Classes
Minimum age: 16
Saturday: Classical Ballet
- Level: Beginner
- Time: 16:00 – 17:30
- Fee: £14
Susan Lucas
Classical Ballet
Biography
Susan is a highly qualified classical ballet teacher with a professional career spanning 21 years with Birmingham Royal Ballet.
Born in Surrey, Susan’s local early training was in the Cecchetti method before winning a scholarship to the Royal Ballet School.
Graduating with a contract for Sadler’s Well Royal Ballet which relocated to become Birmingham Royal Ballet (BRB), Susan worked her way through the ranks of the company gaining experience in Corps de Ballet, Soloist, and Principal roles. With BRB, Susan danced the principal roles of Sugar Plum Fairy (Nutcracker), Aurora and Enchanted Princess (Sleeping Beauty), Giselle, Lise (La Fille mal Gardee), Swanilda (Coppelia), Titania (The Dream), the Ballerina (Petrushka), Pineapple Poll, Symphonic Variations and the White Girl (Two Pigeons) along with many other soloist roles. She created roles in works choreographed by Kenneth Macmillan, Peter Wright, Lynne Seymour, David Bintley, and Michael Corder.
Following retirement from the stage, Susan continued her lifelong passion for ballet and trained as a teacher at the Royal Ballet School, passing the Professional Dancer’s Teacher’s Diploma with Distinction. She also holds the highest level of teacher qualification as a Fellow of the Cecchetti Society (ISTD).
Susan has over eighteen years of experience teaching ballet from beginners to vocational students. Teaching at Elmhurst Ballet School, Birmingham she was a Principal ballet tutor.
Currently, Susan is freelance and has an ever-expanding private practice coaching students in general technique, for examinations and for auditions in the UK and abroad. She is employed as a Lecturer in Ballet for Performers College (Birmingham Campus) and for the Royal Ballet School Senior Associate Programme. She regularly teaches for the Cecchetti society on their Scholarship and Associate programs and the York Scholars.
Susan instructs the Cecchetti syllabi at the Marylebone Ballet School (Vacani), and at TNA Dance Academy in Birmingham. She guests at the Nicholson School of Dance in Birmingham teaching non-curricula ballet to adults and the school’s Associate scheme.
Susan has previously taught for BRB, at White Lodge, Tring Park School for the Performing Arts, Birmingham DanceXchange, West Midlands Youth Ballet, Solihull Ballet School, Bare Bones, Wolverhampton, Coventry, and Birmingham Universities. She has adjudicated ballet competitions for both the Cecchetti Society and the Royal Academy of Dancing in London and the West Midlands.
Susan firmly believes that ballet as an art form is for all and that not only is it wonderful exercise, it is also creative and fun – often a challenge – but always a beautiful one!
Class Description
Classical Ballet
Ballet is the perfect discipline to develop posture, alignment, strength, balance, flexibility, coordination and grace.
If you are new to Ballet then my Ballet Classes for Beginners are the perfect way to start your journey. It is never too late to learn and these ballet lessons will also be suitable for those of you seeking to refresh your skills. I am a highly qualified ballet teacher and ex- professional senior Soloist and Principal with Birmingham Royal Ballet. I am also qualified to teach pilates. You are in safe hands!
Topics covered will be tailored to the needs of the group. However, they will generally include:
- Establishment of basic ballet vocabulary and the purpose of each exercise
- Development of strength, flexibility and secure posture
- Improvement of coordination
- Awareness of the body in space
- Putting techniques into practice with simple and fun choreographic enchaînements
- Musicality instruction
You will be given friendly feedback and support throughout the lessons.
Beginner lessons provide a fun introduction to Ballet. They will cover basic ballet principles in a supportive environment. Ballet terminology will be explained and demystified. The classes will cover barre work, centre practice, allegro (jumps), pirouettes (turns) and some choreographed, exploratory enchaînements.
