Susan Lucas

Susan’s early classical ballet training was with Gillian Dawson, studying Cecchetti Classical Ballet before winning the Cyril Beaumont Scholarship to the Royal Ballet School (RBS).

She graduated to Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet (SWRB) following the RBS annual matinee performance dancing the role of Swanilda. During a career with SWRB which relocated to become Birmingham Royal Ballet (BRB), Susan worked her way through the ranks of the company dancing numerous Corps de Ballet, Soloist and Principal roles. With BRB, Susan performed the principal roles of Sugar Plum Fairy (Nutcracker), Aurora and Enchanted Princess (Sleeping Beauty), Giselle (title role), Lise (La Fille mal Gardee), Swanhilda (Coppelia), Titania (The Dream), the Ballerina (Petrushka), Pineapple Poll, Symphonic Variations and the White Girl (Two Pigeons). She created roles in works choreographed by Kenneth Macmillan, Peter Wright, Lynne Seymour, David Bintley and Michael Corder.

Following retirement from the stage, Susan continued her lifelong passion for ballet, training as a teacher at the Royal Ballet School, passing the Professional Dancer’s Teacher’s Diploma with Distinction. She also holds a Licentiate teacher qualification with the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing as a member of the Cecchetti Society and has a qualification in Pilates.

Currently freelance, Susan has an ever expanding private practice coaching students of all ages. She teaches for the Royal Ballet School Senior Associate Programme and for the Cecchetti society. She also teaches for Ballet Boost London, TNA Academy, Marylebone Ballet (Vacani) and Demi Moore School of Dancing. She recently taught a British Ballet course webinar in Tokyo, also participating in an online round table discussion regarding critical teaching points and pedagogy with leading classical ballet teachers from Australia, Germany, Italy and the Philippines. Susan is delighted to be joining the Birmingham Campus Ballet faculty of Performers College in September 2021.

Teaching for many years at Elmhurst Ballet School Birmingham, Susan was a Principal ballet tutor. She taught general technique, pointe, repertoire, solos, pas de deux. Susan co-developed and led the Cecchetti programme at the school.

Other teaching engagements include BRB company and Education department, White Lodge (Royal Ballet School, Lower), Tring Park School for the Performing Arts, Birmingham DanceXchange, West Midlands Youth Ballet, Solihull Ballet School, Kokuma Dance Company, Bare Bones, Wolverhampton University, Coventry University and Birmingham University. She has adjudicated ballet competitions for both the Cecchetti Society, the ISTD and the Royal Academy of Dancing in London and the West Midlands.

Susan was a board member of DanceXchange Birmingham for twelve years.