Meryl Stewart (Owner and Teacher)

My dance journey began as a child at a local dance school in Edinburgh, where I was fortunate to perform professionally in the city’s annual pantomimes, including Jack and the Beanstalk and Mother Goose. These early experiences sparked a lifelong love of performing, which took me to some of the UK’s most well-known venues, such as The Usher Hall, The King’s Theatre Edinburgh, The Playhouse, and the Royal Albert Hall in London, where I performed in the very first Dance Proms.

At age 16, I was accepted into Bird College of Professional Dance and Musical Theatre in London, one of the UK's leading performing arts colleges. My time there gave me a strong foundation in a wide variety of dance styles and performance techniques.

Since returning to Edinburgh eleven years ago, I’ve been proud to teach and inspire young dancers across the city. I offer classes in Ballet, Tap, Modern, Contemporary, Commercial, Progressing Ballet Technique, and Acro. I hold multiple professional teaching qualifications, including being a certified RAD Ballet teacher, an ISTD member, and a qualified instructor in Acrobatic Arts, Progressing Ballet Technique, and ID Contemporary. I also recently completed a Master's degree in Dance Science and Education from the University of Edinburgh, which supports my commitment to teaching dance safely, effectively, and with each child's well-being in mind.

In addition to my dance training, I am also a certified Level 2 Fitness Instructor and Barre teacher.

I began teaching in Dunbar in 2018 alongside Julie Friar, and in July 2022, I was honoured to take over the school from her. I am passionate about providing a nurturing, encouraging environment where children can grow in confidence, develop their skills, and discover a love for dance that will last a lifetime.

I started dancing at the age of 3 in East Lothian and trained until I was 18. I performed every year in summer shows and finished my childhood training by achieving an A for Higher Dance. In my early teens I joined my local dance company where I focused on jazz, commercial, hip hop and contemporary. I performed with various dance companies such as Errol White Dance Company, Tavazia Dance Company and David Hughes Dance as a part of the East Lothian Dance Company.

I successfully auditioned for Dance for All College where I studied Ballet, jazz, Modern, Commercial, Contemporary, Spanish, and achieved my HND in Professional Dance. I also started my teacher training there in ISTD Diploma in Dance Education for Modern Dance which I hope to complete soon. 

Since leaving college I have taught around Edinburgh and the surrounding areas and continued to gain experience and qualifications so that I am able to share my love of dance. I am so impressed with the level of dance at Dunbar and can’t wait to continue to teach and grow with the school.

I grew up in Aberdeen and was a pupil of Karen Berry at Danscentre Aberdeen, where I fell in love with dance, I then trained at Trinity Laban conservatoire of music and dance in London graduating with a first-class BA (Hons) in Dance Theatre in 2005. Upon graduation, I travelled throughout Austrailia, and taught dance in Melbourne. I returned to Aberdeen to take up a position at Danscentre where I completed my RAD and ISTD teaching qualifications. 

During my time at Danscentre, I taught all levels and dance genres, including assessing higher dance and other SQA courses, and coordinating the work in schools. This period also involved being a member of the worldwide team of teachers trialling the new RAD syllabi, as well as running the school's performance group, organising RAD exams and mentoring trainee teachers. 

In 2013 I moved to Edinburgh where I have enjoyed teaching for a number of dance schools, mostly working with vocational students, teaching ballet, contemporary and jazz, including full time students at Morningside advanced training. I run the vocational ballet scheme at Monument Dance Centre, as well as their contemporary dance classes. I also continue to deliver and co-ordinate the SQA dance courses at monument, from NPA to NC level, as well as working as a visiting assessor for National 5 and Higher and a maker for the written paper. In addition to teaching, I work for the RAD as a practical teaching supervisor, assessing trainee teachers on the RAD's certificate and diploma programmes. 

Further professional development has led to qualifications to teach progressing ballet technique, RAD silver swans and Zumba instruction. 

I love sharing my passion for dance; developing artistry, technique and exploring the many wonderful benefits of dance. I am excited to meet the pupil at Dunbar School of dance; thank you for having me

I started dancing at the age of 2 and quickly fell in love with all styles, I have always loved all things dance at an early age and made my debut in the kings theatre pantomime at age 9 

I continued my full time training at the Scottish Institute of Theatre, Dance, Film and Television and have graduated with a degree in Dance for commercial performance. During my time here I also studied my DDE Tap teaching qualification with the ISTD and I’m currently working towards my Modern qualification too. I also hold my acrotrix qualification.

I believe dance classes should be a positive and encouraging environment for all and can’t wait to share my love for dance with everyone at DSD.

Hannah Balcombe Boyle is a passionate and dedicated dance educator and performer based in Scotland. Leaving school at the age of 15, she pursued her dreams at Dance for All in Edinburgh, where she spent three transformative years earning both her HND and HNC in Professional Dance. Alongside her formal training, Hannah achieved her DDI and DDE qualifications in ISTD Modern, equipping her with the skills to inspire the next generation of dancers.

Throughout her career, Hannah has taught at various dance schools across Scotland, sharing her love for dance and fostering creativity in her students. In 2023, she showcased her talent on an international stage by competing in a commercial solo at the Dance World Cup in Portugal, where she achieved an impressive 5th place.

Hannah’s commitment to excellence in dance, combined with her nurturing teaching style, makes her a beloved figure in the dance community. She continues to inspire aspiring dancers with her passion and dedication to the art form.