Kim Baker C.D.T.A

Principal Classical Teacher/Director

As a talented young dancer, Kim was selected into the professional training course of the Graduate College of Dance, at age 12. During this time, she trained under Terri Charlesworth O.A.M and various other world renowned ballet, character and contemporary teachers, giving her a broad knowledge of the classical technique. Upon completion of her studies she was accepted into the WA Academy of Performing Arts, Dance Performance course.

In 1981 Kim accepted a contract with the Kinetikos Dance Theatre, where she danced professionally for 3 years. In 1982 she accepted a teaching position with the Terri Charlesworth School of Ballet, developing into one of Perth’s finest teachers of dance. As a teacher Kim studied with Laurel Martyn, founder of Classical Dance Teachers Australia and founding member of the Australian Ballet Company, who examined and accredited Kim with a teaching diploma.

Kim has also studied the RAD syllabus to advanced level, and the Marika Besobrasova and Vaganova methods to advanced levels. She has attended teacher training courses with Madame Marika Besobrasova, Carlos Gacio, Laurel Martyn, Eugence Valukin, Luba Gulyava, Yuri Basilkov, Jane Diamond, Joan Pope and Lubov Nikonorenko. Kim held the position of principal for 15 years with the Terri Charlesworth School of Ballet under the direction of Terri Charlesworth. She is also founder of Tiny Tots Ballet and the Kim Baker Ballet Academy, established 1990.

Many students that have trained under the direction of Kim are now dancing for companies in Australia and around the world.

Tahlia Baker

Junior Classical/Theory/Creative Teacher

Tahlia commenced her ballet training at the age of 2 1/2 years with her mother at Tiny Tots Ballet. At the age of 9 years Tahlia was accepted into the talented and gifted program at The Graduate College of Dance, which included Classical ballet, Character, Contemporary and Repertoire. At 13 years of age Tahlia transferred to Kim Baker Ballet Academy to continue her training, where she reached the advanced levels in the Vaganova method gaining Highly Commended Plus for her final year of training.

Tahlia is also a talented singer, and has studied singing, jazz dance and hip-hop style and also TEE drama. Tahlia studied music theatre with Ian Westrip O.A.M, a music theatre teacher from WAAPA, and earned a Diploma of Music Theatre.

Tahlia was an assistant teacher at the KBBA for 3 years, and started teaching for KBBA in 2007. Tahlia has also completed her Certificate I in Childcare, and her love of children is evident in her teaching.

In 2010, Tahlia auditioned for the main character “Tracey” in the hit musical HAIRSPRAY, and was chosen as the Perth finalist for the role.

Ashleigh Berry B.A. Dance (Hon)

Contemporary/Classical Teacher

Ashleigh Berry commenced her dance training at 5 years of age at the Terri Charlesworth School of Ballet under the tuition of Kim Baker, and was accepted into the Junior Professional course at The Graduate College of Dance, where she graduated with honours and was awarded the Dance Award. Ashleigh has since completed her Bachelor of Dance Performance Degree at the Adelaide Centre for the Arts, and has worked with numerous choreographers and teachers including Leigh Warren from Leigh Warren Dance Company, Simon Dow former Artistic Director with the WA Ballet Company, David Pruham an independent WA artist and Jayne Cooper of the WA Ballet Company just to name a few. Ashleigh also received $2,000 grant assistance from the Helpmann Academy in 2008 to choreograph and perform a work called “As Alone As You Are” for the October Choreolab Season. In November 2008, Ashleigh was awarded the “Rising Star Award” – Dance, by the Minter Ellison Helpmann Academy in South Australia.

Ashleigh returned to Perth in 2009 and completed her Honours Degree at the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA), and performed with Link Dance Company, where she toured Amsterdam, Melbourne and Sydney.

In 2010, she has choreographed four ensemble pieces and two solos for specialist students in Western Australia. She has worked on a .Tongues of Stone. development with Carol Brown and was invited into the role of .developing artist. for Steps Youth Dance Company.s Free Range program under Alice Lee Holland. Later in the year she will be involved in Soft Landing 2 with Brian Lucas in Canberra as well as a new development with peer Tobiah Booth-Remmers for SA Ausdance Choreolab October season. She will return to Perth to work on her own new work .Occupied. in preparation for Strut.s Short Cuts Season.

Ashleigh commenced teaching Contemporary and Classical dance at the Kim Baker Ballet Academy in 2009.

Zipporah (Zeffie) Maynard

Classical/Contemporary/Spanish

Zeffie commenced her training with Kim Baker at the age of 3 years. Due to her talent and love of dance, she was accepted into the Kim Baker Ballet Academy Specialist course. Upon completing her ballet studies at KBBA, she was accepted into the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA), Dance Diploma course, where she is currently in her fourth and final year. She is studying Classical, Contemporary, Choreography and Spanish dance. The highlight of Zeffie’s young career, has been her performance in Giselle with the West Australian Ballet Company in 2009 and Sleeping Beauty in 2010. Zeffie commenced teaching for KBBA in 2009, and her enthusiastic and energetic approach to teaching is an asset to the school.

Tristan Nottle

Senior students Pilates Instructor

Tristan Nottle is the owner and sole instructor at Belara Springs Pilates Studio. After many years of ballet training, locally with Anthony McDonald, Shelley Rae and Renate Cumalkovs, and in Sydney Ecole Classique and the Australian Ballet School in Melbourne, Tristan danced with a range of companies on the East coast including the NSW Ballet Company and the Australian Opera Ballet. He began teaching Pilates 14 years ago after sustaining an extensive injury early in his dance career, but still managed to squeeze in around 80 performances at the Sydney Opera House in that time. He used Pilates to recover from his injury which led to his passion for anatomy and the Pilates technique. He has taught Pilates extensively to select dancers from the Australian Ballet, the Sydney Dance Company, and the West Australian Ballet. Focussing from general strength and technique work, to injury management and rehabilitation.
Tristan is very passionate about The Pilates Method, and especially the edge it can give to dancers, strengthening and improving technique and alignment, posture and flexibility. Tristan is delighted to be part of the team at Kim Baker Ballet Academy and looks forward to working with many of the talented and dedicated students and watching them go from strength to strength!

Jemma Walton

Junior Teacher

Jemma Walton commenced dancing classes in 1999 and has danced at several different dance schools. She commenced dance training at the Kim Baker Ballet Academy in 2006. Jemma has successfully completed exams in Ballet R.A.D, C.D.T.A. and B.A.L, Jazz, Hip Hop and specialized contemporary. At the age of eleven, she was accepted into the WA Young Entertainers and has competed in dance eisteddfods for eight years. This is where she found her love of choreography and choreographed the majority of her dance solos. Jemma is a talented choreographer and has choreographed contemporary dances for the Kim Baker Ballet Academy Choreographic Event.

Jemma has completed the Ausdance Skill Set for Teaching Dance in 2010. She commenced her teacher training at the Kim Baker Ballet Academy in 2008 whilst completing her dance teaching studies and is now a qualified junior classical and contemporary teacher.

Jemma’s love and passion for dance is evident in her teaching.

Helen Dwyer

Theory Teacher

Administration Officer

Helen studied Chemistry, Physics, English literature, History and Maths at TEE level. After studying Archaeology, Anthropology, Ancient History and Medieval History at UWA, Helen left to pursue other interests. Helen joined KBBA as the Tiny Tots assistant in 2004. In 2005 when KBBA moved to the Studio, Helen took on the role of Receptionist, and in 2006 became Administration Officer. Due to Helen’s passion for English and Ancient History and University history, it was a natural progression for Helen to take over the theory classes for levels 3 – 6, and become the senior theory teacher. Helen commenced this position in 2009. Helen has a lovely rapport with the students and has provided a challenging and enjoyable theory program for the specialist students at the KBBA.

Rosalie Foss

Pianist

Rosalie teaches piano and theory both as a private studio music teacher and at schools. She holds a Performance Diploma (AMusA) from the Australian Music Examinations Board and is continuing with further studies under prestigious Perth teacher Penny Black. She regularly accompanies other instrumentalists, vocalists and choirs. In 2009 she won the Fremantle Eisteddfod Open Accompanist Award, and in 2010 has performed with the Hills Symphony Orchestra.

Rosalie enjoys merging her passion for music with a life-long love of ballet in her work as accompanist for the Kim Baker Ballet Academy.