Our practitioners within the performing arts and dance programmes have decades of learning and teaching experience between them at the highest level, which our students are able to fully benefit from.
Our Practitioners
Exceptional, connected practitioners
Sarah Cakebread – Director of Performing Arts
Sarah trained as an actor at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama (Theatre Studies – Acting BA Hons) and Manchester Metropolitan University (PGCE). After leaving Drama school Sarah was part of a Theatre company called Hot Wax, taking comedy sketch shows to Fringe Festivals throughout the UK. Sarah has worked for the National Theatre Education Department, Half Moon Young People’s Theatre and has appeared in new work for the Royal Court. Sarah believes in the power of taking risks, often saying to her students, “Just have a go…who knows what might happen!”.
Sarah encourages her students to create opportunities for themselves to do what they love and not to wait for others to make it happen, with empowerment on and off stage at the heart of what she does. Under her leadership, Claremont’s Performing Arts department has thrived, fostering creativity and student leadership in a vibrant and award winning Performing Arts programme.
Beth Eckhoff – Head of Dance & Choreographer
BA Hons QTS DDI ISTD PGCE
Beth has been dancing since she was three years old and hasn’t stopped! First training with Redhurst School of Dance, Sussex, Beth pursued a BA Hons Dance degree at Liverpool John Moores and Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts for Dance Technique in Contemporary, Ballet and Jazz. She holds Masters credits specialising in Dance in Education from the University of Bedfordshire. Following this, she worked as a professional dancer in London working on projects involving a variety of dance styles for events including promotional work for the CCPR (representing Dance affiliations) and teaching baby ballet at the weekend. This followed her path to obtain a PGCE from Brighton University.
Beth holds a Diploma In Dance Education with the Imperial Society of Teacher of Dance in the Classical Ballet genre. She has been examining for the AQA exam board for the last 12 years for GCSE Dance. Beth has a dog called Murphy and enjoys all things creative!
Rebecca Ellefsen – Music Teacher, Piano Teacher and Choir Lead
Rebecca has played French horn and piano from a young age, and ultimately went on to study Music at the University of Manchester. Rebecca was Head of Music at Mascalls school for eight years before taking a career break after having two children and acquiring a dog, Wilson.
Rebecca is passionate about ensemble playing and is Chairperson of Penshurst Choral Society, principal horn of Bacchus Wind Orchestra, plays regularly with Penshurst Brass Quintet and sings with The 1839 Consort.
Natasha Smith – Head of Creative Faculty and Head of Music
Natasha studied Creative Music Production (BMus) at the University of Huddersfield, specialising in classical performance and sound design for film. Following this, she completed a Masters in Music (Composition) at the University of Nottingham. Natasha has taught Music and Music Technology for over ten years, and also has experience as a freelance record producer. A classically-trained violinist, Natasha performs regularly with the Sussex Concert Orchestra and Eastbourne Symphony Orchestra.
Aside from music, Natasha enjoys countryside walks with her family and two German Shepherds, as well as baking, archery and netball.
Claire Waller – Drama Teacher and LAMDA Specialist
Claire trained as an actor for three years at Mountview Theatre School before specialising at the Desmond Jones School of Mime and Physical Theatre. Subsequently, Claire worked professionally as an actor for many theatre companies including the English Shakespeare Company, Oxfordshire Touring Theatre and Young Shakespeare. Claire travelled all over the world and spent many months, in vans, touring a variety of plays, often being cast as energetic young boys, sprites and an array of small furry animals!
Alongside her acting career, Claire used her skills that she has developed in the arts and worked extensively in the corporate world as a facilitator and workshop leader freelancing for a variety of creative agencies including So Just Add Water, Purple Monster and Identity. Through her love of Shakespeare Claire began to work in schools running Shakespeare workshops for various theatre companies, which she thoroughly enjoyed and this led her into teaching.
Claire is a LAMDA specialist and has been teaching the syllabus for over 20 years with students from all over the world. Through her love of Physical Theatre and Mask, Claire has attended a huge array of workshops in this field and will continue to do so, for as long as she can lunge, launch and leap. When Claire is not at work, she can often be found at The Globe (one of her favourite places), walking her Scottie along the seafront or watching her son’s band!
Lucy Skinner – Drama Teacher and Screen Acting Coach
Lucy trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and earned a BA (Hons) in English from the University of Sussex, specializing in Global Cinema and Staging the Renaissance. She is also a member of the National Youth Theatre alumni. Her performance career includes over a year in Jeff Wayne’s The War of the Worlds (London) as well as other stage performances nationally and internationally in the U.K. and USA. Previously, Lucy has won the one-minute round at MonologueSlam and co-created Proving It, a two-woman show commissioned and performed at Theatre By The Lake. Her theatre company, Big Blanket Productions, has received multiple nominations at the Manchester Fringe Awards, including Best Play, Best Director, and Best Actor for their production of This Wide Night.
Additionally, Lucy works as a voice actor and is best known for her role as Rhaya in the award-winning sci-fi audiobook The Dex Legacy. Her industry experience also includes behind-the-scenes roles, such as script reader for Sky Arts and operational and backstage work for the BBC, ITV, and The Royal Albert Hall.
© Copyright Claremont School 2025