Our Professional Teachers
Gemma Dippenaar
Ballet
Gemma has been a Ballet dancer for 34 years completing her Cecchetti Ballet Examinations
from Pre-Primary - Advanced 2 Level. She was a member of the Junior Dance Theatre of KZN
as well as the KZN Youth Ballet. She has 19 Years experience teaching the Cecchetti Method both in South Africa
and the UK and is also a Committee Member of The Cecchetti Society Of South Africa, KZN Headquarters,
having completed her Cecchetti Associate, her Cecchetti Associate Diploma and Licentiate Assessment.
Gemma is among the few Cecchetti Teachers globally to have been awarded the
Maestro Enrico Cecchetti Final Diploma. She has taught Ballet at the Highgate School Of Ballet In London
as well as the St Johns Wood School Of Ballet in London for two years where she trained and
prepared students for Examinations. She also taught Ballet to their affiliated Pre-Schools.
Gemma ran her own Ballet school, the Gemma Crawley School Of Dance in KZN for 10 Years where she
trained male and female students ages 3-21 in preparation for Examinations, Productions and Performances,
as well as teaching ballet at the Pre-Schools affiliated with her dance school.
Gemma has managed trained and choreographed a Competition Team for 4 Years, winning
3 National and 2 International Competition Titles.
She is a Certified Pilates and Zumba Instructor and also holds her SAGF Coaching certification and is a
National Level 1 Rhythmic Gymnastics Judge as well holding her SABOD Regional Judges Certification.
Gemma passionately quotes "Ballet is in every fiber of my body and fuels my soul"
Shaun Zitha
Hip Hop
Shaun Zitha is a professional dancer, dance teacher and facilitator as well as a choreographer from Durban.
He is trained in Contemporary dance and Afro-Fusion at Siwela Sonke Dance Theatre and Moving Into Dance, he has more than 12 years experience in the Hip Hop genre.
He has competed in TV dance competitions such as “Step Up Or Step Out” Season 3 and “Break Da Beat” Season 1 & 2, he received 1st place in a prominent KwaZulu-Natal Regional Hip Hop dance competition.
Shaun is passionate about teaching and has worked together with institutions such UJ Arts & Culture Dance Academy and Dance@Wits to name a few.
Shaun is fiercely invested in teaching dance because he believes that it is this generation’s responsibility to guide the next generation to keep the arts alive !
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"Dance is an element that allows you to lose yourself and find yourself at the same time"