Our Trustees
Gillian Abramovich
Gillian’s career spans almost 50 years in the NHS where she worked as a Nurse, Midwife and currently works as a Health Visitor. Apart from spending 3 years in Nigeria where she was a Sister in charge of a hospital she has worked in London in Paediatrics, Child and Family Health and Child Protection. She brings skills in communication, planning, prioritising and organisational skills to her role as a Trustee.
She developed a love of ballet after seeing a WLSD production of The Nutcracker in 1998 at the Commonwealth Institute. One month later her elder daughter started to take ballet classes at WLSD aged 3 years and continued to dance until she was 16 years. Her younger daughter started ballet classes aged 2 years and later progressed from WLSD to LVBS. She went on to professional ballet training. As a result Gillian is passionate about all the Foundation stands for.
Bharat Azad
Bharat Azad is a writer and consultant with over 15 years of experience working for nonprofit and small and medium- sized businesses. As a former journalist, Bharat has a strong knowledge of the media landscape and of external and internal communications. He has also consulted for HR departments in the nonprofit sector and has a holistic people- centred approach to work that focuses on team-building, morale, and eliciting the best out of everyone involved.
He is also a screenwriter focused on projects centred around gangs and police in London, political violence, terrorism, and human trafficking in the world of sport.
Rhianne (Rhe) Benger
A confident Generalist and Chief of Staff, Rhe is a member of the Senior Executive Team at Cambridge Healthcare Research [CHR], a professional services business working in Healthcare and Life Sciences. One of her core focuses is engaging teams cross-functionally to keep work and people moving forward together in achieving their goals, aligned with CHR’s founding vision and mission. Prior to this position, Rhe was a strategic EA and project manager in a variety of sectors, including human rights charities, membership organisations, and professional services.
Focused on empathetic leadership, she has strengths in managing high-performing teams, leading people through change, rapid growth environments, communications and driving EDI and ESG progress in the workplace.
Originally from South Wales and raised in the Northwest of England, she holds an MFA in Choreography from Roehampton University and a BA (Hons) in Dance and Culture from the University of Surrey. An advocate for the creative arts and their value to professional development, she continues her research and engagement with dance practice outside of work. Rhe is also a Trustee for a Dance Agency SCIO in Aberdeen, and a Dance Foundation in London.
Kimberly Jaraj Dadoun
Kimberly Dadoun, nee Jaraj, was a ballerina throughout her youth attending West London School of Dance, the Royal Ballet School and performing at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in several different productions. Kimberly then became an actress and was in various films and television productions. Kimberly now has a Luxury Brand Consultancy and Activation company with her partner and works with some of the world’s most prestigious brands such a Patek Philippe, Gucci and Versace amongst many others. Kimberly also works closely with the Royal Opera House arranging special activations for her brands.
Lucy Goodman
Lucy Goodman is a creator, writer, producer, and director with a background in children's and family media. She founded Happy Films Ltd to produce high-quality, heartfelt content, including the BAFTA-winning series Bookaboo, which promotes literacy through storytelling and celebrity guest appearances. Lucy's work has been recognized
Honorary Patrons:
Dame Darcey Bussell, DBE
GarethHaw HenryKorda Debbie Moore, OBE Nicola Tranah
Stephen Wicks Patron: Elizabeth Wigoder
internationally, earning multiple awards and nominations. Alongside her career in television, she is passionate about the arts and education, bringing her creative expertise to her role as a trustee of the Du Boisson Dance Foundation.
Lucie Speciale
Lucie Speciale is a strategic communications and public relations expert with a distinguished career spanning over two decades. She has worked with some of the world’s most recognisable brands, leading high-impact campaigns and crisis management strategies. As a passionate advocate for the arts, Lucie brings her expertise in brand building and audience engagement to the Du Boisson Dance Foundation, supporting its mission to provide access to exceptional dance training. A lifelong dance enthusiast, she continues to take adult ballet classes several times a week, maintaining a deep personal connection to the art form.
Yas Yamaguchi
Yas Yamaguchi is a former investment banker with 20 years of experience working in London, Tokyo and Paris. Analytical, accounting and organisational management skills were gained through the banking experience.
Patricia Zhou
Patricia Zhou is a freelance dancer, choreographer and award-winning filmmaker.
After only four years of professional ballet training at the Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington D.C., she became a prize winner at the prestigious Prix de Lausanne, one of multiple international ballet competitions she won. This led to her first job at The Royal Ballet followed by Staatsballett-Berlin (where she joined as their first dancer of Chinese heritage) and most recently, Benjamin Millepied’s LA Dance Project.
In 2020 Patricia went freelance to pursue choreographing and directing her own work and continues to dance on a project to project basis. She made her West End debut in 2022 performing in Dr Semmelweis and created the role of Sugarplum in the Olivier award winning choreographer Drew McOnie’s jazz remake of The Nutcracker at the Southbank Centre.
Patricia also teaches ballet and believes in fostering community through spreading her knowledge and joy of dance with people of all ages and abilities.