Our Royal Academy of Dance Certified Faculty
Experienced and Professionally Trained
Vivienne Lim, DBA (Switzerland) RAD RTS (UK)
Artistic Director
Dr. Vivienne’s journey is rooted in collaboration, cultural empathy, and a profound respect for heritage—values nurtured by institutions dedicated to excellence. Her foundational training at London’s Royal Academy of Dance instilled discipline through technical mastery, while mentors like Christine Neubert (Neubert Ballet Institute) and Valerie Taylor-Barnes (Royal Ballet School) deepened her belief in artistry as service to humanity.
These principles shaped her tenure leading Studio No. 1’s Dance Program in Los Angeles, where students earned commendable results at Royal Academy of Dance Examinations, placed at the Youth American Grand Prix, and secured scholarships to institutions including the Opéra de Paris, Royal Danish Ballet, and Royal Ballet School. She attributes these achievements to communal effort and mentorship, emphasizing her joy in working with children:
"The child is both a hope and a promise for mankind. To work with them is not just a duty, but a privilege—a chance to nurture the seeds of tomorrow’s humanity."— Maria Montessori
Her academic pursuits—a Global Doctorate in Business Administration (Geneva), studies at Oxford and New York University, and UN certifications in diplomacy and protocol—reflect a commitment to bridging educational and cultural divides. As Hawaiʻi’s first licensed etiquette consultant (trained at the UK’s IEPA and Switzerland’s Institut Villa Pierrefeu), she frames protocol as a language of cross-border respect. Recently appointed as a 2025 U.S. Youth Ambassador Mentor to Belize and a three-year Fulbright Scholar Specialist with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, she champions cultural understanding through exchange, whether teaching abroad or preserving classical ballet’s historical traditions.
Fifteen years ago, she founded the Royal Academy of Ballet, where technical rigor meets cultural preservation. Here, every plié and pirouette becomes a gesture of shared humanity, honoring traditions while fostering dialogue. To Dr. Vivienne, legacy lies not in accolades but in the poised artistry of students and communities who carry forward this vision—a quiet testament to empathy, collaboration, and the responsibility we hold to kindle light in others.
Gillian Davis ARAD (UK), RAD RTS (UK), RAD Dual Examiner (UK)
Board member Dance Masters of Florida (USA)
Guest Master Teacher
Gillian Davis was trained and danced professionally at the Royal Ballet, London, and with the Rhodesian National Ballet. She has directed and owned dance studios in Rhodesia, South Africa, and the USA and has taught at a renowned vocational school in England. She has been an examiner for the Royal Academy of Dance for 34 years, being the only Graded and Vocational Examiner in the USA and an R.A.D. Tutor. She has entered students for RAD examinations every year for 53 years.
Gillian has recently been a Life Member of the Royal Academy of Dance. Until opening her studio in Florida in 1995, Gillian was Director of Ballet Mississippi School and Youth Company and Assistant Ballet Mistress for their professional company. Following that, she taught at June Taylor's School of Dance and for the North West Dance Theater in Portland, Oregon, where she was also the Chairperson of the North-Western Regional Panel of the R.A.D.
She has choreographed for ballet companies, stage productions, musicals, and competitions, and her choreography has been selected for the Regional Ballet Association's South Easter Festival. She has been a faculty member of noted summer schools in the USA and abroad and is an instructor of teachers. Mrs. Davis was commissioned to direct and present a Gala Demonstration for more than 600 students from the age of 5 to the professional level at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre. Most summers, she travels to the Royal Academy of Dance and, in the past few years, has examined Thailand, Taiwan, China, Canada, Germany, and Bermuda, to name a few.
Ms. Gillian offers advanced classes at RAB to students preparing for the RAD exams. We are honored to have such a high-caliber teacher at RAB.
