Clea Chapman

Clea began her dance training at a young age in Australia before moving to Newfoundland, where she continued her studies at Sorensen School of Dance. She trained in ballet, modern, tap and jazz funk, and later began teaching at the studio. During her training, Clea completed numerous vocational examinations including Advanced 1 Cecchetti Ballet (2015) and Advanced 2 ISTD Modern Theatre (2017).

In both 2013 and 2017, Clea was awarded the Dance Teachers' Association of Newfoundland’s Aspire Scholarship. She used the 2013 scholarship to attend the Cecchetti Canada Summer Student Course in Toronto, Ontario and the 2017 scholarship to pursue further teacher training at Canada’s National Ballet School (NBS).

Clea moved to Toronto in 2017 to complete the three-year Teacher Training Diploma Program at NBS. While there, she studied Cecchetti Ballet, Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) Ballet, NBS Ballet, Creative Dance for Young Children, National Dance, Character, Modern and Gaga, and completed numerous vocational and teaching examinations including Advanced 2 National Dance. She was also awarded her ISTD National Dance Associate (2019) and Associate Diploma (2020) as well as her Cecchetti Ballet Associate (CC-CIBC, 2020).

IN 2020, Clea returned to Newfoundland and rejoined Sorensen’s teaching team. Clea continues to pursue professional development in a variety of dance methodologies, including obtaining her Associate Diploma in Cecchetti Ballet (CC-CIBC) in 2024. She has since completed her Progressing Ballet Technique Level 1 (2025) and Progressing Contemporary Technique (2026) Certification and attaining her RAD Registered Teaching Status (RAD RTS, 2026). In July 2025 she attended the Cecchetti Canada National Summer Teachers’ Conference in Edmonton, Alberta.

Since 2021, Clea has choreographed for Sorensen’s competitive team, earning Judges’ Choice and Choreography Awards for her work. Most recently, The Flower Garden won the Junior Division Showdown at Wanna Dance Canada (2026), white Time claimed the Junior Division Dance-Off title at Karv Dance Challenge (2026).

As a teacher, Clea strives to build strong technical foundations while nurturing artistry, confidence and creativity. She hopes to inspire her students to develop a lifelong love of dance, while gaining valuable skills that extend beyond the studio.

Photo: Trevor Wragg