Kristeen Brady

Kristeen started dancing at the age of 2 at the Dorothy Campbell School of Dance.  From the age of 7 she attended the Glasgow Ballet School where under the tutorage
of the renowned Miss Jean MacLellan, progressed through the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing  grades in Classical Ballet, Tap and Modern Theatre.  After Miss MacLellan retired from teaching, Kristeen then attended the Elizabeth Henderson School of Dancing to continue studying for teaching qualifications. During this time she performed alongside the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and also performed on childrens t.v shows at Scottish Television.

Kristeen became a class assistant at Jacqui Wilson Dance school in 1991 at the Bellahouston and Barlanark branches.  With a passion for teaching confirmed, Kristeen was accepted to Strathclyde University to study Primary Teaching.  During this time she gained Associated status   with the British Association of Teachers of Dancing and when an opportunity was offered to join the Dance UK Team full time, it was the perfect combination of her 2 great loves;  teaching and dance.

In 1998 she opened Kristeen Brady School of Dance in Coatbridge and Kilsyth which very quickly became popular with local children. Classes were so busy that the school soon joined forces and became part of Dance  UK

Throughout this time, Kristeen continued her studies for Dance qualifications and achieved Associate Diploma within the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance.  She has taught all grades to major levels entering candidates in Classical Ballet, Tap and Modern Theatre and particularly enjoys teaching on the Ballet Elite Course.   As rewarding as it is to watch major students achieve their goals, Kristeen finds great joy in teaching Mini Movers and Junior classes watching the tiniest dancer gain confidence and trust to leave mum and develop their love for dance. Being a mum herself, Kristeen is very aware of the responsibility she is being given by every mum who leaves their budding ballerinas in her care and strives to help each child reach their full potential in a fun and caring way.

Kristeen also has a special interest in the Cheer Dance program at Dance UK and loves “death defying” stunts which the girls all love too!!  She loves keeping a keen eye on the American cheer stunt teams for new ideas and keeping the other teachers up to date.

By being part of Dance UK, Kristeen is able to pass on her knowledge and love of dance to the children in her classes and feels very proud to be part of Dance UK

Susan Haldane

Susan first discovered her passion for dance at the age of 4 when she started at Jacqui Wilson’s School of Dance in Bishopbriggs.

Over the years she gained expert tuition and passed many exams in Ballet, Tap, Jazz and Disco. Susan’s favourite thing of all was being on the big stage and performing at the annual shows.

At the age of 13,  Jacqui Wilson put Susan forward for an audition for a German music video filmed in Scotland. She landed the role in  ‘For the love of a Princess’ by DJ Sakin and Friends..as seen on MTV!! Susan loved this first taste of the commercial industry.

At the age of 17 Susan secured a place at university to study French with Politics…but she decided to follow her heart and gained a place at Dance For All College in Edinburgh where she spent 3 years of of professional training, gaining the HND Professional Stage Dance Degree and teaching qualifications with the RAD and ISTD.

During her time at College she was employed by Jacqui Wilson to assist in the Saturday children’s classes where she quickly discovered a love and talent for teaching.
Working at Dance UK helped Susan excel in her teaching exams and gave her first hand experience of teaching as a career.

In November 2006 Susan, a french speaker,  successfully auditioned for Disneyland Paris Resort. Her favourite part about the job was performing in the daily parades as well as living and working in another country.

After a year with Disney, Susan returned to Scotland to join Dance UK full time and, after only four years,  Susan was promoted to Head Teacher and Manager.  Her favourite dance styles are Tap and Hip Hop although she also gets immense satisfaction from teaching Syllabus Ballet, Tap and Modern to the highest standards. Susan is also a key member of the development team for Streetdance UK, Dance UK’s  highly successful boys dance program.

Susan also enjoys training with London’s leading choreographers, bringing the very latest commercial styles to Dance UK.  Last summer, she also had the opportunity to work with Matthew Bourne at the Royal Ballet School, Covent Garden.

Susan says “I absolutely love every aspect of my job. Being part of the Dance UK Team is a great opportunity to not only teach dance but to be involved in the other aspects of the company: the administration, music editing, syllabus development, teacher training and show planning. It’s great to have a full time job doing something that I’m so passionate about! The kids are the best part about it..they keep me smiling  and I love being able to pass on my skills and experience to the next generation!’