Meet our team

The Showbiz Academy Stage School was founded by Andrea Kavanagh to teach children all aspects of performing arts in a fun & encouraging environment. Having spent several years teaching with a previous school Andrea decided to open her own school The Showbiz Academy & the schools have gone from strength to strength. Andrea spent most of her childhood & early adulthood performing on stage. Having trained in Digges Lane & Litton Lane studios Andrea went on to dance around the country with some well known names. She later studied at The Gaiety School of Acting & also with The Abbey School of Drama under the guidance of Kathleen Warner Yeates. Following this Andrea went on to achieve her Diploma in Acting & her teaching qualification with the Irish Board of Speech & Drama under the guidance of the wonderful Deirdre Galassi. She splits her time between teaching & working as a set chaperone for the television & movie industry. ph: 0863815540

Naomi has been attending dance classes since the age of 6 when she entered her first Ballet class. From early on she has been performing on stage with Dance schools across Dublin including Dance Theatre Dublin and the Irish Ballet School. Naomi has attended Inchicore College of Further Education where she studied Dance. During her time at Inchicore, she received her Diploma in Dance Instruction along with studying various types of dance including Jazz, Contemporary and Ballet. Over the past two summers, Naomi has gained invaluable experience in America teaching dance to young adults & children. Naomi is wonderful with our students & we are delighted to have her teach for us The Showbiz Academy. ph. 086 7377010

Julie has been dancing since she was 3 years old & is trained in ballet, contemporary, hip hop, jazz & Musical Theatre. Her professional career began at the age of just eleven, taking the lead in The Nutcracker Suite in the Point Theatre. Not only an accomplished dancer, Julie went on to achieve qualifications in Theatre Studies & Drama in Inchicore. TV appearances include Strictly Come Dancing, The Late Late Show & Vikings to name but a few. She has appeared in 8 seasons of Taylor’s Cabaret, 6 seasons of the Normandy Nights Cabaret & 2 seasons of the Brown Thomas Christmas Show. She has also appeared in a host of pantomimes in the Cork Opera house, the Helix & the Gaiety. Julie has starred as a dancer in Celtic Diva, an assistant choreographer in Celtic Storm & That’s Entertainment in Toronto, Canada. Julie has worked with us on our Summer Camps but we are now delighted to say that she is officially part of the Showbiz team!

Dave is a graduate of NUI Maynooth, where he received a BMus and a MA in Music (Composition). A multi-instrumentalist he plays Clarinet, Saxophone and Piano. Dave has worked as musical director for several Irish musical societies. Shows performed have included Sister Act, Some Like it Hot, Little Shop of Horrors, Mack and Mabel, The Wedding Singer, Thoroughly Modern Millie, The Hot Mikado, Rent, Oklahoma!, The Pirates of Penzance, Copacabana, Oliver and Crazy for You. He was musical director and co-orchestrator for the world premiere production of Goodnight Mr. Tom: The Musical in November 2008 at the Civic Theatre, Dublin. Dave has played and conducted in the orchestra pits of some of Ireland’s best known theatres, including the Gaiety Theatre, the Olympia Theatre and the National Concert Hall, Dublin and Theatre Royal, Waterford. He has played all over Asia, Europe and America as the saxophonist with Riverdance, as well as featuring in the DVD "Riverdance: Live in Beijing". In 2013 Dave received the AIMS award for Best Musical Director, for his work on Clane Musical Society's production of Sweeney Todd. As a tutor, Dave has taught in the Bailieborough School of Music, the Celbridge School of Music and the North Dublin School of Music. He was the musical director for the KYG stage school for 3 years overseeing their musicals, variety shows and choral competition entries both in Ireland and abroad.

Jen has extensive experience as a performer. Singing, Acting & Musical Theatre became a passion of hers from a very young age and paved the way for her first lead roles on stage, becoming a member of a three-piece girl group, as well as successfully being accepted as a member of the Dublin Youth Theatre. Her credits include Fiddler on the Roof (Hodel), Oliver (Nancy), Andy Capp (Pauline) & Jesus Christ Superstar (Mary Magdalene) to name but a few. Jen has been fortunate enough to perform on various stages to include the Bord Gais Energy Theatre & the Landskrona Theatre in Sweden. A qualified Montessori & Special Needs teacher, Jen has over 20 years experience working with children. She is beyond grateful to combine her love and passion for the Arts with the students of The Showbiz Academy Stage School.

Aisling has over 20 years experience in administration. A team player who is extremely organised. Aisling also had extensive experience working in the movie & television industry, working on productions such as Disney’s DisEnchanted & BBC’s Little Women. We are delighted to have her on the team. ph. 087 7776301