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Principal and dance specialist Jennifer Dunnell is passionate about dance/performing, and the health and wellbeing of her students.
She started dancing at the age of four and chose a career in dance over a career in medicine, training at the prestigious Laine Theatre Arts in London, graduating as a dancer as well as attaining her teaching qualifications through the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD). She was offered a short-term scholarship to the Royal Ballet School, after which she danced for two seasons at the Sadlers Wells Theatre in London with Michael Clark, who at the time was at the peak of his career; a major star in the contemporary dance world. Many celebrities attended his shows, and Jennifer's finest memory is being showered with flowers in the very last finale (something that doesn't happen any more!). After this Jennifer was awarded a fourth year place at London Contemporary Dance School which she sadly had to turn down due to lack of funds.
Performing Career
"My career so far has made me into the teacher I was hoping I'd be!" Principal Jennifer Dunnell
Personal Life
Jennifer and her family moved back to Gt. Yarmouth, her home town, in 2000 when she was expecting her second baby. She studied and specialised in teaching exercise to people with various medical conditions, and worked as the Exercise Referral Coordinator for the NHS. Since 2004 she has taught music, ballet and yoga, three mornings a week to 2-4 year olds at 'Little Peoples Montessori Nursery' in Norwich, and in 2007, with all her wealth of knowledge and experience, set up 'The Norfolk Academy of Ballet' which soon expanded to become 'Nabjab Dance & Performing Arts'.
Jennifer ran her own successful personal fitness training business in London after spending a year studying and qualifying at City University on the first ever personal fitness training course in the country. She also trained as a Pilates teacher at The Pilates Institute in London, specialising in pre-post natal exercise, exercise for the older person, injury rehab and one-to-one training. She managed a health club with her husband for Vic Charles MBE six times British World Karate Champion for five years, in which time she set up her first dance school 'The Dunnell School of Ballet'.
Jennifer's professional performing career includes: films, TV shows, commercials, promotional videos, pop videos, fashion shows, pantos, radio, and writing articles for the Sunday Times 'Style' magazine. While working in London Jennifer taught at the legendary Pineapple Dance Studios, and through doing this was offered a job on TV as the fitness presenter of 'The BBC's Complete Diet and Fitness Show', along with her very own DVD 'Fitness for Fun'.
