Our Principal: Theresa Crumb
Royal Ballet School Alumni
Theresa trained ballet from age 7 with Leo Kersley, founding member of the Royal Ballet. She danced lead roles in The Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty as well as the Blue Bird pas de deux aged 16, partnering Hideo Fukagawa, Japanese ballet star.
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Theresa danced at Sadler’s Wells Theatre, London in ballets choreographed by leading British choreographer Kate Flatt and in a specially devised ballet by Wayne Sleep, before joining the Royal Ballet School at age 16.
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As a professional dancer, Theresa appeared globally including 13 years in Germany, with ‘Theater des Westens’ Berlin, Ballet Galas with the Berlin Opera House, guest appearances at the Hamburg Opera House and Odeon Theatre Paris, appearing also as a soloist in TV productions for German Channels ZDF and ARD, Italian TV channel RAI, as well as assisting renowned American choreographer Gene Reed for TV productions in Berlin and Munich.
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In Berlin, Theresa was a member of the ‘Berlin Tanz Project’ as well as dance tutor for ‘Vladimir Gelvan Tanz Schule’ then Principal dancer of the Berlin Opera House.
Theresa held an engagement as dance company co-ordinator, Ballet Mistress and Assistant Choreographer for the State Theatre of Münster in Germany, collaborating with international Choreographer Vivienne Newport.
She also engaged in a six year collaboration with the Bayern German Authorities pioneering and delivering a program of ‘free movement’ for special needs young adults.
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In Britain, Theresa worked collaboratively with the Education Consortium as Peripatetic teacher for mainstream Schools in Herts and Essex for Key stages 2, 3 and 4 as well as being a member of the Royal Ballet School ‘Teacher Link Outreach’ program. She continues to maintain her professional development as Ballet teacher, regularly engaging in The Royal Ballet School seminar programs for teachers and follows the Royal Ballet School model of training, having engaged in the teachers' INSPIRE and INSPIRE TO BE program in 2017 - 2019.
Theresa founded Ballet First in May 1999 where she continues to teach and choreograph for her students, many of whom have gained places with national and international dance schools and companies.