Our Dance Teachers

Marie Gratton (Beazley) AISTD/ DDI/DDE is the founder and principal of Dance Sensation School of Performing Arts. Founded in 2005, the school has rapidly grown with over 200 students currently attending. Specialising in ISTD Ballet, Modern, Tap, Jazz and Musical Theatre taught by an ISTD qualified teacher.

Marie trained at Redroofs Theatre School in Maidenhead and then went on to further her training at Doreen Bird College in London.

Marie worked in many professional shows including Grease, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Piazza dancer at Alton Towers and danced in the show Spirit of the Dance where she toured Far East Asia and Europe. She then worked for 3 years on cruise ships with Thomson, P&O and Festival cruises.

Marie has taught for many years at private schools and for other principals and in 2005, she decided to fulfil her dream and start her own dance school.

Dance Sensation started with 5 children and now we have over 200 students whom attend Dance Sensation. Marie absolutely loves her job and is incredibly passionate about what she teaches. It’s also very important that dancing is taught by a fully qualified dance teacher who understands the body and teaches dance in a safe environment.

Marie is a fully qualified Imperial Ballet, ISTD Modern and Tap teacher and is very proud of her qualifications. We are an exam based school where the children get to take exams in all 3 genres and we also perform yearly shows

Shannon started dancing at the age of 8 at Dance Sensation and was trained by Miss Marie, focusing primarily on ISTD dance examinations and performing in multiple musical and dance shows throughout the years.

She then went on to train professionally at London Studio Centre for their Theatre Dance degree course in which she graduated in 2018 with a focus in musical theatre.

During her degree course, Shannon performed as Elle Woods in Legally Blonde, Martha in Spring Awakening and ensemble/dance roles in The Witches of Eastwick, Little Shop of Horrors and Cabaret.

Since graduating, she performed at various venues within London as a dancer, and modelled for numerous styled shoots before pursuing a career in teaching. Alongside teaching dance and musical theatre, Shannon works in a Primary School during the week and is a fully qualified ISTD DDE Modern Teacher.

Shannon is super excited to be joining the Dance Sensation team and we are so glad to have her back.