Ethnic heritage: Black British (Guyanese parents)
Year of birth: 1954
Training: Royal Ballet Upper School, 1970
Ballet career: Brenda Garratt-Glassman, the first black female student at the Royal Ballet Upper School, where she studied from 1970 to 1972. On completing her training, Garratt-Glassman joined Dance Theatre of Harlem and became a Soloist in the company from 1973-1977.
After an illustrious career in ballet and theatre in the US and the UK, Garratt-Glassman took over the Joyce Butler School of Dance in West London with Vanessa Hoskins-McTaggart. She was the first Black British teacher to teach on the Royal Ballet’s outreach programme Chance to Dance in 1991.
Dance career: Garratt-Glassman performed in television series, Dance in America and has performed on Broadway in Daddy Goodness musical; and starred in films including The Wiz and Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom (scene featuring tap). She danced Principal roles of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of Kiss me Kate and Mutiny on the Bounty in the West End.
Her television performances include Channel 4’s Streets Ahead, Tangos and Rags, presenting on BBC TV’s Umbrella, among others. Garratt-Glassman is currently a Senior Assessor for Trinity College London in Dance, Musician Theatre, she is also an Assessor for the Council of Dance Drama and Musical Theatre.
“No matter what anyone says, know your worth. You are already enough.”