been growing the academy's reach across Northern Ireland, opening a stage school in Downpatrick, and running holiday schemes in Enniskillen, Downpatrick, Armagh, and Belfast.
Ksenia Zsikhotska
Ksenia is originally from Ukraine and moved to the UK at the age of 6. She is a Professional Latin Dancer and has represented the UK in worldwide championships. Ksenia is also known for her role as one of the Professional Dancers on RTE's Dancing With the Stars Ireland for three seasons.
In her teenage years she took up Ballroom and Latin. Ksenia has a wealth of knowledge and expertise in the Performing Arts Industry. Ksenia has achieved many successes representing Britain at the Worlds and European Championships.
Ksenia is the United Kingdom and British Closed Latin Professional Champion, and holds the Latin Show Dance Title, she also had the pleasure of touring with the Brendan Cole ‘A Night To Remember’ production. For 3 seasons Ksenia was a Professional dancer and choreographer on Dancing With The Stars Ireland and most recently she assisted In choreographing the Argentine Tangos on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing. Ksenia is currently touring with the Ballroom Boys Act 2
Other show credits include:
Performed at the Royal Variety 2009
Performed at for Warner Weekends 2010
Performed on “Britain’s Got Talent” semi finalists 2014
Performed on Brendan Coles Tour “A Night to Remember” 2015
Performed on Brendan Coles Tour “A Night to Remember” 2016
Professional Dancer on DWTS Ireland 2017, 2018, 2019
The Ballroom Boys 2019
For more information visit KseniaZsikhotska.co.uk
Shauna Finn
Shauna Finn is a professional dancer who most recently took part in filming a new Disney movie ‘disenchanted’ coming out in 2022 along side a Disney pilot episode ‘Epic’. She was on the RTE tv series “Dancing with the Stars” for 3 seasons. Since a young age she has been representing Ireland competing and training internationally. She has attained exams in numerous styles of dance including Ballet under Royal Academy of Dance, Modern jazz and Hip Hop with Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing, Latin & Ballroom with United Kingdom Alliance and Dance sport Federation of Ireland. She has previously worked in Vienna, America, Brazil and Paris as a performer and dance teacher. Shauna is a qualified teacher with Acrobatic Arts and received a scholarship with Alixa Flexibility. Shauna has appeared in multiple music videos and films including the hit Irish film ‘Sing Street’. Shauna studied Dance for 2 years at ICFE where she became fascinated with Dance Therapy. She loves working with children and helping them achieve their goal whether it be for a career in dance or just for fun. Her aim of every class is for “every child to have a fun experience and feel more confident like they have accomplished something during the class”. She is looking forward to teaching at Just Stage It Academy.
Alice Tate
Alice has taught at Just Stage It Academy since August 2019 where she teaches singing, beginner piano, dance, drama and stage school classes. Alice is a classically trained singer, achieving Grade 8 (ABRSM) and she is currently working towards her Diploma in Musical Theatre.
Alice is a graduate of Ulster University Magee where she gained her BA Honours Music with first class honours in July 2019 and her Masters in Contemporary Performance Practices with Distinction in December 2020. Alongside this, she was also part of the the Ulster University Choir for four years where she was given the responsibility of Head Alto for two years. In November 2018, Alice travelled to New York as part of the Ulster University Chamber Choir to perform Paul Mealor's 'Requiem: The Souls of the Righteous' (US Premiere) in Carnegie Hall for the centenary of the first World War.
Alice has worked with both amateur and professional theatre companies across Northern Ireland. She has performed on stages from the Lyric Theatre, Belfast, to the Millennium Forum, Derry/Londonderry. Alice has previously been in a JSI production (BVDA at the time) where Alice played the lead role of Mrs Lovett in Sweeney Todd (2017). She has also played various roles in musicals including, Cats, Joseph, Footloose and High School. Alice has also been an extra in the BBC series Flatmates and ITV's biopic of Torvill and Dean. In November 2021, Alice will be performing in the newly refurbished Grand Opera House in Belfast Operatic Company's production of 'A Christmas Carol'.