EARLY DAYS...

Since the age of three, Natalie attended the Bettany School of Dance where she trained several evenings a week in Ballet, Tap, Modern Jazz, Acro and Musical Theatre. With a strong emphasis on the festival scene, Natalie made the most of opportunities to perform and compete in dance solos, duets, trios and groups across a variety of styles.

Following the syllabuses of the International Dance Teachers’ Association (IDTA), Natalie passed many exams throughout her younger years, and was nominated for the IDTA Theatre Awards (scholarships) on several occasions. She also won the North Yorkshire Senior Modern Champion title two years in a row. At the age of 17, Natalie made the top six in the Finals of the IDTA Miss Dance of Great Britain Competition. Northern School of Contemporary Dance is where Natalie honed her ballet technique and developed her practical and theoretical knowledge of dance and choreography, graduating in 2005 with a BA (Hons) Degree.

PERFORMANCE CAREER…

Natalie began her professional career in numerous pantomimes around the country alongside the likes of Shaun Williamson and Bruce Jones. Following this, she successfully auditioned to become part of the production cast aboard the larger celebrity cruise liners with Gary Musick Productions in Nashville, Tennessee. The productions on board involved numbers from many West End and Broadway shows including Hairspray, Les Miserables, Chicago, Wicked, and Lion King – to name just a few.

Whilst aboard the cruise liners, Natalie trained as an Aerial Artist. She trained in the Silks, the Hoop, and the Rings, in both individual and partner work. Wanting to further this experience, she successfully auditioned for an Acrobat position in the production Espirito du Sonos in Casino Estoril, Portugal. Having gained this experience she was able to land a position as an Aerialist in the Vaudeville Productions in Cape Town, South Africa. Throughout this contract, Natalie was part of the dance ensemble alongside solo and partner-work performances in Silks, Hoop, Rings and in a Strength double act. Whilst in South Africa, Natalie also worked for many TV production companies as a both a dancer/choreographer and stunt artist/body double and has appeared in many TV commercials.

MOONDANCE IS BORN…

Natalie moved to Cornwall after returning to the UK with her husband in 2013. She now has two little girls of her own, who are both proud Moondancers! Natalie is thrilled to be sharing her professional experience in Ballet, Tap, Modern, Musical Theatre, Acrobatics, Aerial Arts and dance festivals with the students of Moondance Studio. Natalie is passionate about passing on her knowledge and experiences of working on board luxury cruise liners and theatres the world over to young and aspiring performers. Creating beautiful technique and added artistic flare, whilst boosting confidence with ‘that little something special’ is what drives Natalie on a daily basis to nurture young dance talent so that each individual can achieve their own personal best.

Alongside her central focus of running and growing an aspirational and happy training environment at Moondance Studio, Natalie has choreographed for vocational dance school auditions and competitions across the UK, and is Ballet Coach and Choreographer for the Swallows Competitive Gymnastics Elite Team. With her collaborative approach and impressive network of professional dance industry contacts, it is no surprise that Moondance Studio has made such an impact on the South West scene in a relatively short space of time. Already having a lot of fun and excelling in shows, exams, workshops, auditions and competitions, this is just the start for the Moondancers of South East Cornwall!