Meet the Team | Ballet.Culture

Our Team

Dedication. Expertise. Passion.

At Ballet.Culture, our teaching team is a community of dedicated educators who share a love for dance and a commitment to every dancer’s journey.

Together, we bring a wide range of experience, creativity, and teaching styles, united by the belief that dance is for everyone.

We are proud to welcome dancers of all backgrounds, abilities, and experiences. Our classes are designed to be a safe, inclusive space where every dancer feels respected, valued, and inspired to shine.

Our teaching philosophy balances technical excellence with encouragement, artistry with joy, and discipline with kindness. What makes our team special is the way we work together—supporting one another, celebrating each dancer’s unique strengths, and fostering a culture where students of all ages and abilities can flourish.

As a team, we are passionate about guiding our dancers not only in their training, but also in developing confidence, resilience, and a lifelong love of movement.

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Suzanne Franken

Founder

Teacher | Ballet | Pointe | Modern | Contemporary

Suzanne is the extreme Ballet enthusiast behind Ballet.Culture.

At the age of 4, Suzanne attended her first Ballet lesson. This was where her dream of becoming a Ballet Teacher began.

In July 2019, Suzanne founded Ballet.Culture. Her aim was to create an environment that welcomes people from all backgrounds to learn thewonderful benefits of Ballet, in an empowering and fun way.

Suzanne is a qualified Ballet teacher with The Imperial Classical Ballet (ISTD), but also has a working knowledge of the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) syllabus and is a registered teacher with BBO (British Ballet Organization). She uses her experience to create and choreograph classes that reflect technique, poise and passion.

Suzanne's qualifications go beyond Ballet, as she is also a qualified Early Childhood Teacher. This provides her with the knowledge to guide her students and encourage movements beneficial for their development.

When Suzanne is not teaching, she is mum to two children. Willa (12) and Esca (9). They make sure she stays grounded and motivate her daily to achieve her dreams.

Vicki Whalley

Teacher | Ballet

Vicki has been a cherished member of the Ballet.Culture community since the very beginning. She began her ballet journey at the age of four and completed all RAD Grade and Major examinations before leaving home at 18. With extensive experience in Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) and BBO examinations.

Vicki brings a strong technical foundation and a clear understanding of how to nurture dancers preparing for exams.

Her teaching blends discipline with warmth, creating a supportive and encouraging environment where students can grow in confidence and skill. Known for her attention to detail and passion for classical ballet, Vicki has also guided her daughter, Quinn, through multiple BBO exams, all with distinction. Above all, she inspires her students to love dance while building strong, technically proficient foundations.

Vicki will be teaching all Exam casses.

Minja van der Paard

Teacher | Ballet

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.

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

Aisha Bellamy

Teacher | Ballet & Modern

Aisha’s love of dance blossomed at just three years old. Originally from the UK, she is RAD trained in classical ballet, modern, and tap, and performed with The English Youth Ballet in 2013.

At sixteen, Aisha deepened her passion for performance through Performing Arts studies and later earned a BA (Hons) in Professional Musicianship.

Though life has taken her on many creative paths, ballet has always been her true home. She returned to the studio in 2023 as an adult student here at Ballet Culture—and now she’s stepping into a teaching role with so much heart.

Aisha is passionate about sharing the joy of movement and inspiring the next generation of dancers, just as she was inspired as a little girl.

Aisha will be teaching all our Arataki classes.

Lesh Brown

Teacher | Tap, Ballet & Modern

Lesh began dancing at age 7 with American Jazz and Ballet, later expanding into Tap and Hip Hop. She took up Contemporary Dance at 18 and even performed as a cheerleader during the Rugby World Cup in Hamilton.

Over the past six years, Lesh has focused on Ballet and found new joy in teaching Tap and choreography through Ballet.Culture.

With a background in Early Childhood Education and a deep understanding of developmental movement, Lesh brings both passion and expertise to her teaching. She now balances family life and a home business, while introducing her daughter to the world of dance.

Lesh is currently on maternity leave.