Louise murray

Louise is the founder of Monument Ballet School (1983) and Owner/Principal of Monument Dance Centre (1993). Although Louise has retired from teaching she offers guidance to daughter Ailsa who is gradually taking over the family business.

She trained full time at The Manor School of Ballet in Edinburgh gaining Associate status with The Royal Academy of Dance and The Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing.

On graduating, Louise worked for many years as a professional dancer in Variety Theatre (including a Royal Variety Performance), Pantomimes, Summer Seasons and on Television and also began choreographing Variety Shows and professional Pantomimes and Stage Musicals including 'The Boy Friend', 'Half A Sixpence', 'Crazy For You', 'Fame' and 'Return to the Forbidden Planet'.
She was Artistic Director of Stirling based 'Krackin' Kids Theatre Company'.

Louise was an assessor and verifier for SQA Dance courses and a Mentor for the RAD allowing her to supervise and guide student Ballet teachers. For 9 years she served as Chair of the Royal Academy of Dance Regional Advisory Committee (Scotland) and for 11 years was a member of the R.A.D. Executive Committee. Louise graduated from the University of Surrey in 2015 with a Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching after studying with the Royal Academy of Dance.

Ailsa Murray-Walsh

Ailsa is Principal of MDC and graduated from Stirling University with a BA hons in English and Professional Education. She currently works 3 days per week as an English teacher at Balfron High School.

She is also a qualified teacher of Dance, gaining a Diploma in Dance Teaching Studies from the Royal Academy of Dance and Diploma Dance Education from The Imperial Society of teachers of Dancing. She is also a Registered Dance Teacher for British Ballet Organisation. Ailsa teaches Ballet, Tap, Musical Theatre, Commercial Jazz and Modern she is one of our internal assessors for our SQA courses. She worked as choreographer for MPAS and has worked on various projects including Godspell, You’re a Goodman Charlie Brown, Spelling Bee and 13.

Ailsa is also a talented singer and has performed at a variety of shows and events throughout Scotland both solo and dueting with husband, Daniel Walsh. The couple appeared on Michael McIntyre’s Big Show as the Unexpected Stars in December 2018. they performed Come What May from Moulin Rouge and received a standing ovation from a full house at London’s Drury Lane Theatre.

Fiona Skene

Fiona gained a first class honours degree at Trinity Laban in London after training at Danscentre in Aberdeen. She teaches Ballet, Contemporary, Modern and Tap, and has spent some time teaching in Melbourne, Australia before returning to teach in Scotland. Fiona is our Vocational Ballet Manager and is also an external examiner for SQA Dance courses. She delivers our SQA dance courses at Monument from NPA level through to Nat 5, Higher and NC. Fiona is also qualified to teach Progressing Ballet Technique and RAD ‘Silver Swans’ classes, as well as being a tutor and assessor for Dance Leadership Award validated by Sports Leaders UK.

She enjoyed a placement as a dancer with Scottish Dance Theatre and has choreographed and danced for Aberdeen International Youth Festival. Fiona also teaches at Morningside Dance Academy and Broughton High School’s specialist dance academy, both in Edinburgh. 

In addition to teaching, Fiona was appointed as a Practical Teaching Supervisor for the RAD Certificate and Diploma courses, and has been assessing and supporting trainee dance teachers around Scotland in this role for a number of years.

Sarah Hoskins

Sarah is a former pupil of MDC who went on to train at Dance For All where she graduated with a HND in Professional Stage Dance. She then went on to study at The Scottish School of Contemporary Dance when she graduated with a BA(Hons) in Professional Dance Practice.

Throughout her training Sarah studied several different genres and completed her Advanced 2 ISTD Modern. She is also currently working through her teaching qualifications with the ISTD and in 2019 became a Module 1 teacher for Acrobatic Arts.

Sarah is our Branch Manager for our Dunblane branch. She is MDC’s Performers and Competition Manager and also organises our school holiday dance camps.

Bobbi McIntyre

Arriane hall

Arriane is a former Monument Dance Centre student. She went on to train at Dance For All in Edinburgh where she graduated with a HND in Professional Stage Dance. Arriane is currently working through her ISTD teaching qualification and recently completed her Advanced 2 Modern exam with MDC. Arriane is a qualified teacher of Acrobatic Arts.

Arriane assists with our performance groups, leading our Mini and Junior Performers classes as well as teaching a variety of other classes throughout the week.

Arriane is also Head of Skateboarding Development at Socialtrack, a non profit that helps to encourage people to cycle, scoot and skateboard.

Una Macnab

Una is our senior receptionist. She trained in Drama/Acting at Queen Margaret College, Edinburgh where she studied all forms of theatre.  She gained a diploma in Drama and the Spoken Word in 1977 and followed this with a post graduate year at Moray House College of Education studying primary and secondary drama teaching.

From 1978 she has worked in professional theatre and television, Theatre in Education, Forum Theatre and training through role play and still pops off periodically to perform. The latest being at the 2022 Edinburgh Festival and on tour in ‘Two’s Company’ by Gillian Duffy.

Una has been linked with Monument Dance Centre since the mid-eighties and is also an assessor and verifier for SQA Drama courses and has been a tutor on NC Acting and Theatre Performance and HNC Musical Theatre where she developed the Theatrical Make-up units for each course and assesses and verifies various units within these courses.