ABOUT US
About us – We bring the best of west end training to the world
Competitions | Masterclasses | Short Courses | Conventions | Festivals | Seminars | Workshops
MEET THE FACULTY & JUDGES
CEO and Founder
Solange Urdang OBE
Solange trained at the Urdang Academy Lower and Upper Schools and The High School of Performing Arts in New York. She enjoyed a successful career in dance, theatre and music before going on to study art. Becoming CEO of the Urdang Academy in 2001, Solange has made it into one of the UK’s most prolific vocational colleges. She implemented the move to The Old Finsbury Town Hall in Islington from Covent Garden, the expansion into the Urdang 2 premises, and the recent acquisition with City, University of London. Solange has spent her career pushing boundaries, building cultural bridges and sits on various panels promoting and developing diversity in the performing arts. She is co-founder and co-director of The Black British Theatre Awards, The Black Theatre & Film Directory, founder of Link Artists Agency and patron of several organisations.
Creative Partner (USA)
Jeff Whiting
Jeff Whiting is an award-winning director, choreographer and producer with work on Broadway, TV/Film, and Concerts around the world. BROADWAY (Associate): Bullets Over Broadway, Scottsboro Boys, Hair, Young Frankenstein, Big Fish. CONCERTS: James Taylor Live at Carnegie Hall (with Bette Midler, Sting, Tony Bennett). FILM: Executive Producer of The Show Must Go On (Best Documentary – Cannes 2022). NATIONAL TOUR: Bullets Over Broadway, Hairspray, The Producers, Young Frankenstein, Rockin’ Road to Dublin. OTHER THEATRE: Fly More Than You Fall (World Premiere), The Lost Colony (Waterside), Cookies (NYMF), Single Wide (NYMF), Chasing Rainbows (World Premiere). BUSINESS: Jeff is the creator and founder of Stage Write Software, and President of Open Jar Studios, and was featured in a TED Talk sharing his philosophy of “Open Jar Thinking”.
Artistic Director
Sam Francis
Sam has performed with top recording artists such as Destinys Child, Beyonce and Usher. She has had a successful career as a performer and is well-known for her skills as a choreographer, director and filmmaker. Sam is a successful training provider for young enthusiasts in London for over 15 years. She has a passion to pass on her knowledge to the next generation and help them flourish in the performing arts industry
Judge
Claudimar Neto
Claudimar is one of the most talked about and sought after Commercial Dancers internationally. Trained at Urdang Academy (Diploma) and Trinity Laban, Neto has worked as choreographer and ‘head’ Mix Man with the successful British girl pop group ‘Little Mix’ which has earned him a legion of fans. Along with Little Mix, Claudimar has travelled extensively with artists such as Rita Ora, Beth Ditto, Gloria Gaynor, So You Think You Can Dance and Thriller Live Tour to name a few. Most recently Claudimar has been working as a choreographer for I can See you Voice, The Masked Singer, RuPaul’s Drag Race UK and Queen of the Universe.
Judge
Matt Henry MBE
Matt Henry received a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his critically acclaimed role as Lola in Kinky Boots, West End. He is also famed as a competition on The Voice UK, with over 12 million YouTube views of his performance of Ray LaMontague’s ‘Trouble’ reaching the grand final and releasing his debut album the following year.
Matt’s first career highlight was being chosen by the Prince’s Trust to perform at the Two Nations Concern in Johannesburg Stadium in 1997 alongside the Spice Girls, Billy Ocean and Omar. Matt trained at the Urdang academy and along with Kinky Boots, his West End credits include Simba in The Lion King, Gary Coleman in Avanue Q, Saturday Night Fever, Miss Salgon and The Harder They Come.
