History
ABOUT MARY
Mary is the founder and former artistic director of Woodbury Dance Studio.
Mary Griffiths MA (Oxon), BSc (Hons), MSc (Merit), Cert. Ed. Admin. HKU, Adv. Dip. Inst. of Chor., Reg. Teacher of the RAD, A.R.A.D. Founding Director Hong Kong Ballet & HK Ballet Education Unit Founding Principal: HK Academy of Ballet, Former Principal Dancer: HK Ballet
Mary Griffiths was a scholar of the Royal Academy of Dancing and a senior student at the Royal Ballet School. She then read for a degree in mathematics at Oxford University. After graduating she taught maths at Oxford High School and Benenden School before going to Hong Kong with her husband.
In 1979 she became the founding Artistic Director of The Hong Kong Ballet, now an internationally recognised company. After several years as artistic director and principal dancer specialising in dramatic roles, she studied Benesh notation at the Institute of Choreology, London. She was then appointed Administrator of the Hong Kong Ballet and established its educational unit in 1986.
During her time as Head of Mathematics at The Chinese International School, she set up The Mary Griffiths School of Dance in Hong Kong, establishing a dance team which toured Hong Kong, Korea and Taiwan
In 1994 Mary took her RAD teacher's certificate with Distinction. She settled in Woodbury in July 1995, and the ballet school was started in September of that year. In 2012 she was awarded a first class honours degree in mathematics from the Open University and in 2016 she gained an MSc.
ABOUT DOROTA
Following Mary Griffiths' retirement, Frankie and Dottie took over the Ballet School.
Dorota Markham, known as ‘Dottie’ was born in Lublin, Poland and started ballet at the age of 10 years, having attended gymnastics classes from the age of 8 years. She quickly fell in love with ballet, training at Spoteczne Ognisko baletowe until the age of 18. Dottie then went to university to study Philosophy having achieved her matura (equivalent to A levels) in Polish, English and History. In 2003 Dottie attended Kunming Dance School a ballet school in Yunnan in China for 6 months. This was an exciting and inspiring experience. Ballet, as always, was taught using French terminology so this felt familiar and reassuring!
Dorota moved to England in 2004. Dottie joined ballet lessons with her daughter, Amelia, in 2015, quickly rediscovering her passion for dance. Dottie passed her Grades 6, 7, 8 and Intermediate Ballet over the years and in 2019 Dottie began the CBTS (Certificate in Ballet Teaching Studies) under the mentorship of Mary Griffiths, founder of the Hong Kong Ballet and later Woodbury Dance Studio. In March 2019 Dottie performed with the Woodbury Dance Company in Pineapple Poll at Sidmouth Manor Pavilion Theatre taking on the role of a sailor. From July 2021 Dottie took joint ownership of the Woodbury Dance Studio following Mary Griffiths retirement.
After four years of wonderful classes, examinations and shows, Dottie moved to Vietnam in November 2025. She where she is currently teaching ballet privately and as a freelancer in dance schools in Hanoi.