FOUNDER | OWNER | TEACHER

Suzanne

Suzanne, the passionate visionary behind Ballet.Culture, discovered her love for ballet at the age of four, setting the stage for her lifelong journey to become a dedicated ballet teacher.

In July 2019, Suzanne founded Ballet.Culture with a mission to create an inclusive and welcoming space where people from all walks of life could experience the many transformative benefits of ballet—empowering, enriching, and joyful.

A qualified ballet instructor certified by The Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD), Suzanne also holds a strong understanding of the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) syllabus and is a registered teacher with the British Ballet Organization (BBO). With her extensive expertise, she designs and choreographs classes that blend technical precision with grace and passion.

In addition to her ballet qualifications, Suzanne is a certified Early Childhood Teacher, enabling her to guide students through movements that support their holistic growth and development.

When she's not sharing her ballet expertise, Suzanne is a devoted mother to her two children, Willa (12) and Esca (8), who provide her with daily inspiration and grounding.

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Suzanne oversees all ballet classes in Otumoetai and Arataki, and manages the administrative and planning aspects of Ballet.Culture with meticulous care, ensuring the studio remains a place of growth, joy, and creativity for all.

TEACHER

Lesh

Lesh began her dance journey at the age of 7, starting with American Jazz and Ballet, and later exploring American Tap and Hip Hop. At 18, she discovered a love for Contemporary Dance, which she continued until moving to Hamilton for university. While in Hamilton, Lesh had the incredible opportunity to cheer for the All Blacks during the Rugby World Cup.

For the past six years, Lesh has focused primarily on Ballet (as part of her personal dance journey), achieving many of her goals through Ballet.Culture. She is particularly passionate about sharing her love for Tap and choreography with her students.

In addition to her dance expertise, Lesh has several years of experience as an Early Childhood Education Teacher, giving her a deep understanding of children's developmental milestones and the importance of using dance to encourage movement and growth. Recently, Lesh has shifted her focus to her family business, working from home while introducing her 4-year-old daughter to the world of dance through Tap and Ballet lessons with Suzanne.

Lesh teaches all Tap, Modern Dance (Otumoetai) and Adult Open Dance classes at Ballet.Culture, sharing her expertise and enthusiasm with students of all ages.

TEACHER

Minja

Born and raised in Berlin, Germany, Minja began dancing at the age of 5 and pursued ballet at a semi-professional level until she was 17. During these formative years, she had the privilege of performing as a child extra in numerous ballet productions at the German Opera of Berlin, including Cinderella and The Nutcracker. These experiences deepened her love and admiration for ballet and the art form as a whole.

Though Minja continued to take ballet classes sporadically throughout her adult life, her passion for dance remained unwavering.

In 2014, Minja moved to New Zealand and found a new home and community in Tauranga. In 2022, she reconnected with her lifelong passion for ballet by joining Ballet.Culture as a student.

In 2024, Minja expressed a desire to share her passion for ballet through teaching, and since then, she has been imparting her knowledge and expertise to Ballet.Culture students, inspiring them with her love for the art form.

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Minja will be teaching all Ballet classes at our Maungatapu location and will also serve as a substitute teacher when Suzanne is unavailable.