This week we had the pleasure of welcome Penny Suzanne Wood to the team as our choreographer for Fashion Bites Back. Originally from Featherstone, West Yorkshire, Penny started her athletic and creative life at the age of 4 as a competitive gymnast. It was in 1989 she began to compete at a national level & did so for over 10 years.
Penny then changed her focus to The performing Arts. After studying it at school and college she took the next step into the dancing world where she auditioned and earned a place at the prestigious ‘Laban’ a contemporary dance school in London. Whilst there worked with Lea Anderson, Wayne McGregor & Random dance Company to name but a few and majored in choreography and dance film production.
Since leaving Laban Penny has expanded her horizons and style performing in London as part of commercial girl band Princess and dancing and modelling for artists such as Five, John Maobi, Ministry of Sound, Little Man Tate & Jade Jones as well as choreographing several dance films and projects in her own right
In 2007 she moved out to Sydney Australia to continue her career, dancing for the DIVA awards and working closely with the dancers and choreographers of the Australian ‘So you think you can dance’ including Hip/Hop masters Tabitha & Napoleon, Jesse Rasmussen & Gillian Myers. It was also whilst in Australia that she found a bigger passion and love for modelling and was published in several magazines along with doing successful TV commercials & runway events.
Throughout her time since leaving Laban she has also Choreographed & Modelled for a whole host of different events and has taught in many dance schools in both London, Sydney & Leeds.
She recently went through to the Miss Universe Great Britain finals where over £30,000 was raised for charity.
As well as being an accomplished performer, choreographer and model in many fields Penny is currently working as a successful Body Piercing Artist. She is also very passionate about getting back into the vocal side of her talent so that will be something to watch out over the coming year.
At 26 years of age Penny believes she will still be creating new work and expanding her creative mind for many many years and always looks forward to new prospects and the opportunity to work with more inspiring talents and artists.