Gerard Charles, RAD Artistic Director
Born in Folkestone, Gerard received his dance training from Moya Kennedy and at the Royal Ballet School, London. In addition to numerous guest appearances, he danced professionally for Ballet International in London, Milwaukee Ballet and BalletMet, in roles ranging from corps de ballet to Principal. On retiring from the stage, he served as Ballet Master for BalletMet and Les Grands Ballets Canadiens.

Having served as Associate Artistic Director, Gerard was named Artistic Director of Ballet Met in 2001. It commissioned over 50 world premieres and formed collaborations with other ballet companies and arts organizations to present pioneering and adventurous programming. These collaborations resulted in two Artistic Achievement awards and the Columbus Arts Endowment Raymond J. Hanley Fellowship.

Gerard has choreographed and staged his own works internationally and received an NEA Choreographic Fellowship. During his performing career he was fortunate to work with, and learn from, a wide range of choreographers and teachers including Hans van Manen, James Kudelka, Stanton Welch, John Butler, Jiri Kylian, Ohad Naharin, Agnes de Mille, David Nixon, and Larry Long.

Gerard was appointed Artistic Director of the RAD in October 2018.

Joel Morris PDTD
Joel Morris was born on the Isle of Wight where he received his early training with Gillian Cartwright, and later went on to train with the Royal Ballet School, Central School of Ballet and Royal Danish Ballet on a full scholarship. He has had a performing career of 19 years and in this time he had performed with London City Ballet, English National Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, South African Ballet Theatre,and Cape Town City Ballet. He was also a company member of KBallet in Japan for its first seasons.

Classical principal roles include, Franz (Coppélia) Blue Bird and Carabosse (The Sleeping Beauty) Don Jose (Carmen) The Nutcracker Prince, Gamache (Don Quixote) and Jesters in Swan Lake and Cinderella. He has also performed Balanchine Who Cares? and Ashton’s Les Patineurs. Joel danced in CATS in the West End (London Palladium) and on tour where he was lucky enough to perform the iconic role of Mr Mistofelees and attending rehearsals with Andrew Lloyd Webber and Dame Gillian Lynne.

Joel now teaches for the Royal Ballet School, RAD Dance School, Pineapple Dance Studios and Bodywork to name a few, and teaches all over the world for various summer programs and seminars, including teaching for professional dance companies such as Vienna Festival Ballet, South African Ballet Theatre, and New York’s Les Ballets Grandiva, alongside the West End cast of An American in Paris.

Kate Swainston PDTD, ARAD, AISTD
With a career spanning nearly twenty years as a professional dancer, Kate performed a wide variety of works with the Royal Opera Ballet, Opera North and Glyndebourne Festival Opera. She was a soloist with the Johann Strauss Company, performing in the UK and Scandinavia. Her love of Character work led her to join Paul Taras’ Company of Ukrainian Dancers and Musicians, with whom she toured extensively. Kate’s television credits as a dancer include period dramas such as Poirot, Hannay, House of Elliot, and Vanity Fair.

Kate is a member of the ballet faculty at the RAD Dance School in Battersea, and also at DanceEast in Ipswich. In 2012, she joined Stageworks as head of the programme for ‘Gifted and Talented’ students. Previously, she taught at Pineapple Dance Studios, Cambridge Performing Arts, and London Studio Centre. Kate has teaches at Summer Schools, including for the Royal Ballet, London Studio Centre, and internationally for the RAD.