The teachers at Première Dance Academy adore teaching children, and do so with love and patience, and to the best of their abilities so that ballet is a positive and fun learning experience for children!
Natali Roos – Academy Owner & Principal Ballet Teacher
Natali Roos currently holds Licentiate status in the Cecchetti Society of Southern Africa (affiliated to ISTD London) as well as the Maestro Enrico Cecchetti Diploma. Natali is the Chairperson of the Pretoria Branch of the Cecchetti Society of Southern Africa, and a member of the National Society of Dance Teachers.
Natali was trained in the Cecchetti Classical Ballet and Royal Academy of Dance methods by Joy Cooper and Michelle Naudé respectively, as well as Jazz, Contemporary and Spanish Dancing.
Through the years Natali has received numerous awards of excellence in ballet, be it dancing, teaching or achievement. She was a competitor at the Prix de Lausanne, Switzerland, and has attended Ballet Summer Schools abroad, such as Denmark, England and Italy. Natali has run her own ballet academy since 2007 where she has achieved commendable results with her students, be it for examinations, awards, competitions and shows.
Elesia Ceronio – Principal Ballet Teacher
A Fellow of the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing, London (Cecchetti Society Faculty), Elesia Ceronio is a Cecchetti Classical Ballet teacher with 24 years’ experience. She was appointed to the Examining Board of the Cecchetti Society of Southern Africa in 2012 and has since become a Senior Examiner. Elesia served as Chairperson of the Pretoria Regional Branch for 5 years before being elected to the Council of Management of the Cecchetti Society of Southern Africa in 2016.
An honour for all Première Dance Academy’s teachers to work alongside Elesia whose high-calibre qualification and examining status adds an invaluable dimension of expertise to our team of teacher as well as to our students.
Elesia received her initial training from Elize Oosthuizen, Cheryl van Niekerk, Ann Geddes and Gail Myburgh. She was Head of the State Theatre Ballet School from 1996 until 2000, and a ballet teacher for Zanelle Wessels Studio of Dancing for the past 20 years.
Nicole Ferreira-Dill – Professional Coach
Nicole Ferreira-Dill is a professional Principal Dancer with Joburg Ballet. Her training in the Cecchetti Classical Ballet and Royal Academy of Dance methods, as well as Jazz, Contemporary and Spanish Dancing together with her extensive professional dancing career is a valuable addition to Première Dance Academy.
Nicole has danced many principal and solo roles, such as Giselle; Odette, Odile and Big Swans in Swan Lake; the principal role of Nikiya in La Bayadère; Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty; Cinderella; Snow White; Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker; The Dying Swan; to name but a few. Nicole has on many occasions performed internationally and worked with numerous international choreographers and producers.
Over the years Nicole has received numerous awards of excellence. She was awarded the Madge Cade Award for her significant and dedicated contribution to Joburg Ballet as well as the Mary Gold Hutton Award in acknowledgement of a dancer who goes beyond the call of duty in benefit of Joburg Ballet. Nicole received the RAD Solo Seal Award with outstanding results.
Esther de Jager – Ballet Pianist
Licentiate – UNISA, ODMS – University of Stellenbosch, BMus – University of Stellenbosch.
Esther started her career as a ballet pianist in 1992 with Cheryl van Niekerk, Tessa Wessels, Beverly Acquisto and Zanelle Wessels Studio of Dancing. In the 28 years of her accompaniment her popularity as a ballet pianist grew to such an extent that she was in high demand and travelled as a freelance pianist all over South Africa to areas such as Johannesburg, East London, Ellisras, Brits, and Bethal to name but a few.
During this period, Esther had the privilege to play for students of various levels of the Cecchetti Society of Southern Africa, and most prestigiously for 14 Advanced Two, 38 Associate, 5 Licentiate and 2 Fellowship students. She has played for several Award Ceremonies for the Cecchetti Society of Southern Africa. Première Dance Academy is privileged to have a pianist on a continual basis adding an important musical aspect to our students’ development as dancers.