From her very first dance class at seven years of age - when a choice of either corrective orthopaedic boots or ballet lessons thankfully went the less cumbersome way - to her recent productions of Oliver! and The Full Monty (the Queensland premiere), Susan Gillingham has had a passion for performance.

Susan has been involved in performing arts in Brisbane for 25 years. She has choreographed stage performances for stage, film and musical theatre, for dancers and non-dancers. She was choreographer and co-director of Lickety-Split's inaugural production, The Full Monty.

She is currently Dance Director at Studio One School of Dancing, Fortitude Valley, Brisbane, where she has been teaching ballroom and Latin dance for 14 years. She has taught countless dance enthusiasts, including choreographing, and performing in, showcase and medal routines for her students.

Susan's dance repertoire includes classical ballet, tap, jazz, flamenco, Middle Eastern dance, rhythmic gymnastics and, of course, ballroom, Latin and theatre dance.

Susan's secret other life is as a mathematician: she has a Master of Science from Oxford University in the foundations of mathematics and computer science. She represented Oxford University in Dancesport - on one of Britain's most successful university teams - for which she received a University Half-Blue. In Oxford, she matriculated at Brasenose College, and has always been delighted to have been at an institution named after its door-knocker.

As a director of Lickety-Split Productions Pty Ltd, Susan choreographed the company's inaugural production of The Full Monty at the Cremorne Theatre, QPAC, Brisbane, in October 2006. With the future of the Schonell Theatre in doubt, and homes for quality theatre companies in short supply, Susan sees Lickety-Split Productions as being able to fill the gap in mainstream theatre production in Brisbane.