ArtsEd Principal, Chris Hocking, has been appointed as the new Chair to the Board of Trustees of the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance (ISTD). He was elected to the position by the Council after the Society’s 2020 AGM on 18 November.
Formally trained at the Nesta Brooking School of Ballet, studying Cecchetti Ballet and National, Chris enjoyed a successful performing and choreography career with West End shows such as Chicago, Carousel, The King and I, The Rocky Horror Show and much more. His career saw him direct and choreograph numerous pantomimes around the country which led to him being awarded an MA in Choreography from Middlesex University. Chris has also been awarded the Fellowship of the British and International Federation of Festivals, is Chair of all England Dance, and a Head Judge for Dance World Cup.
Chris began his career in performing arts education in 1992 as Head of Performing Arts at Centro Internazionale De Danza in Cosenza, Italy. He was Head of Dance at Mountview Academy of Performing Arts from 1993 to 1999, when he joined ArtsEd as Director of Musical Theatre and Head of Dance. He was appointed Principal in 2017.
On the announcement of his appointment, Chris Hocking said: “In my journey from a young boy taking ISTD Primary Tap, through to a teenager passing the ISTD Cecchetti Associate Exam with Distinction, I am now currently the Principal at ArtsEd, one the UK’s oldest and most well-known performing arts institutes. I have dedicated my life and career to dance and its associated genres by performing in West End shows, teaching in vocational Dance/Musical Theatre/Drama schools, choreographing major productions, adjudicating Dance Festivals around the world, increasing representation in Dance of people from diverse backgrounds and being involved in charitable activities for the world of Dance. I relish the prospect and honour of being Chair of the Society in this challenging and thought-provoking time, as Benjamin Franklin said “out of adversity comes opportunity.”
Chief Executive of Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance, Ginny Brown said: “It is my absolute pleasure to welcome Chris as the new Chair of Council. Chris brings to this role a wealth of experience as a performer and Principal of one of the country’s leading vocational schools. I know that he shares my commitment to diversity in the dance sector and I am looking forward to working with Chris to maximize the future impact of the Society.”
