ABOUT KIM BAKER
Kim Baker
Diploma in Dance Training, C.D.T.A. Classical Dance Teachers Association,
Certificate IV in Training and Assessment
Director and Principal Classical Teacher
As a talented young dancer, Kim was selected into a professional training course at age 12. During this time, she trained under various world renowned ballet, character and contemporary teachers, giving her a broad knowledge of the classical technique. Upon completion of her studies she was accepted into the WA Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA), Diploma of Dance Performance course.
In 1981 Kim accepted a contract with the Kinetikos Dance Theatre, where she danced professionally for 3 years. In 1982 she accepted a teaching position with a local school of ballet developing into one of Perth’s finest teachers of dance. As a teacher Kim studied with Laurel Martyn, founder of Classical Dance Teachers Australia and founding member of the Australian Ballet Company, who examined and accredited Kim with a teaching diploma.
Kim has also studied the RAD syllabus to advanced level, and the Marika Besobrasova and Vaganova methods to advanced levels. She has attended teacher training courses with Madame Marika Besobrasova, Carlos Gacio, Laurel Martyn, Eugence Valukin, Luba Gulyava, Yuri Basilkov, Jane Diamond, Joan Pope and Lubov Nikonorenko. Kim held the position of principal for 15 years with the Terri Charlesworth School of Ballet under the direction of Terri Charlesworth. She is also founder of Tiny Tots Ballet and the Kim Baker Ballet Academy, established 1990.
Many students that have trained under the direction of Kim are now dancing for companies in Australia and around the world.
MEET OUR TEAM!
Our teachers regularly attend teacher training sessions to ensure The Academy's curriculum is followed. Professional development days are held regularly. All class content, including exercises is discussed and concerns that have arisen during weekly classes are addressed.
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Tahlia Baker
Level 1 Certification in Progressing Ballet Technique
Diploma of Music Theatre, Diploma of Specialist Makeup Services
Head of Junior School, PBT Teacher
Tahlia Baker was born in Perth and commenced ballet training at 2 years old with her mother at Tiny Tots Ballet. At the age of 9 years Tahlia was accepted into a talented and gifted ballet program, which included Classical ballet, Character, Contemporary, Repertoire and Performance. At 13 years of age Tahlia transferred to Kim Baker Ballet Academy to continue her training, where she reached advanced levels in the Vaganova Ballet method and passed with Honours.
Tahlia is also passionate about singing and in 2006 earned a Diploma of Music Theatre. In 2010, Tahlia auditioned for the main character in the hit musical HAIRSPRAY and was chosen as the Perth finalist for the lead role to tour Australia.
Tahlia has completed her Certificate I in Childcare, and her love of children is evident in her teaching.
Tahlia is passionate about her teaching and educating the next generation of dancers with confidence and loves to help her students reach their full potential.
Helen Dwyer
Administration, FOH/BOH Performance Manager
Helen joined KBBA in 2004 as our Tiny Tots Assistant and has been an invaluable part of the academy ever since. When KBBA moved to the Walliston studio in 2005, Helen stepped into the role of Receptionist, before progressing to Administration Officer in 2006. From 2009 to 2021, she also shared her knowledge and enthusiasm as the senior theory teacher for our Specialist Level 2–6 students.
Deeply passionate about arts education and making live performance accessible to people of all ages, Helen followed her love for the arts by studying Arts Management at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts as a mature-age student.
As KBBA’s highly respected Office Manager, Helen wears many hats. Her role encompasses Administration duties, Accounts Officer responsibilities, as well as the smooth coordination of both Front of House and Back of House operations for all performances throughout the year. Her calm presence, exceptional organisation and dedication are central to the success of our academy.
Beyond KBBA, Helen brings a wealth of professional experience to the role through her “day job” as Education Manager at West Australian Opera.
Candice Adea
Bachelor of Arts Dance
Senior Classical and Contemporary Teacher
Candice Adea is a former Soloist Ballerina with the West Australian Ballet Company, recently retiring at the end of 2024.Candice was also the first Filipina to win at the Helsinki International Ballet Competition taking 1st Place, Senior Women’s Division in 2012 and won a Silver Medal at the USA International Ballet Competition in the Senior Women’s Division in 2010.
Adding more achievements to her name, she was awarded by Gawad Buhay as Outstanding Female Lead Performer twice for her work in Amada (2009) and September Gala (2010), as well as two special awards at the Boston International Ballet Competition in 2011—the Maris Liepa Award for Outstanding Artistry and Lead Role in a Russian Ballet performance.
Candice has coached and mentored students internationally and in Australia, including in Japan, Hong Kong, Australia and the Philippines.
Candice was trained in the Philippines at the CCP Dance School, the Philippine High School for the Arts, and earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree Major in Dance, from De La Salle—College of Saint Benilde.
Candice has previously been Principal Dancer and Resident Guest Artist for Ballet Philippines, Soloist for Hong Kong Ballet and joined West Australian Ballet in July 2018.
We are very excited to have Candice join our esteemed faculty in 2025.
Lauren Kelly
Junior Teacher
Lauren has had a passion for dance since she was very young, and at age six began her dance training with Brian Hewiti, ARAD. M.B.B.O. Adv. Dip PDTC. She then continued her ballet classes with Kim Baker at the Terri Charlesworth School of Ballet.
Being exceptionally talented she was accepted into the elite full-time programme at Swanbourne SHS at 12 years of age. Lauren has undertaken classes with many world-renowned teachers including, Joan Pope OAM, Terri Charlesworth CitWA, Luba Nikonorenko from the Kirov ballet and many other leading dance tutors. Her studies encompassed many styles
including Classical Ballet, Character Dance, Contemporary and many theoretical dance subjects.
During her training in the mid 1990’s Lauren was also selected to perform in many productions including Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker and the spectacular Gala performance “Stars of World Ballet” at the Burswood Theatre. She was very fortunate to perform alongside and learn from ballet principals such as Sian Stokes, Steven Heathcote, Jacinta Ross, Alan Alder and Jayne Smeulders.
Lauren’s dance teaching experience spans a varied age group from two to 18 years of age with various ballet schools throughout Perth. Lauren keeps busy with two young children of her own and has also been able to established herself as a very popular and experienced dance teacher over the years. Lauren is beginning her journey with us by commencing her Certificate IV in Dance Teaching through our RTO Empowerdance and Kim Baker Ballet Academy. KBBA are excited and delighted to have Lauren and all of her wonderful experience, passion and dedication join our team in 2021.
Junior Assistant Teacher, Choreographer
Thalia Munyard BA Dance (WAAPA)
Thalia was born and raised in Perth and commenced her ballet training at age 3 with the Kim Baker Ballet Academy, where at the age of 9yrs she was accepted into the Specialist Course. Upon her graduation from KBBA in 2016, she gained a position with the National College of Dance in Newcastle, where she gained her Diploma of Dance. In 2017 she continued her training at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts where she trained for 2 years, gaining her Advanced Diploma and finishing with a Bachelor of Arts (Dance). Over the years Thalia has worked with many esteemed choreographers and teachers including Kim McCarthy, Kim Baker, Jacinta Ross-Elhers, Danielle Hunt, Daniel Roberts and Sasha Janes to name but a few. In 2019, Thalia was also lucky enough to be a choreographer for the student work season of Unleash at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts. We are very excited to have Thalia teaching for us in 2022.
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Tristan Nottle
Diploma of Pilates Movement Therapy, Certification in Level 1 Progressing Ballet Technique
Full time/ Senior students Pilates Instructor
Tristan Nottle is the owner at Belara Springs Pilates Studio in Bickley Valley. After many years of ballet training, locally with Anthony McDonald, Shelley Rae and Renate Cumalkovs, and in Sydney Ecole Classique and the Australian Ballet School in Melbourne, Tristan danced with a range of companies on the East coast including the NSW Ballet Company and the Australian Opera Ballet. He began teaching Pilates in 1998 after sustaining an extensive injury early in his dance career, but still managed to squeeze in around 80 performances at the Sydney Opera House in that time. He used Pilates to recover from his injury which led to his passion for anatomy and the Pilates technique. He has taught Pilates extensively to select dancers from the Australian Ballet, the Sydney Dance Company, and the West Australian Ballet. Focusing from general strength and technique work, to injury management and rehabilitation.
Tristan is very passionate about The Pilates Method, and especially the edge it can give to dancers, strengthening and improving technique and alignment, posture and flexibility. He has been with KBBA since 2012 and we are very fortunate to have him.
Jeremy Gates Former Professional Dancer
Specialist Classical Teacher & Pas De Deux Coach
Jeremy commenced his dance training with Tanya Pearson in Sydney Australia. He went on to successfully audition for Mannheim Academy of Dance in Germany, where he was trained in the Russian Vaganova technique under the tutelage of world-renowned Principal dancers Vladimir Klos and Prof. Bridgit Keil. Here Jeremy trained in Classical ballet, Pas de deux, Contemporary, Character, Vaganova Pedagogy, Stagecraft, Repertoire, Character and German language.
At the age of 21, Jeremy received a soloist position with the Thuringian State Ballet Company, where he went on to dance Principal roles in Romeo and Juliet, Swan Lake, Cinderella and more. He also danced in musicals such as Fiddler on the Roof, The Merry Widow, Jekyll and Hyde to name a few.
After sustaining a career ending back injury, Jeremy began teaching with Tanya Pearson Academy, Ev and Bow, Allegria and Brent Street to name a few. He has also taken boys classes and boys summer series with Adam Bull (former Australian Ballet Principal dancer) and has been the Rehearsal Director for Ballet Blanc. As a teacher, Jeremy strives to inspire, motivate and educate his students, and he provides an active learning environment where his students feel excited, challenged and supported. Jeremy teaches the Vaganova method, RAD, repertoire, stretch and strength and pas de deux. Above all else, Jeremy aims to develop the individuals in his class as people with self-belief, optimism, a good work ethic, kindness and integrity.
After recently moving to Perth, Jeremy has wanted to share his love of dance and teaching with the schools here, and we are very fortunate to have him join KBBA in 2026 to teach our Specialist students.
Darcy Greenwood Advanced Diploma Dance
Pas de Deux Classical & Conditioning teacher
Darcy is in his third year of ballet training at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA), where he has already completed his Diploma and Advanced Diploma in Dance. During his time at WAAPA, he has performed excerpts from iconic ballets, including Coppélia, Giselle, Swan Lake, and most recently, The Nutcracker at the Heath Ledger Theatre. Additionally, Darcy has showcased his versatility by performing in neo classical works choreographed by Lauren Murray and Yuiko Masukawa. Beyond WAAPA, Darcy took on the role of Mercutio in Perth City Ballet’s production of Romeo and Juliet. Prior to his time at WAAPA, he trained as a specialist student at the Kim Baker Ballet Academy (KBBA) for five years, earning his Certificate II and III in Dance. During this period, he was also selected for the West Australian Ballet Masterclass Program in both 2020 and 2022. Darcy is known for his bubbly, warm energy and his passion for dance and performance. He loves sharing his enthusiasm and experience with KBBA students, inspiring them to embrace the joy of movement and storytelling through dance. We are very fortunate to have Darcy teach again at KBBA this year.
Ciaira Dunbar
Full Time Jazz Teacher
Ciaira is an award-winning commercial dancer and educator, holding a CSTD Teaching
Diploma in Dance and a Teachers Aid Diploma in Education.
Her dance journey spans over two decades, beginning with her classical ballet training at the Kim Baker Ballet Academy and later theatrical training under the expert guidance of Debra McCulloch Dance Academy (CSTD), where she trained for 22 years.
Ciaira has successfully completed all CSTD exams in jazz, tap, and ballet, including the
prestigious Blue Sash stage exam and the invitation-only Premier Danseur ballet exam.
Throughout her time at DMDA, she honed her teaching and choreography skills, working
with students of all levels and creating competition pieces for soloists and troupes.
Her career has seen her teach both examination and recreational dance classes at numerous schools across Perth, perform at conventions and corporate events, and compete in various competitions. Ciaira’s performance credits include collaborations with the West Australian Ballet Company, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Alice in Wonderland (Asia), and appearances at iconic venues such as Disneyland, Universal Studios, and Hollywood Boulevard.
Ciaira is passionate about inspiring the next generation of dancers. Her ultimate goal is to
share her wealth of knowledge and foster a love of dance, helping students achieve their
dreams and reach their full potential.
We are thrilled to welcome Ciaira to our Full-Time teaching faculty in 2025!
CSTD Diploma in Dance Teaching, Teachers Aid Dip Ed
Laura Stump Diploma of Professional Dance
Junior Classical & Intermediate Contemporary Teacher
Laura is in her second year at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA), pursuing an Advanced Diploma of Professional Dance. She successfully completed her Diploma of Professional Dance at WAA PA the previous year. A dedicated student of the Kim Baker Ballet Academy (KBBA) for 14 years, Laura graduated from the academy’s Specialist Course in 2023 with Honours. During her time at KBBA, she earned numerous awards recognizing her exceptional talent and commitment, including the Jacinta Ross-Ehlers Award, the Examiner’s Choice Award, and the Student Choreography Award. Additionally, she completed her Certificate II and III in Dance and her Certificate III in Assistant Dance Teaching. While in her first year at WAAPA, Laura was also a part of the West Australian Ballet (WAB) Masterclass Pro gram, which she had participated in for several years during her time at KBBA. She was privileged to perform alongside Floeur Alder in PRIMA at the WA Museum, a highlight of her early career. This year, Laura is thrilled to return to KBBA as a teacher. She is teaching Level 1 and Level 2 Contemporary classes, as well as assisting with junior school classical ballet classes on Saturday mornings. Her warmth, passion, and dedication make her a beloved member of the KBBA community. Laura is excited to share her love for dance with the next generation of KBBA students and inspire them to achieve their best.
Ash Berry
Bachelor of Arts (Dance Performance); Bachelor of Arts, Honours, Dance; Integrated Diploma of Contemporary Pilates, Pilates
Contemporary Teacher (Relief)
Ash attended ballet classes from the age of five and continued her dance training for another 16 years, completing her Honours in Dance at WAAPA in 2009. After graduation, she worked as a dancer, choreographer and teacher throughout Australia, Europe and the UK.
Whilst in London she was introduced to her now husband, Rob Carruthers, and with him, the wonderful world of Pilates! In 2016, she moved to Melbourne and completed her comprehensive Pilates training with Tensegrity Training under mentor Bruce Hildebrand. A year later she founded Movementality with Rob and they took over Bruce’s flagship studio in Richmond, which they went on to run successfully for another 7 years. Ash has also completed her Graduate Diploma for Clinical Somatics and is a trained Dance Movement Therapist (DTAA Prov, Prof.).
During her time as director of Movementality, Ash launched Movers & Shakers, a workshop series for Pilates practitioners which is now a nationwide program, as well as presented many workshops externally for companies including Microsoft, Myotherapy Association Australia, Pilates Teachers Network Virtual Pilates Summit and Tensegrity Training to name a few. She joined the Australian Ballet School’s Health Team as a conditioning specialist in 2021 and gave birth to her first child Darcey later that year.
In 2024, Ash and Rob made the difficult decision to pack up their lives and their business and relocate from Melbourne to Perth so that they could be closer to Ash’s family as their own family grew.
Ash blends her dance knowledge from working in her own body for 30 years, with her Pilates and Somatic Movement Therapy training to facilitate sessions for people that tackle chronic pain, injury rehabilitation, nervous system regulation and profound physical and emotional healing through movement. She is really excited to be joining the KBBA team again after 12 years away and returning to her dance roots.
Gennaro Di Donna B Mus (S.Pietro a Majella, Naples and Conservatorio di Musica di Salerno)
Pianist and Music Teacher
Gennaro Di Donna is one of Western Australia’s most accomplished pianists for ballet classes. He currently works full-time for the WA Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) as Music Repetiteur in the Dance Department where his duties include playing for classes, organising other pianists, setting the repertoire, teaching music theory and the relationship between music and dance, and arranging and playing for performances. Gennaro hails from Naples in Italy where he started learning piano at the age of 6. At 15, he entered the Naples
Conservatorium where he studied for 10 years, and graduated with a BA in music in 1990. He then taught music in primary schools for three years, after
which he joined a Mediterranean ship cruise company as Artistic Director. His duties included organising musicians for various bands and arranging the music for shows, which sometimes included ballet and contemporary dance. After seven years of sailing the seven seas and visiting some of the world’s most exotic places, Gennaro decided to change tack and head for Perth, after meeting his future wife Cristina, a dancer and choreographer on the ships, who hailed from WA.In Perth, Gennaro has worked for the West Australian Ballet Company and WAAPA. He has also played for the Australian Ballet School, the New Zealand Ballet and the Australian Company of Performing Arts in Adelaide. He joined WAAPA in 2006 before being appointed to his present position. The Kim Baker Ballet Academy very fortunately had Gennaro join as Pianist in 2014, and each week he plays for the Specialist Students Classical class and teaches music theory for dancers. He also plays for the Kim Baker Ballet Academy Examinations and various functions throughout the year.
