WIGHTMORE SCHOOL OF DANCE - Key Persons
Christina was first taken to a ballet class when she was just two weeks old and was introduced to the world of dance and theatre as a small child. Christina started dancing with her mother as soon as she could walk and started performing on stage at the age of 3. As she grew up her school holidays became full of dance courses with Ballet Creations, the Wells Summer School with Francesca Filpi, Darcey Bussell and dancers from the Royal Ballet. She also attended the Royal Academy of Dance courses and RAD South West Regional Scholars.
Christina was awarded a scholorship place at Northern Ballet School and Ballet West. Christina graduated with a Higher National Diploma in Professional Dance, Royal Academy of Dance Teaching certificate and her advanced 2 qualification resulted in her becoming an associate of the Royal Academy of Dance. Christina also holds her advanced 2 qualification in ISTD Imperial Classical Ballet, Tap and Modern Theatre Dance.
Born in London, Denis Bonner, Benesh Choreologist and Répétiteur, trained at the Royal Ballet School. After a three-year period with Northern Dance Theatre (now Northern Ballet), he joined Sadler's Wells (now Birmingham) Royal Ballet in 1976. With SWRB he performed in ballets by Ashton, MacMillan, Balanchine, Cranko, de Valois, Van Manen, and Bintley amongst others, notably in character roles. Moving on from his dancing career he studied Benesh Movement Notation and on graduating from the Benesh Institute he assisted Sir Peter Wright with his 1986 production of Giselle at Covent Garden and was subsequently invited back to SWRB as a company notator under Sir Peter's direction. He now rehearses and teaches much of Birmingham Royal Ballet's repertoire and travels internationally, staging works by Bintley, Ashton and MacMillan, and Wright's productions of Giselle, Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, Coppélia and The Nutcracker.
John started his dance training at Penryn School of Dance in 1954. He was then offered a place part-time at Ballet Rambert School where he remained until 1964.
John subsequently transferred to Ballet Rambert School full time until he was offered a place at the Royal Ballet School. He also trained as a mime artist with Ladislav Fialka from Prague, Jacques LeCoq from Paris and Carlo Bosso from Venice.
Mark is currently performing in 'The Lion King', 'Disneys Award Winning Musical' in Holland.
Mark trained at Northern Ballet School. Since then he has been working professionally on a variety of dancing and acrobatic performances such as Celebrity Cruises, Costa Cruises, P&O Australia, Rapunzel the musical, Pirates of the Caribbean Jubilee Hyde Park, ITV's Mrs Biggs and Freej Dubai/Saudi Arabia.
Mark has also been teaching for KNT Danceworks in Manchester and Liverpool.
Mark has also been adjudicating the grand finale, Next Big Step and guest teaching at Northern Ballet School.
Mark is currently training at The Royal Ballet School and studying for the The Royal Ballet School's Diploma of Dance Teaching. During 2021 Mark has been adjudicating and teaching at the Dance World Cup.
Job Titles:
- Associate of the Royal Academy of Dance
- Life Member of the Royal Academy of Dance
- Member of the Northern Ballet Theatre
Founder and Principal. Sue is a Life Member of the Royal Academy of Dance. Sue teaches ballet, repertoire, virtuosity, pas de deux, pointe and audition preparation.
Sue began dancing at the age of 7, with her sister Lynda. She was hooked immediately and took her first ballet exam weeks after her first lesson. Originally trained by Christine Cox, Sue then continued at the Bristol School of Dancing with Muriel Carpenter, Mary Hoskins and Lynn Britt, regularly dancing at the Bristol Hippodrome with the Bristol Old Vic Company and in shows with Bruce Forsythe and The Seekers.
Sue was accepted at The Royal Ballet School, London under principal Barbara Fewster. Sue is an associate of the Royal Academy of Dance having been awarded the advanced 2 qualification. While training at RBS, Sue observed the Royal Ballet Company rehearsing dancers such as Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev.
Sue was offered a contract with the Northern Ballet Theatre (Northern Dance Theatre) and danced soloist roles with the company for 7 years. Sue was one of the original 13 dancers, when Laverne Mayer founded the company in 1969.
While a member of the Northern Ballet Theatre, Sue regularly took company rehearsals and this is where her passion for teaching began.
Wightmore School of Dance was founded in 1983 and a performing company which regularly raised money for Action Research, The Umbrella Project, Clic Sargent and Save the Children. To date over £12000 has been raised. Wightmore School of Dance also supports and raises funds for the Chernobyl Children's Lifeline.