Norwood Ballet Centre

Director and Principal....Miss Jackie Thompson 

Fellow of Cecchetti Ballet Australia, Cecchetti International member, holder of the both the Royal Academy of Dancing and Cecchetti Society's Advanced Certificates. As well as running the school, and teaching Adults Ballet and Stretch classes, and most classical ballet exam classes, Miss Thompson was also the specialist Classical Dance teacher for performing arts students in years 9, 10 & 11 at Charles Campbell Secondary School for 3 years.

Miss Tara Patfull...........Intermediate Teachers Certificate (Cecchetti Society) and 10years teaching experience, assists Miss Thompson with all classical classes from Prep Ballet to Grade 5, as well as taking most Jazz/Funk/Hip Hop classes from Prep to Senior level. She has studied ballet and jazz for over 20 years, and Flamenco dance for 5 years. She is a specialist Hip Hop teacher as well, having attended many interstate and overseas workshops, most recently Jan 2006 at the Edge Studios in Hollywork, and SourceDance workshop in Rockhampton in April 2006. Her firm but gentle manner is appreciated by both parents and students alike.

Miss Veronica Shum........Currently overseas for 3 months. Hods a Graduate Diploma In Management (Arts) from Uni SA. Graduated with Distinction from the Centre of Performing Arts with a Bachelor of Dance Performance in 2000. In 2003 graduated from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts with First Class Bachelor of Arts Honours (Dance) . She is a co - director of dropArt:Aerial Dancers. Veronica is a former student of this school with over 5 years professional dance experience. She teaches Contemporary Technique and Senior Classical Ballet. While overseas her place will be taken by friend and collegue Miss Felecia Hick, who graduated from Adelaide Uni with a BA(Honours) in Dance in 1999. She has worked in Hong Kong, New York and Chicago, as well as closer to home with Tasdance. This year she is assistant director for the next Restless Dance Co. season, and will also direct the Opera Highlights program for the Elder School of Music. She currently lectures in dance and composition at both Adelaide and Flinders Universities.

Miss Lauren McMahon.........Student teacher, has been dancing ever since she could walk. Her first role was that of the Indian Boy in A Midsummer Night's Dream on the Festival Theatre stage at the age of 2. She assists with the Junior Ballet and Jazz levels as well as taking the children's Tap classes. After recently completing her Year 12 studies and gaining her S.A.C.E, she is pursuing exams for teaching qualifications in both Classical Ballet and C.S.T.D. Tap. She also excels at Hip Hop, having danced in every L.A. Danceforce, SourceDance and Hip Hop Allstars workshops over the past 8 years, as well as 2 trips to the Edge Studios in Los Angeles for Advanced Hip Hop classes.

Our small and enthusiastic team of experienced teachers are well qualified in their chosen fields to impart their collective knowledge in a caring and friendly manner to ALL students, to help build self-esteem and enjoyment of dance in general.