Teachers |
| Principal Karen Berry BSc BA (Hons) Dance,
Appointed Tutor and Supervisor for the Royal Academy of Dance. Karen has been teaching in Aberdeen since 1987. Following a residency with Dundee Rep Dance Company, she co-founded a pioneering Youth Dance Company in Aberdeen, which brought together for the first time the agencies of Education and free-lance Dance Teaching. She co-founded Aberdeen Youth Music Theatre in 1992, which brings together professional tutors to teach all aspects of performing Arts to young people from the North East of Scotland. Karen has been employed as choreographer in Musical Theatre and has worked locally for the Education and the City Arts Departments as well as the Aberdeen International Youth Festival. As well as managing and teaching in the school, Karen works freelance for the Royal Academy of Dance in the Education Department, training and assessing teachers and students in Britain and Europe as well as constructing and writing dance courses and curricula. Karen has been instrumental in the development of a new Pre School Dance Curriculum for the R.A.D., as well as the Classical Ballet Teaching Certificate. More recently she has created the new Pre-Primary and Primary Dance Syllabus which the R.A.D. has launched worldwide. Karen is backed by a team of dedicated teachers who teach a wide range of classes suitable for all levels and abilities. Danscentre's reputation is based on the excellence and expertise of its teachers and curriculum.
Co-Principal Michelle Whyte BA(Hons) Theatre Dance SQA Visiting Assessor in Higher Dance Since graduating from London Studio Centre in 2001 Michelle has been freelance teaching and choreographing all over Scotland. She taught for 3 years at Dancebase in Edinburgh as well as teaching Higher Dance at Fife College, HNC and NC Dance at Aberdeen College and Dance Teaching courses for Edinburgh University. Michelle has also been involved in the delivery of various community dance inititiatives including various outreach programmes for Edinburgh City Council and Citymoves in Aberdeen. She joined Karen Berry School of Dance as Assistant Principal in August 2006 and became a partner in May 2008.
Teachers Charlotte Summers BA (Hons) Ballet Teaching Studies Charlotte trained at the Royal Academy of Dance, London, graduating with a BA(Hons) Art and Teaching of Ballet and Licentiate of the Royal Academy of Dance (L.R.A.D). Upon graduating, she choreographed her first professional ballet for Kent Youth Ballet, Assembly Theatre, Tunbridge Wells, as well as teaching freelance in London. Upon returning to her native Edinburgh, she went on to teach at the leading dance schools in the city, as well as in Fife, and lectured on the NC Dance Course at Adam Smith College, Kirkcaldy and guest lecturing at Edinburgh’s Telford College. She has danced professionally in operas such as Die Zauberflote and L’Orfeo, under the direction of Gilbert Defoe and Jordi Savall. She has performed with the Edinburgh Mela and Zoonation Theatre Group as well as being involved in many Edinburgh Festivals as a dancer.
Fiona Skene BA (Hons) Dance Theatre, Registered Teacher of RAD (CBTS), ISTD CDE (MTB), Zumba Instructor Fiona was originally a pupil of Karen Berry at Danscentre. She studied a BA (Hons) Dance Theatre at Laban, London, graduating with a First Class honours degree in 2005. Upon graduation, she travelled throughout Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia, and taught dance in Melbourne. Fiona returned to Aberdeen to take up a position at Danscentre, where she completed her Certificate in Ballet Teaching Studies, Foundation in Dance Instruction and Certificate in Dance Education, gaining Registered Teacher Status with the Royal Academy of Dance and the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing. Fiona teaches all levels and dance genres, including Higher Dance and other SQA courses, and coordinates the Danscentre Performance Group. A qualified Zumba Instructor and Dance Leadership Tutor/Internal Assessesor, Fiona is also the youngest member of the RAD worldwide team of trial teachers, helping to develop the new RAD grades.
Lorna Scott RAD (PDTD) Lorna trained at the Dance School of Scotland and Royal Ballet Upper School. She was a soloist with Scottish Ballet and performed professionally with them for 14 years. During this time she worked with a variety of choreographers and performed in all the company's main classics and more contemporary works. After retiring from the company Lorna re-trained with the Royal Academy of Dance gaining the Professional Dancer's Teaching Diploma with distinction. Following graduation, she worked at Tring Park School for the Performing Arts taking on the role as Ballet Teacher and Junior Conservatoire Coordinator. Lorna is now a freelance teacher and choreographer.
Kim Barry - F.D.I (I.S.T.D) Administration Administration Managers – Ann Brown, Nic Seivwright Administrative Team - Sue Purvis, Kirsteen MacWilliam, Amy Robertson |
