Julie Symmonds is a teaching artist and Dance for PD Certified Teacher working in Scotland. She was the founder and Director of Turning Steps Studio established in 1997 in Somerset West, South Africa.

She began dancing at the age of five years old and continued throughout her schooling career. Julie opened her studio after completing the 3 year Diploma in Dance at the University of Cape Town in 1996 under the expert guidance of Professor Elizabeth Triegaardt. Upon graduation Julie received “The Teacher of the Year Award”, and was awarded the “Sheila Chisholm Medal for Personal Achievement” as well as the Drama prize for outstanding Theatre Performance. Julie has been teaching classical ballet and tap for nearly 20 years, and she is a registered teacher with both the Royal Academy of Dance, and Theatre Dance Association. Julie completed the Introductory Workshop for PD in New York in 2015, after a grandmother of one of her pupils at her ballet studio asked her to look into the Dance for Parkinson’s Program.

Julie is a teaching artist for Scottish Ballet and Dance Base Dance for Parkinson’s classes and a Dance for PD lead trainer.