Jessica Ward is the principal of Elmhurst Ballet School in Birmingham, United Kingdom, a world-renowned centre of excellence for the training and education of dancers. In 1999, she graduated in Dance Theatre at the Laban Centre, now Trinity Laban in London, and gained a Postgraduate Diploma in Dance Performance. She entered a successful career in dance education and became a senior leader in secondary schools, receiving the NPQH qualification from the National College for School Leadership. She was appointed principal of the Elmhurst Ballet School in September 2010.