SUSIE CLARKE

Originally from Essex, Susie's first dance training was under the Royal Academy of Dance and in 1993 she graduated with RAD Teaching Cert. 
Her first love, however, was always Russian Ballet, and in 1999 Susie was lucky to commence private coaching from her teacher, Joanna Carr,  who had studied the Vaganova system first hand in Russia in the 1970s. 
Susie went on to study the first 4 years of the Vaganova syllabus - a system which developed in the former Soviet Union in the 1930s, under Professor Agrippina Vaganova. This system is widely taught in other parts of the world and is now gaining popularity in the UK.  In 2012, Susie became a Teaching Member of the Association of Russian Ballet and Theatre Arts [ARBTA}

Susie's former dance establishments were Goldsmiths Ballet School in Catford and Belmont School of Ballet in Erith.

Susie loves all things "theatrical"  and has herself performed many leading roles in amateur musicals and plays locally.    She has worked widely as a Choreographer in South London and Kent on over 50 productions ranging from "Carmen" to "Oh What a Lovely War!"     In 1999 Susie received an Arts Council Lottery Grant for Goldsmiths Ballet School to perform "Diaghilev & The Dance" at Lewisham Theatre,  a production she wrote, produced and choreographed herself.

Susie has a long list of dance productions to her name and, over the years, these have raised over £5,000 for charitable causes locally and in the wider world,

Since 2017, Susie has  worked as ballet coach at the University of the Arts Student Union in Holborn, London

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In May 2022, Susie was awarded a Civic Recognition Award from the Mayor of Bexley, Councillor James  Hunt.         This was in recognition for service to the local community by way of providing free ballet classes via Zoom during the various lockdowns in 2020/21.