Team

Derya Donaldson founded DNPA in 2015 out of her desire to give children an opportunity to build confidence and to be the best performers they can be. It’s a great way for them to explore and find their strengths, whether in dance, drama or singing. She passionately believes that children deserve the chance to be able to take to the stage and have their moment in the spotlight and not be pushed to the back!

Derya’s passion for teaching derived from her job as Choreographer and Assistant Director in the Young Persons Theatre Company (YPTC) in Camden Town, where she worked for over 10 years, putting on productions around the West End.
She trained at the prestigious Urdang Academy and was a performer, working for some of the top names in the music industry including Cher, Paul McCartney and Technetronic.

Additionally, Derya modelled, acted and had regular appearances on Top of the Pops, CD UK and Pepsi Chart Show as an artist and backing dancer touring worldwide. She now focuses on work as a choreographer and a movement director including theatre and adverts. Derya often works alongside Natasha at the Southbank Centre with Southwark Music Service on their mass participation shows.

Derya is also a mother to young performers and models, which inspired her to embark on her chaperoning journey, with her base being The Lion King (West End). She has also worked on Matilda (West End), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (West End), Emil and the Detectives (National Theatre) and Adrian Mole, through her experience Derya is well connected within the west end.

Choreographer, Host, Education Specialist

Natasha trained at London Studio Centre and began her career as a performer before deciding to concentrate on being a creative from behind the scenes. Her versatility enables her to work across the industry including education, theatre, commercials, bespoke commissions, and Ceremonies. 

She has worked on many Ceremonies with the mass movement choreography teams including all four ceremonies for the London Olympics, the Commonwealth Games, FA Cup Final, Roald Dahl’s City of the Unexpected, The Queens Jubilee and The Eurovision Song Contest as well as many parades and outdoor festivals. 

She is Co-Artistic Director of Folk Dance Remixed; a ground-breaking company fusing folk and hip-hop dance and music that tours nationally each year at festivals and events and creates bespoke projects for companies, charities, schools and colleges. 

Natasha is a passionate and sought-after education specialist working for organisations including the Southbank Centre, Mimbre, East London Dance, Garsington Opera, ROH, ENO, Grange Festival, Into Opera, Royal Academy of Dance, CHIVA, Millennium Performing Arts, & Southwark Music Services plus various schools and colleges.  

Her main aim is to bring JOY through dance.

www.natashakhamjani.com

Milli Marosh has been a professional Actor for over 25 years having trained at Rose Bruford College. Under her stage name of Milenka James she has worked extensively in Film, Television, and Theatre including National and International Touring of Theatre for all ages.

Her love of Acting started at an early age whilst she was still in school. She was a member of various local theatre companies and she also spent 3 summers performing with Cumbria Youth Theatre working with acclaimed directors – Gregory Doran and Lawrence Boswell.

Milli joined DNPA as a co- Director on the Musical Theatre course whilst her own children also became a part of the acting company, working on her first production of BUGSY MALONE. Since then she has worked on the last 2 productions with the company helping them take the next step into local theatres including THEATRE PECKHAM. Milli currently also provides the Stage Management support for these shows – including set, lighting and costume designs and prop making to help bring a near professional experience for all the young company members involved.

Indeyarna Donaldson-Holness is a valued member of the DNPA team and has been assisting with the Musical Theatre course since DNPA was founded in 2015.

Indeyarna has built an impressive professional career in the performing arts, working across theatre and television. Her credits include leading roles in the West End production of The Lion King, Absolutely Fabulous, the BAFTA Award-winning series Save Me and Save Me Too (Sky Atlantic), Deep Water (ITV), and Fallen.

She is currently appearing in EastEnders as Jasmine Slater-Fisher. Indeyarna also regularly returns to DNPA as a guest teacher, sharing her professional experience, industry knowledge and invaluable insight with our students.

Alex has been coming to DNPA for over 10 years and requested to assist with the younger group 5 years ago and he has grown into an excellent assistant teacher and started to cover classes for us recently. He is a great role model and mentor to the younger students and helps with spacing, polishing routines and entrances and exits in production weeks. He is busy with 6 th form now and heading off to university next year but still pops in and covers classes when needed!

Dean Holness joined the DNPA team in 2015 as a sound technician and also started working as cinematographer in 2017 on the productions ‘Bugsy Malone’ and ‘Alice in Wonderland’. Combining film and Theatre and helping give the children the opportunity to learn both sets of skills.

Dean has been working in the film and television industry on and off-screen for the past 20 years and has worked on feature films, television, projects for Sky, and an award-winning Nike advertisement.