Our Members

Jan Turner began taking classes with Helga Hill in 1985 after being offered a job in a school teaching Renaissance dance about which she knew nothing! She soon joined the performing group and from there went on to teach and perform in the schools’ program and dance with the Baroque team for many years. She ‘officially’ retired in 2019 but still enjoys running the introductory workshops and courses, and doing the odd performance. Jan still manages a ballet school and teaches classical ballet, international folk dance and Wu Tao (a form of dance therapy).

Sally Ranson grew up in England, with a fascination for medieval and Tudor history which she indulged through the hobby of brass rubbing, visiting stately homes and churches, and through music. After relocating to Australia, she was thrilled to find the RipponLea dancers and has now been a member for some 25 years. Sally enjoys all aspects of the Courtly Arts Performers: the dances, costumes, music and friendships. She is committed to playing a part in maintaining the Early Arts legacy of Helga and Mark Hill.

Jennifer Foo joined the RipponLea Renaissance Dancers in 2008. Already a lover of classical music, she found joy in early music, especially from the medieval era. When Helga and Mark retired, she continued on their legacy with the formation of the Courtly Arts Performers. Besides renaissance dancing, Jennifer also enjoys other forms of dancing, such as salsa and line dancing. When able, she enjoys attending medieval fairs with her fellow dancers in authentic attire. Now she has started sewing in the hopes of making more period garments.

Saskia Wells formally studied acting in north England, had a brief career as a jobbing actor, before coming to Australia in 2006, deciding that Melbourne was the home that she didn’t know she never had. While Saskia was learning the lute with Rosemary Hodgson of La Compania, she discovered the RipponLea Renaissance Dancers in 2014 and subsequently the RipponLea Baroque Dancers in 2015. With these groups she has not only found her surrogate family, but also ample opportunities to indulge her lifelong passion for dancing and cross-dressing.

Conor O’Grady joined the Courtly Arts Performers in 2019 after he and his wife Mollie attended a workshop because of their interest in period dance. Conor has loved getting a more practical insight into history and a greater appreciation for dance throughout the period.  

More to come…