Our Coaches
Elizabeth Bennett
Programme Director, Cheer
Cheerleading Qualifications: BGU Levels 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6
British Gymnastics Qualifications: Trampoline Gymnastics Level 2
Mental Health First Aid
First Aid
International Experience as an athlete: Cheerleading Worlds 2019 (Florida) IOC5, AmeriCheer Internationals 2013 (Florida) IOC5 Cheer GOLD/ IOC5 Group Stunt GOLD/ IO3 Solo Athlete SILVER, AmeriCheer Internationals 2012 (Florida) IOC5 Cheer SILVER.
Elizabeth (Lizy) has been involved with Gymnastics, Trampolining and Cheerleading over the last 33 years. After completing her BAHons degree (2.1) in Costume and Set Design for the Screen and Stage at the Arts Institute in Bournemouth, she started up her own cheerleading apparel business. Lizy continued as a competitive athlete throughout her time at university and then made the move into coaching with Bracknell Twisters. Lizy then launched Platinum in 2016 with the full support or Bracknell Twisters and Bracknell Gymnastics Club and has worked tirelessly to build up the programmes positive reputation, gaining multiple national titles on the way.
Charlotte Allan
Head Coach, Cheer
Cheerleading Qualifications: BGU Level 1-6
Sports Academic Qualification: BSc (Hons) Psychology
First Aid
Mental Health First Aid
As well as coaching, Charlotte has competed and won many National cheer titles in the past 10 years as both an Artemis athlete (where she got her start in cheer) and also on her university team. She has performed in Disney World in Florida and hopes to take her teams back there by 2026!
Achieving a 1st class mark in her final year project for her Psychology degree which studied body image within cheerleading. Charlotte created a bespoke educational video for cheerleaders suffering with low body image. The findings showed a positive significant improvement in competitive cheerleaders’ body image after watching the educational video. This maintains to be an area which Charlotte is passionate about and aims to continue her research educating and promoting well-being within cheerleading.
Alisha Parker
Head Coach, Cheer
Cheerleading Qualifications: BGU Level 1 and 2 (Working towards levels 3, 4 and 5)
International Experience as an athlete: FC Bring it on (Pairs) YL2 Cheer Gold/ YL2 Solo Gold.
Alisha started her journey into cheer 15 years ago and 11 years ago made the leap into coaching.
She trained as a Junior Coach with Bracknell Twisters and her goal has always been to become a high level coach and take a team to the World Cheerleading Championships in Florida. She has undertaken Kelvin Lams technique training and the Spring Coaches Conference to gain additional knowledge from some of the industries top coaches.
Chris Bennett
Head Consultant Coach Tumbling
Cheerleading Qualifications: UKCA Level 4
British Gymnastics Qualifications: International Performance Coach, Master Coach, Level 5 HPC TeamGym with Triple Licence Phase 3, Level 5 HPC Double Mini Trampoline, Level 3 Freestyle Gymnastics, Level 2 General Gymnastics, Level 2 Trampoline Gymnastics, Level 1 Artistic Gymnastics
International Experience: GBR Coach TeamGym Europeans 2022 (Luxembourg) GOLD, GBR Coach Team Gym Europeans 2021 (Portugal) GOLD, GBR Coach TeamGym Europeans 2018 (Portugal), GBR Coach TeamGym Europeans 2016 (Slovenia), GBR Coach TeamGym Europeans 2014 (Iceland)
Jade Brett
Dep. Head Coach, Cheer
Cheerleading Qualification: BGU Level 1-3
Sports Academic Qualification: BA (Hons) Sport and Exercise Science
First Aid
Jade has been coaching for four years, and deputy to Charlotte for a year. She continues to compete.
Having graduated from university with a bachelor's degree with honours in Sport and Exercise Science, Jade possesses a comprehensive understanding of the psychological, physiological, nutritional, and bio-mechanical factors influencing athletic progression and well-being.
Currently pursuing a Master of Science degree in Applied Sport Psychology, Jade is actively broadening her expertise within the sporting context.
Amy Pottinger
Cheer Coach
Amy is a current student at Artemis full time college studying dance. She is a very experienced performer and gymnast and has been on stage since she was small. When not in the gym, she can usually be found in shows at South Hill Park, including the annual panto.
Amy is especially gifted at training younger dancers and athletes and is one of our coaches for both Twinkle and Fun-cheer. She also coaches on holiday camps in both gyn, cheer and a dance.
Amy is a member of Ruby and competes in the senior division.
Annie Thompson
Cheer Coach
bio coming soon!
Carla Crowley
Dance Program Director - Hip Hop and Artemis College
Teaching qualifications: IDTA Associate
First Aid
Carla is a highly qualified and award winning dance teacher (and trains/qualifies others to teach). Carla has choreographed for international artists and her work can be seen on stage and screen.
She is a Team England coach and choreographer, having taken teams to worlds in Europe for the past 8 years (including Artemis members) representing England (winning Silver in 2023).
Carla leads on all Artemis Dance programs, including our full time Dance Sixth form, Gap Year and Foundation Level 4 course, based at South Hill Park.
In recent exams 100% of her Hip Hop students scored 90% or higher, with 23% gaining 99 or 100 and being invited to a champions competition.
Nick Pack
Senior Hip Hop Coach
Teaching qualifications: BA Hons Performing Arts with Education (Italia Conti)
Nick is a graduate of Italia Conti, with a BA.
He is a working musical theatre performer, dancer and actor, who tours the world with large shows, but can also be seen on the small screen in film and commercials.
Nick was a student of Artemis director Niki until 2007.
Nick is a fun and popular teacher. He is a very experienced choreographer, and works with Artemis as a guest musical theatre tutor, and also for our auditions. he also choreographs for a number of companies and is a talented dancer in his own right.
Grace O’Sullivan
Dance Coordinator/Theatre choreographer
Cheerleading Qualifications: BGU Levels 1-3
BA.hons Musical Theatre
Masters Dance Education
Mental Health First Aid
First Aid
Grace was a competing cheerleader and hip hop dancer for 10 years, as well as a professional musical theatre performer. She completed a degree in Musical Theatre at Chichester in 2021, before coming on board to teach part time at Artemis Studios and College.
Grace returned to education in 2022, and completed her Masters in Dance and Dance Education in 2024. She covers our cheer classes when we need additional staff, and also teaches at holiday camps.
Term time she is the choreographer for our weekend theatre companies and co directs our shows in the Wilde Theatre. She is also the dance coordinator for our Hip Hop programme, overseeing competitions and exam admin and scheduling. She also teaches junior hip hop.
Vicky Knapp
Head of Pastoral, Head of Pastoral and Chaperones, Junior School, Specialised Teaching Assistant, College
Victoria is one of our three dedicated Teaching Assistants - working with a named young person with SEND to help them achieve and thrive in our high pressure vocational environment.
Victoria is highly qualified, and works part time for Artemis and part time for T.P.A - where she helps children with very high needs in a non mainstream education provision.
Victoria has been part of Artemis for many years and is one of our Head Chaperones, and also Pastoral and SEND manager for our Saturday Artemis Studios Junior School, holiday workshops and on shows with children on performing licences.
She is a mum of 4 including two performers (both Artemis boys!). Her oldest is Keir, who is a director for our Saturdays school shows and also lead facilitator for our adult outreach work. He is a very successful writer, producer and director and founded and runs Three Dot Theatre. Her youngest son is a full time student at Artemis currently.
Pastoral Manager - Saturday classes, Monday under 10’s Cheer, & College TA.
Lisa Poggi
Executive Arts Administrator
Cheer Coach
Dance Teacher (mini hip hop/youth theatre)
Cheerleading Qualifications: BGU Levels 1-3
Other Qualifications: BA Musical Theatre, First Aid, Arts Award Advisor.
Lisa is an accomplished and qualified International dance teacher and competition judge with over 25 years’ experience in modern, jazz and Musical Theatre having performed professionally in Asia and Africa.
After studying Musical Theatre in South Africa Lisa went onto perform professionally in numerous productions in South Africa and Internationally. After retiring from performing Lisa set up her own dance studio teaching modern, jazz and contemporary dance while working in the corporate world managing events and marketing for one of the largest IT companies globally. She qualified as a Cheer Coach in 2023 and an Arts Award advisor in 2024.
Over the past 15 years Lisa has lived and worked in Dubai, Singapore, Philippines, and UK continuing her love for theatre and teaching across the world. Having settled in UK with her family Lisa continues to teach while also applying her experience in the corporate world to provide administrative support to Artemis Studios.
