ELITE TEAM
KAREN BEUKES
Director, Ballet Mistress
Karen joined PACT Ballet in Pretoria in 1991 as an aspirant and won the Madge Cade Award for the most promising beginner. At PACT, she quickly rose through the ranks to achieve Principal dancer status. Karen was one of the six founding members of The South African Ballet Theatre.
On September 14th 2006, after a long and successful career as one of South Africa's best loved Ballerinas, Karen retired from state performance and announced her promotion to Artistic Director for The South African Ballet Theatre. In 2008, after the birth of her first child Grace, she resigned from the SABT. Karen is now the Principal and Ballet Mistress at Elite, where she is passionate about training young students who aspire to enter into a career of dance.
LEANNE BOWRING
Modern Teacher
Leanne Bowring teaches modern dance at Elite which includes contemporary and jazz as well as AIDT syllabus work and exams. Leanne co-owns the BOWRING LEVIN SCHOOL OF DANCE in Rivonia, Johannesburg. This school has been going strong for over 25 years, producing top quality dancers who have gone on to pursue careers in dance in South Africa and abroad.
Leanne, a former member of Adele Blanks’ FREE FLIGHT DANCE COMPANY and Debbie Rakusins’ ONE UP ON JAZZ DANCE COMPANY is an award-winning choreographer and founded the BOWRING LEVIN DANCE COMPANY.
Leanne has produced and choreographed many stage productions such as; THE FIVE SENSES, THE DANCE GALLERY, ELEMENTS, LET THE GAME’S BEGIN, CIRQUE DU DANCE, DANCE AHOY, MOVIE SPECTACULAR, THE WIZ, BROADWAY MAGIC and STORYBOOK MASH-UP.
Leanne has taken competition dance teams to compete, highy successfully, in the IDO Dance World Championships in Germany and Poland, as well as the American Dance Awards in New York and Miami. In 2017, Leanne’s student won Female championship winner of the world, beating 24 other countries to achieve this coveted title.
JANINE DU PLESSIS
Junior Ballet Teacher
After attaining a National Diploma in Ballet, Janine qualified as a Royal Academy of Dance teacher by completing the RAD Teaching Certificate. In, 1997, she opened a Ballet Academy in Bryanston and so started her teaching career.
In 2011, after the birth
of her second child, Emily, she sold her school with the intention of being a stay at home mom. In 2013 what was to be a couple of weeks of relief teaching ended up being a long term teaching position, which is how Janine dusted off her teaching shoes again.
It is a privilege and great joy for Janine to teach the young dancers at Elite.
HANNAH SCOTT
Junior Ballet Teacher
I am an 18 year old student at Elite College of Excellence , currently learning and studying the Elite Methodology as well as teaching some of the students. I aim to put what I learn into practice not only on my own body but also making a positive difference on the minds and bodies of the students.
MELODY MAVHENYENGWA
Foundation Phase Assistant
Melody started working at ELITE in 2015 and was soon promoted to Foundation Phase Assistant due to her gentle and loving nature and her interest in being more involved in the classroom. Her passion for the children is rare. She looks after them and cares for all their needs, taking care of their lunches and clothes and protecting them. Melody is a valuable assistant to our teachers and an asset to our school.