Principal: Debra Johnson L.I.S.T.D, ISTD Dip, AIDTA, Rambert Dip, ISTD CDE Ballet, Modern, Tap
Debra trained from the age of three at the Woodman School Canterbury achieving vocational status in RAD, ISTD, IDTA Ballet and ISTD, IDTA Modern and Tap.
She took her first teaching exam AIDTA Ballet at the age of sixteen with ‘Honors’ gaining a full scholarship to the Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance she was immediately to teach at the Rambert Junior School while studying for her Rambert Diploma.
Under her stage name of Carlie Johnson one of her first major roles was playing Fairy Queen/Princess in Charlie Drakes ‘Robinson Crusoe’ Debra has covered all aspects of show business in her professional career.
West End Credits: The Magic Touch – Cambridge Theatre, 42nd Street – Drury Lane, Dame Edna ‘Back with a Vengeance’ The Strand – UK Tour – Drury Lane Theatre. Royal Variety Show- Drury Lane.
T.V and Variety Credits: Night and Day Ballet- Belgium, The Krankie’s –UK tour, Follies Royal – Miami, Emu in Panto Land – Rod Hull, Palm Beach – Cannes’s, Lord Mayors Show- London. TV Dance troupes: Dougie Squires OBE- Second Generation, Cannon and Ball Dancers – Alan Harding, Body and Soul- Carole Todd. BBC Series Gilbert and Sullivan Opera’s – Terry Gilbert, Jasper Carrot – Night at the Palladium, Kenny Everett Show ITV, Derek Jamison ‘Tonight’ Sky TV- Sam Spencer Laine. Jonny Carson Awards – Miami. Various television shows for ZDF Germany, VRT Belgium, Dutch National, SIC Portugal. Trade shows include: BT, IBM, Kodak, Hair Shows, British Leyland, Rover, Hasbro, and Thorn. Commercials: Knoor’s Soup, Birds Eye, Sweeps’, The Sun, Seven-Up, and Prudential Insurance.
Teaching: After a long stage and television career Debra taught free lance for fifteen years. She studied her ISTD teaching qualifications at The Centre Performing Arts (Karen King and Gillian Knight) and the Deborah Capon College (Deborah Capon and Tereza Theodoulou) . She is proud to have trained and choreographed for students now at Vocational Dance College or performing professionally. Her students many of whom were male have won ISTD Janet Cram and Star Tap Awards, All England Finals and her all male Senior Troupe took 1st place at the All England Final–Peacock Theatre, London. Debra has choreographed shows locally for Canterbury and Herne Bay Operatic Society as well as further afield. Debra founded Next Generation Dance Studio in September 2010 in her home town of Canterbury. She feels privileged to have Dougie Squires OBE and Mary Woodman FISTD, ARAD, FIDTA as honorary patrons of the Next Generation Dance Studio.
Debra is always looking for new opportunities for pupils at NGDS and is proud to have two bespoke Studios in Canterbury for Next Generation Dance Studio pupils in which to train.