Meet The Team
Itziar Mateo Halford
Kathryn Halford
AKA Director Itziar started dancing at the age of 10 and now choreographs and directs all AKA’s innovative dance routines, often fusing different styles of dance to unite and reflect the diverse cultural society in which we live. She teaches children aged 5 years and above at AKA and has produced and directed numerous AKA Summer Schools and live shows.
Itziar has taught in Spain, competed nationally, and performed in the West End. She has a triple distinction in Dance as part of her BTEC studies at Calderdale College, a 2:1 degree in Performance Dance from Leeds Metropolitan University, and is currently studying for her teaching certificate (PGCE) with Huddersfield University. She is also a judge for a variety of local and national UK dance competitions.
AKA Director Kathryn established AKA Dance Academy with her daughter, Itziar, in 2012, after running a number of successful summer schools for local children. Together, both women have a formidable combination of showbiz knowledge and dance expertise.
Kathryn was first exposed to the world of dance at age seven, when she began training to be an ice dancer at Bradford Ice Rink. By the age of 20 she was performing professionally with ‘Holiday on Ice’ and toured extensively in Asia, South America, Australia, Japan and Europe. After 10 years on the road, she settled in Barcelona to bring up her children and, in 2000, the family returned to Yorkshire, where Kathryn supported her daughter’s mission to become a professional dancer before launching AKA.
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