Meet the team
Melissa – Director - Founder
Melissa – Director - Founder
Melissa is the Director and Co-Founder of London Dance Academy. She has been a dancer, artist and physical performers for most of her life and loves to share the techniques that have been taught to her along her journey. Disciplines that have helped her improve, recover and sustain her strength and flexibility for decades.
Melissa comes from a long line of dancers and artists. She has been teaching dance for over 15 years, and has also been an Emergency Medical technician, teaching companies and individuals throughout the UK.
Born in Sri Lanka, she returned to India to study in Kerala and gained her Yoga teacher training qualification there in traditional Hatha technique/Ayurvedic studies.
Melissa has been travelling since she was a teenager. Her style of training blends modern science and Western anatomy with the traditional techniques taught to her by the most inspiring yoga, ballet, circus and martial artists she has had the privilege to work with.
As a live performer and teacher Melissa’s passion is supporting independent artistry. She continues to uphold this belief in every aspect of her life.
“Over the last 20 years I have had the privilege to help thousands of people achieve a healthier work-life balance. Through the power of art, movement and positive thought we can discover the best version of ourselves.”
Melissa’s qualifications include:
Advanced First Aid Teacher Training
Emergency Medical Technician
Exercise to Music
She has relied on her deep understanding of the human body and movement to create class concepts such Splitz Therapy, Entranced, Extreme Stretching & Aerial Deep Stretch Restorative classes with Heat Therapy.
Vanessa – Studio Manager
Vanessa – Studio Manager
Vanessa joined LDA in March 2013, following a successful career in producing and event management for independent theatre and film, where she spent over 10 years working for and with a vast number of professional companies and artists.
Having completed an MA in Arts Management and Policy early on in her career, she continued to pursue one of her other main interests by studying for an MSc in Criminology & Criminal Justice at the London School of Economics and Political Science with a particular focus on youth crime and restorative justice, graduating with a distinction in 2010.
Vanessa also has a track record as a successful freelance translator and web editor, and as a tutor in languages, conflict management and IT, working with a wide range of clients across the life-long learning sector from hard to reach young people to the elderly. As a volunteer, she was part of Southwark’s Youth Offending Team Community Volunteer Panel for 6 years.
She loves the creative hub that is LDA, and thoroughly enjoys being part of a constantly growing and evolving company, as well as the huge privilege of working with so many talented teachers and performers (as well as a superb staff team!).
Alexe – co-founder
Alexe – co-founder
Alexe co-founded LAP / LDA (originally the London Academy of Pole Dancing) in 2006, following her passion and success as a pole teacher and events manager.
After graduation from a prestigious London university with a BA in Music Business & Management, Alexe created a successful events company which organises concerts and festivals in England, Ireland and on continental Europe (totalling over a hundred sensational bands from 5 continents) while making LAP her number one professional activity at the same time! Identifying the gap in fitness industry the market for pole dancers flexibility and circus performers like herself and teaming up with Melissa, LAP was born, Being the first to offer these types of classes soon took the fitness industry by storm in gyms such as LA Fitness, Virgin Active, Fitness First to name a few.
Having danced all her life and performed on stage from a very young age (including the Royal Festival Hall with Lionel Blair), Alexe applied her unmatched organisational skills to multiple roles in the industry (prominent things from events, sales and promotion, stage manager to performer and teacher).
Moving her way up everywhere around London, from Spitalfields, Kings Cross Scala and Camden venues & clubs, LAP came to synchronise many of her passions. performance, dance, management, marketing, and most of all, being free from anyone else’s intervention.
With over 15 years teaching experience, Alexe has also been a part of different Circus troupes and perform at a wide range of events from Glastonbury to Torture Garden.
Over the years, Alexe and Melissa have expanded LDA from being the first in providing not just pole dancing and LDA designed classes such as Extreme stretch, Bikini bootcamp.
Now an umbrella company LDA: Proposing event management and/or performers for major corporate clients, hen parties supplier, designer clothing range for dancers and run a Dancers & Performers agency . They officially opened their very popular London Dance Academy studios in the trendy Old Street area in 2012.
Now Alexe has now retired as LDA director, concentrating on starting her new family.
