Our Teachers

Wendy Arshamian

Director of Fuchsia School of Dance

Wendy has been teaching for over 30 years in Cheshire owning her own schools and is a registered teacher of the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD).

“Wendy is a great and enthusiastic teacher. Her classes are loads fun”

Wendy has had a full career in ballet, previously being a member of the Iranian National Ballet Company. Fuchsia School of Dance was created 2006 and has continuously grown over the years. Now the school specialises in Ballet, Tap, Modern, Jazz and Adult Ballet and Adult Tap.

Over her career Wendy has become a Royal Academy of Dance Examiner, travelling all over the world examining RAD ballet of all grades. Wendy is also an Associate of the RAD due to completing her Advanced Ballet. She also holds the Solo Seal Award.

Katrina Magee

Qualified Teacher

Katrina trained locally from the age of 2, attending classes in RAD ballet, IDTA tap and modern achieving all of her grades in each by the age of 16.

Regularly taking part in local competitions around the North West, competing in various genres, as well as being involved in 2 productions with the English Youth Ballet.

“Teaching dance is my passion and Fuchsia is a great environment”

At 16 she began full time training at Ballet West, Scotland, where she toured around Scotland performing full-length ballets and musicals, where she was given the opportunity to perform some lead roles.

Whilst at Ballet West she trained up to Solo Seal in the RAD examinations by 19, but due to injury was unable to take the examination. Other aspects of the training including travelling with the qualified teachers to teach classes as part of the schools outreach programme and also choreographing a full Corps de Ballet piece whilst studying for her HND in professional stage dance.

Since leaving Ballet West she attended an apprenticeship with European Ballet, but decided teaching was passion.

Katrina joined Fuchsia School of Dance as a teaching assistant in 2011 and has since become a full time teacher, teaching classes from baby ballet up to Advanced 1 RAD and Adult Ballet. Katrina is also studying to complete BA Hons Degree in Dance Education.

Mary Walsh

Qualified Teacher

Mary studied at the Royal Academy of Dance headquarters in London and graduated with a BA (Hons) in Ballet Education. Whilst there she also completed the Licentiate of the RAD and, on successfully achieving her Advanced 2 exam, was awarded LRAD status as well as being invited to become an Associate of the RAD.

She started dancing with Corrib Dance Academy in Galway, Ireland, at a young age where she completed many ballet and modern exams as well as gaining performance experience. She was a founding member of Youth Ballet West as well as a member of the Irish National Youth Dance Company and was invited to perform as an apprentice dancer with professional company Cathy Sharpe Dance Ensemble in Switzerland and Chrysalis Dance, with whom she toured Ireland.

Since graduating, she has been invited to perform as a guest artist with Youth Ballet West and has worked as rehearsal assistant to the company as well as having toured Western Australia working with Perth City Ballet’s Be Active scheme, performing for children in under privileged schools to introduce them to dance.

Mary has taught Ballet and Contemporary dance in schools in Ireland, Germany, Australia, Scotland, Hong Kong, New Zealand and currently in England preparing students for performances, competitions, contemporary exams and RAD ballet exams. She has recently taken up a role at Elmhurst Ballet School, a vocational training school associated with Birmingham Royal Ballet, working on their Young Dancers programme and teaching the RAD vocational syllabus to the school’s full time students.

Joanne Rattray

Qualified Teacher

Joanne qualified as a Paediatric Nurse in 2001 with an Honours degree then went on to complete a Post Graduate Diploma in Health Visiting in 2007. She progressed to become a Health Visitor Practice Teacher and enjoyed a challenging and varied career in Paediatric and Primary healthcare in a Practice and teaching capacity working in the UK and Australia.

She qualified as an RAD teacher in 2015, uniting a lifetime passion for Dance and her skills and knowledge of children and their learning. She has attained grades in Modern and Tap Dance to Intermediate level and Ballet to Advanced 1. Joanne relishes the opportunities and enjoyment teaching Dance to children brings and thoroughly values her time at Fuchsia School of Dance.

Ellie Serridge

Qualified Teacher

Anna Papatheodorou

Qualified Teacher

Anna started dancing ballet at the age of 4 at XANTH, Thessaloniki, Greece. As she got older she continued her training in ballet and her love for dance grew, she started contemporary, Latin, Street and Traditional Greek Dance. From a young age she took part in contemporary and Hip- Hop competitions, gaining National awards.
Throughout college Anna found an interest in working with children and qualified as a nursery nurse assistant. On graduating college she relocated to the UK after growing up in Greece and gained a First Class Honours Degree in Dance from the University of Salford.

Over the years she has performed and worked with various artists such as Jamaal Burkmar, Company Chameleon and Bridget Fiske. In her final year of studies she was chosen to lead a team of dancers and musicians to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, were she performed and choreographed a multidisciplinary dance performance. After graduating she performed and choreographed alongside Coalesce Dance Theatre.

Anna is very passionate about teaching and loves to share her passion for dance. She has now paired her two interest of working with children and dance and is in her final year of a teaching course with the Royal Academy of Dance.