The Ballet Centre was formed in 1988 by Norma Spence, to teach ballet at the semi-professional level. Through The Ballet Centre, Norma gives her students a chance to attain a level of proficiency that is comparable to students in similar programmes in any part of the world. Norma has also been able to reach out to many children of talent who cannot afford to pay fees or buy the necessary apparel by the awarding of free places at The Ballet Centre.
Prior to forming The Ballet Centre, Norma owned her own studio which merged with another studio, they were known as The Rowe-Spence Ballet Studio. For several years Norma entered students for the Royal Academy of Dance Children's examinations and also major examinations, with great success. During this time Norma also formed the first Amateur Classical Ballet Company in Jamaica. She choreographed two major full length Ballets that use reggae in one instance and classical music in the other. Norma has taught at various schools at home and abroad, and was an examiner of final year students at The Jamaica School of Dance.
Norma Spence now brings to The Ballet Centre years of experience as a choreographer and teacher. She had the privilege of studying with some of the teachers of The Royal Academy of Dancing, notably Ruth French, Phyllis Bedellis, Bette Davis and others, and is now happy to be in her homeland sharing her expertise with the students of The Ballet Centre. Greatly influenced by Andrew Harding and Katie Crofton, Norma has created and focuses on an intensive programme for Special Students at The Ballet Centre and is currently working on another ballet with a strong Jamaican theme.