CDT Staff
Liz Lea Artistic Director
Liz specialises in the field of contemporary and classical Indian dance and is based between Sydney, London and Goa, touring and teaching internationally. She and has worked with Mavin Khoo, Roger Sinha, Ranjabati Sircar, Sankalpam and Sampad and Akademi. Commissions include the Royal Opera House, QL2, Intoto and The Place Prize. Recent projects have taken her to Korea, India, China, South Africa and Scotland. In 2009 Liz is an Associate Artist at QL2, Centre for Dance, Canberra and has pursued her research into Anna Pavlova in Asia at the Australian National Library and National Film and Sound Archive where she received a Fellowship. This year she has also performed in India, Spain, Wales, England and Australia and undertaken Residencies in Edinburgh at Dancebase in June and in Cork, Ireland at Firkin Crane in July. Future projects include a new solo, Ajanta and a company work, 120 Birds, exploring the world of touring dance companies in the 1920's.
Melinda Spink Company Manager
Melinda has a background in public health and sustainable development and was working with CSIRO to improve the impact of international development programs. She has executive level management experience and extensive experience in designing and leading large scale integrated projects. Prior to working in international development Melinda worked with Australian community based and not for profit organisations. She is passionate about improving community well-being and social justice and is excited to be working at the community level again with CDT.
CDT Teachers
Toni Allen FCBA – CICB Ballet
Toni trained with and taught for Valrene Tweedie in Sydney as well as dancing with Ballet Australia, the first group in Australia to be set up to promote Australian choreographers. Toni has spent most of her dance career as a teacher and became a Fellow with the Cecchetti society in 1978 while running dance schools in Coffs Harbour and Lightning Ridge for 15 years. Since arriving in the ACT 18 years ago she has been teaching part time at local dance schools and now is almost retired.
Jo Bird Contemporary
Adelaide born and bred, Jo (Joanne) started dancing at age 3 with Song and Dance, Jazz, Tap and classical ballet lessons and CSTD Examinations. She later became a Teacher through the CSTD system and has been teaching for 15 years. After attending a high school with a focus on the Performing Arts and in particular Dance, she developed a love of Modern dance history and Contemporary dance, discovering a natural, uninhibited ability to compose movement and choreograph. After being accepted into the Bachelor of Arts in Dance at Adelaide University, Jo decided to turn down the offer and focus on developing a teaching career, studying Early Childhood Education at The University of South Australia. Throughout her studies, Joanne continued to teach and perform both in Adelaide and overseas with tours to Singapore in cabaret shows in 2003 and 2004. Choreographing and performing at corporate functions (including a stint as a back-up dancer for Marcia Hines!), hosting children’s entertainment shows at Westfield shopping centres and auditioning for many TV commercials kept her passion for performing alive, while taking workshops and classes with companies like ADT and Leigh Warren and Dancers kept her current in the contemporary dance scene. Jo began teaching Dance and Drama at Christes Beach High School in 2004 and went on to win a permanent position teaching Dance from year 8-12 at Henley High School in 2006. After establishing a specialist dance program at the school, Jo found herself in Florida, USA, on a 3 year posting with her RAAF Husband. At NWF state College Joanne studied Modern Dance and found work relief teaching at the NWF Ballet School and also at the college. After 2 Babies and some wonderful adventures in the United States, Joanne has found herself starting anew in Canberra and is looking forward to getting out into the dance community and doing classes whenever she can.
Danielle Cook Hilal
Danielle’s extensive dance training has encompassed classical ballet, jazz and contemporary dance. Danielle began studying Egyptian dance in 1993 and over the last 13 years has specifically focused on Hilal Dance. Danielle continues her dance training by working with Australian colleagues and by attending annual workshops with master artist Suraya Hilal.
Amy Dawson Jumping Juniors, Tween Moves, CDTeens
Amy began dancing at the age of four at a community dance school. She then studied classical ballet, national character, modern ballet and jazz at a ballet school, where she undertook her R.A.D. examinations and participated in eisteddfods, galas and annual performances. After a break to focus on drama, singing and theatre productions, Amy began contemporary classes with Holly Diggle at Dance Northside, and found a renewed love for dance. She currently trains in contemporary, lyrical, jazz funk, tap and hip hop at Dance Central, teaches junior and teen students there, and loves performing and choreographing for DC’s shows. Amy is also in her final year of a Bachelor of Arts with majors in Education, TESOL and Creative Writing. She is passionate about dance and working with young people, especially in an arts context, and is committed to continually improving as a dancer and teacher.
Melissa Gryglewski Jumping Juniors, Tween Moves, CDTeens
Melissa is a roving clown, physical theatre, and experimental dance performer. Melissa also works as a Gallery Host and is studying at the ANU. Her performance experience includes roving at innumerable music, arts, and conference events – which include Servants of Sound’s Dragon Dreaming Festival; Canberra Youth Theatre Company productions; Hidden Corners Theatre Company (theatre by and about the experiences of young people who care for a family member with a disability); and various creative movement projects with local Canberra artist, Min Mae. Her training includes physical theatre, View Points and Butoh training methods; Augusto Boalian and Commedia Dell’Arte style theatre; and creative movement. Melissa has extensive experience with disability and youth advocacy and has a strong commitment to principles of social justice, inclusive practice, and empowerment through creative expression. She is on a perpetual mission to (to finish uni!) engage with new projects, practices, and people to expand her creative repertoire, and is motivated by the capacity for non-verbal human communication to elicit mutual transcendental, humbling, and healing experiences.
Jane Ingall Performance, Parents, Tinies & Toddlers
Jane’s dance background started with ballet and has since encompassed training in many dance styles over many years but her heart is in movement improvisation. Jane holds a Graduate Diploma in Movement and Dance from Melbourne University (1997) and has conducted movement and dance classes for adults and children since 1992. She has been with CDT since February 2006. Also an Occupational Therapist, Jane has brought her expertise in working with children with disabilities to the development of the CDT class Jumping Juniors, for which CDT won a Chief Minister’s Inclusion Award in 2007. She made a successful grant application for CDT to launch a dance class for teens with additional needs in 2008. Currently, when CDT's Artistic Director is overseas Jane acts in that role. Jane is Choreographic Director of the performance ensemble Terpsichore’s Aunts, Canberra women in their 50s, creating dance from the everyday. She has conducted courses using movement and dance in working on group dynamics, communication, self esteem and body image issues. Jane’s approach to dance particularly encourages non-trained dancers to find the joy of expression in movement and discover the dancer within themselves.
Adelina Larrson Contemporary
Adelina Larsson is an independent dance artist currently based in Canberra. Her artistic practice and performance includes contemporary dance techniques, physical theater, improvisation, real time choreography and dance on screen. Since arriving in Australia 2007 she has collaborated and performed with artists in various art forms across Australia and overseas such as physical theater company Corazon de Vaca (WA), choreographer Sarah Neville (WA), Madeleine Karlsson (SWE), Erik Kaiel (NL), Sidney Leoni (SWE), Michelle Outram (WA), Sassan Sahar (NL), Meg Millband (ACT), multi disciplinary artist David Corbet (ACT), visual artist Elena Näsänen (FIN), Corbie Orger (VIC) amongst others. She has performed at National Gallery of Australia, Deckchair Theater, Palladium, Schouwburg theaters in Holland, Theater Kikker. In 2008 Adelina received with her collaborator David Corbet, the artsACT grant for Its impossible…. In 2009 she was appointed Festival Director of Short Sweet+Dance Festival Canberra, which will have its inauguration at the Courtyard studio of Canberra Theater this year. She is also the instigator of idact Independent dance platform.
Liz Lea Contemporary, Performance, Burlesque
Please refer to Artistic Director for CV.
Philip Piggin Contemporary
With training in Australia, the UK and New York, Philip commenced his dance career working with a number of dance companies in Australia and the UK. He was employed as a Community Dance Animateur in Clwyd, Wales from 1990 to 1993, and founded his own dance company, MEN DANCING. On returning to Australia, Philip worked as a freelance dance artist in the Albury–Wodonga region, and in metropolitan and other regional centres, teaching, lecturing, choreographing, performing and directing for a wide range of arts, educational and community groups. During this time, he also served on the Artistic Directorate for Hothouse Theatre, the Dance Committee for the NSW Ministry for the Arts, the Australia Council and with various regional arts and educational organisations. Philip moved to the ACT in 1999, to work as the first Dance Development Officer of Ausdance ACT. In this role he developed and initiated a range of dance activities in the education, studio, professional and community sectors. He was also the Dance Editor of MUSE magazine and Co-coordinator of Australia’s first two Community Dance Forums in Sydney and Brisbane. Philip was appointed Co-artistic Director of Canberra Dance Theatre with Amalia Hordern in 2002, and was Company Manager until 2010. He has worked on the Ausdance National Dance Awards Panel and the Canberra Theatre Centre Performing Arts Advisory Committee, and as a Peer Assessor for ArtsACT. In addition to his regular teaching, choreography and arts management commitments in the ACT, Philip is now the Community Arts Officer at Belconnen Arts Centre.
Doriane Ranaivoharison Modern Gypsy
Doriane studied modern jazz and improvisation for 5 years in France with Ismael Aboudou, a well-known dancer and choreographer in France. When arriving in Australia in 2005, she started learning new dance styles including ceroc, salsa and reggaeton. In 2007, she discovered Modern gypsy created by Rita Markwell (The Hush Gypsy) and fell in love with the genre, its spirit and emotions. Doriane has performed as part of the Gypsy Dance Stageshow in Canberra and across the East Coast. Performing extensively over the past 5 years in the Modern gypsy style, Doriane is known for her powerful and lingering presence on stage. Off stage, she is well-regarded as a caring and patient teacher. Doriane is also passionate about creating performances that challenge dancers and inspire audiences.
Lani Smales Belly Dance, Burlesque
Lani began belly dancing as a hobby in 2002 while at university in Durham, England. She joined the university belly dance society and its Shadows on the Sand performance troupe. The troupe learned some choreographies from teachers and also created their own. The troupe is still performing – no longer exclusively for university events, but also across northeastern England. Other dance experiences included ballet, tap and jazz while at university; and attending ceilidhs for as long as she can remember! Lani has attended numerous belly dance technique and choreography workshops both in Australia and England. These have included study with Morocco from New York, Khaled Mahmoud based in Egypt and London, and Lubna Emam from Cairo. Lani ran belly dance classes as one of the students’ afternoon activities while teaching at an English summer camp in Poland in the summer of 2004. She began teaching her own beginner’s class in Durham at the end of 2005. Since moving to Australia two and a half years ago, Lani has attended various classes, continually expanding her knowledge and repertoire of Middle Eastern dance styles. Lani is a regular performing member of Quake – the belly dance troupe associated with CDT. A word of warning: belly dance is seriously addictive ...
Guest Teachers
Gretel Burgess Guest Teacher
Gretel Burgess is a performer and teacher of drama, creative movement and world dance. She has directed, choreographed and performed in theatre and dance productions throughout Europe, Indonesia and Australia. Gretel runs drama and dance workshops at local theatres, childcare centres, primary/high schools, colleges, universities, Ausdance summer holiday programs, local festivals and special events. She has had the opportunity to direct and facilitate drama and dance workshops for youth at risk, young people with mental health issues, physically and intellectually disabled adults and children, young parent groups and young women in refuges. Gretel was one of the original coordinators and teachers for the creative dance class for Down Syndrome children, initiated in 2006 for Canberra Dance Theatre. This resulted in CDT receiving an ACT Government 'inclusion award'. Gretel currently teaches creative dance/folk dance and drama at Belconnen Community Services in the wellbeing and resilience program – Bungee. Gretel performs as a solo artist and in a number of local performance groups around the country, including the CDT – World Fusion Group and Full Circle Sacred Ceremony.
Elizabeth Cameron Dalman, OAM, MCA Guest Teacher
Elizabeth Cameron Dalman, Director of Mirramu Creative Arts Centre, Artistic Director of Mirramu Dance Company and Committee member of Weereewa - a Festival of Lake George Committee Inc., (which she instigated in 1997), has a life-time of experience in dance as a performer, choreographer, director, producer, teacher and researcher. She founded Australian Dance Theatre, Australia’s first professional modern dance company, and was its Artistic Director for ten years from 1965 – 1975. She has had many teaching positions in Universities around Australia and was Head of the Dance Course at the University of Western Sydney from 2004 until the end of 2006. She continues as a practicing artist and is well-known nationally and internationally for her performances and choreographic work. She has always been involved in cross-cultural choreographic and collaborative practice. More recently she has been teaching students from the Taipei National University for the Arts both in Taiwan and Australia. As well she continues her studies of Mobius Kiryuho, the Japanese Art of Flowing Movement. In 2007 she taught at The Ecole des Sables in Senegal, Africa. As an artist in support of Nature, Elizabeth presents much of her work in the landscape. These site-specific productions have become a hallmark of her choreographic practice and main features of the Weereewa Festivals of Lake George. Her more recent productions with Mirramu Dance Company include, Tango Lament 2008, Cry Baby 2007, Bride in the Desert 2006 and 2005. In 1994 Elizabeth graduated from Wollongong University with a Master of Creative Arts, and was awarded an Australian Artists Creative Fellowship. In 1995 she was awarded an Order of Australian Merit for her contribution to contemporary dance in Australia and in 1997 a National Dance Award for a Lifetime of Achievement in Dance. She was a Senior Associate Artist of the Australian Choreographic Centre and in 2005 she received an artsACT Creative Fellowship. She also has an International Sacred Dance Guild Award and has received two Canberra Critics Circle awards. Currently she is a PhD candidate at the University of Western Sydney.
Mica Cochrane Guest Teacher
With a lifelong interest in theatre and performance and a background in drama, Mica began her dance journey in 2005 while studying a BA of International Relations at University. Keen to make up for lost time, she has since trained locally, as well as in New York and California, in various styles including creative movement, Bollywood, hip hop, street funk, world fusion, west African dance, swing, ballet and contact improvisation. Mica has worked alongside Morgan Jai-Morincome and Min Mae in a creative movement session for all levels of ability since May 2008. She has co-facilitated Bollywood dance workshops, and in 2009 collaborated with Min Mae to cultivate a performance involving three dancers with Downs Syndrome in the opening ceremony of the fringe festival. She has performed at various events around Canberra, and is an active member of Min Mae’s interpretive dance army Amorphus. Mica works full time as a disability support worker, with a focus on supporting adults with disabilities to pursue creative interests, especially relating to dance and visual arts.
David Corbet Guest Teacher
David Corbet started dancing when he accidentally signed up to dance in a show choreographed by Felicity MacDonald - he was hoping to write the music but she didn't need a composer. Felicity introduced him to dance, and contact improvisation, and 13 years later he still loves it. He is a member of State of Flux, who were also his first contact teachers. He is also one half of davidandjacob.com and one half (and once, one third) of Two Suits. He makes dance films, writes music for dance, performs when he can and is currently studying for a Bachelor of Medicine Bachelor of Surgery at ANU in Canberra. Currently he is working on a new dance film with Adelina Larson, tentatively titled "It's impossible to walk without taking your feet off the ground". He regularly performs with the Scwha ensemble facilitated by David Keany.
Holly Diggle Guest Teacher
Holly graduated from the University of Western Sydney with a Bachelor of Arts-Dance in 2005. During her time at University she worked with the Physical TV Company and was selected to appear on there multi award winning film Thursdays Fictions. She choreographed Landfire a contemporary dance work made in response to the Canberra bushfires of 2003. And solo work A way out…. Holly has performed in Sydney and interstate with choreographers such as Elizabeth Cameron Dalmon, Graeme Watson, Michael Whaites, Barnadette Walong, Robyn Prichard and Darren Green. In 2006, Holly collaborated with South Australia-based artist Kate Scully to create Reality Dreaming for the South Australian Festival of the Arts. Holly’s most recent performances include working with Cadi McCarthy and Company in Shambles and with Meg Millband on Enduring Intimacy.She is currently working with Cadi McCarthy and Company on the upcoming performance of Restless. Holly is also the proud owner of her own dance school – Dance Northside based in Kaleen in the ACT. She also teaches dance and choreographs within the ACT education system and at the National Capital Ballet School. Holly dances contact improvisation whenever she can!
Rachael Hilton Guest Teacher
Rachael has studied numerous dance forms from the age of 10, specifically training with Suraya Hilal and Hilal recognised teachers for the last fourteen years, both nationally and internationally. Along with Sydney dancer Sarah Hamilton, Rachael has been instrumental in establishing Hilal Dance in Australia through organising workshops with Suraya Hilal and other senior Hilal Dance teachers as well as through their own regular teaching. Rachael completed an advanced certificate in dance teaching through Queensland University of Technology and has been teaching dance in Canberra for over a decade. In 2003 she was invited to become an Associate of the Hilal Dance organisation and a Professional member in 2007. Rachael enjoys the ongoing process of discovery that learning Hilal Dance brings: “every time you explore a movement, you peel back another layer and gain a deeper understanding of the dance and a deeper understanding of yourself.” She believes Hilal Dance is a lifelong practice providing physical and intellectual benefits through the constant challenge of learning.
Morgan Jai-Morincome Guest Teacher
Morgan is an independent community arts worker living in Canberra who draws on her skills and experience in creative dance and movement, sound and drama to facilitate shared creative experiences between people of all ages and diverse abilities. Between 1998 and 2000 she was the Education Officer for Oxfam Community Aid Abroad in the ACT: managing an in-school performance program for raising awareness in young people about social justice issues through the arts; delivering professional development sessions for teachers; and developing and performing role plays in primary and secondary schools. Over the last 11 years she has worked with a range of community organisations as a facilitator with adults and young people as well as the ACT Department of Education as a teacher (special education, drama, English). Morgan has also been involved in a wide range of community arts projects as a performer (singer, dancer, actor) and event coordinator. In 2005 she founded the community-based, award-winning women's inclusive dance performance project – now known as The Radiance Dance – providing creative dance experiences for women with and without disabilities. Morgan offers a range of inclusive community-based performing arts programs for adults in Canberra and hopes to initiate many more in the near future.
Rita Markwell Guest Teacher
Since 1998, Rita has trained in gypsy and belly dance styles in Sydney, Canberra, Gold Coast, Adelaide, San Francisco (US) and Toronto (Canada). Her passion for the gypsy dance style began in Adelaide in 2000 where she learnt with Sahara, and began to find her own voice through teaching and choreographing for her own student troupe. In 2003, she trained and danced for a short time with Roula Said's Roulettes in Toronto, performing to live music by the Flying Bulgars Klezmer Band. In that same period, she trained and performed with Alexis Yael, an American Tribal Style dancer who had recently migrated from the east coast of the USA. On her return to Australia, Rita studied and performed with Urban Turban, a tribal style belly dance troupe in Sydney. She has since taken much from her studies with North American dancers Rachel Brice (tribal fusion, industrial, gothic belly dance), Ultra Gypsy Dance (tribal, cabaret fusion), Elizabeth Strong (Turkish Roman/Gypsy), and Fat Chance Belly Dance (American tribal-style belly dance). Modern Gypsy is a unique creation, inspired by Romani styles and spirit, and quite different to belly dance. Rita's passion is to bring new understanding between eastern and western dance through choreographing and performing with those who have learnt this style at the Canberra Dance Theatre. Her main professional work has been through the dance duo Gypsy Noir with dancer Fiona Macpherson. They have performed at a number of national events, and locally in Sydney and Canberra.
Alison Mclean Guest Teacher
Alison started her professional career at 19 and worked in cabaret, TV, film, theatre and modelling. She formed a duo with another female dancer, and added the art of illusion to her repertoire. Her career highlights include regular appearances on the Mike Walsh Show and Ray Martin, ABC’s Follies and Farnham and Byrne, support act for many Australian and overseas artists (including: John English, Little River band and Ray Charles), three nominations for Mo Awards for Best Australian Sight Act, Army and air Force base tours, and Pacific cruise ships, as well as choreographing and producing fashion parades. For the last 20 years she has been teaching children and adults Creative Dance and Movement, International Folk Dance, Middle Eastern and African Dance. She has worked with numerous schools as well as teaching regular dance classes for adults with Canberra Dance Theatre and other dance organisations in the ACT. In recent times Alison has performed with musicians Tribal Rhythms, Jamn’n and Tribe, as well as studying Classical Indian Dance (Bharata Natyam) with Nandana Chellappah and Harmonic Dance facilitated by Debbie Mader. She performs in Full Circle Sacred Ceremony with Gretel Burgess and is a Reiki Master/Teacher in the Usui/Tibetan method of natural healing. Her personal performances are intended to express honour for the sacredness of ancient dance, integration of the old and the new through choreographies of world fusion and thought provoking contemporary music.
Lailah Masiga Guest Teacher
Lailah is a renowned dancer, teacher and choreographer from Kenya. She has travelled widely and won various awards for her dance work. Her classes draw significantly from ethnic African dances across the African continent. She has a broad knowledge in diverse ethnic African dances, contemporary dance, contact improvisation and instant composition. Her training and background includes: Cabaret with Safari Cats Group; Traditional Dances in Burkina Faso; Kenya National Theatre troupe and African Arts Ensemble; Contemporary/Contact with John Bateman; Thierry Niang (France); Germaine Acogny (Senegal); Salia Sanou (Burkina Faso); Opiyo Okach (Kenya) and Faustin Linyenkula (Congo). Lailah has just returned from a 3 month teaching engagement within Dance Montage, at Dance Forum - Nairobi’s initiative for dance development in Kenya. Dance Forum-Nairobi is an initiative of Lailah and three other Kenyan dance creators.
Kylie Murray Guest Teacher
Kylie Murray began dance at a very young age, learning Classical ballet, Jazz and Tap. It was when she attended Newtown High School of the Performing Arts, in her senior years, that she found her passion fulfilled in Contemporary dance. Kylie continued her pursuit in contemporary dance when she was accepted into the Bachelor of Arts (Dance) at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts. After successfully completing the course she went on to do her Honours degree with LINK Dance Company, where she gained Second Class Honours overall. Kylie has a passion for practice and performance in contemporary dance. She is now based in Canberra and is enjoying the local independent dance scene as well as the Sydney scene. She enjoys teaching students of all ages, and recently worked with the Visible Dance Company in Perth as choreographer for their last performance season. In 2008 Kylie was lucky enough to be involved with the Reeldance Film Festival, alongside Chrissie Parrott, as the Perth collator of films. Kylie has worked with choreographers such as Nanette Hassall, Rosalind Newman, Susan Peacock, Reyes De Lara, Sandra Parker, Michael Whaites, Paea Leach, Martin Del Amo, Janine Ayres, Lucy Guiren, and Narelle Benjamin.
Alison Plevey Guest Teacher
Alison Plevey began her dance training in Bathurst and Orange, NSW. Acceptance to the Bachelor of Arts (Dance) course at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts enabled Alison to expand her dance interests and skills shifting her interests primarily to the contemporary form. Alison has worked with renowned choreographers Nanette Hassall, Michael Whaites, Sue Healey, Anton, Chrissie Parrott, as well Kim McCarthy and Tim O’Donnell of the WA Ballet. Alison experiments with the possibilities of movement in performance, improvisation, education and film. Her choreographic work ‘In my shoes’ performed in D.A.S.H at PICA in 2008, showcased her flair for creating innovative, “kooky” and engaging dance. Her most recent solo ‘X, Y, Z’ explored through movement, projection, theatre and improvisation the complexities of the human brain. She has been an active performance artist of Anything is Valid Dance Theatre (AIVDT), up and coming contemporary improvisation ensemble in Perth, participating in government funded developments including 'Unexpected-Microclimates' and a mentorship with improvisation specialist Jo Pollitt, performing at the Joondalup and Fairbridge Festivals, as well as appearing in the Empire of the Sun video clip ‘Standing on the Shore’. Her interest is in the unpredictability of improvised movement decisions in performance, and its interface with public environments. Alison has received project grants from Arts NSW in 2007, 2008 and 2009, presenting In Motion contemporary dance workshops, and in 2009 taught contemporary dance at two secondary colleges in Perth. She has recently staged her first professional choreographic work entitled ‘No Planet B’. Beginning with her creation ‘Roadside’ in 2007, Alison sees an exciting realm in which to experiment with dance through film. As 2009 member of Australia’s only pre-professional dance company, LINK, she performed nationally and internationally in works by leading choreographers developing a keen taste for further involvement in the diversifying, collaborative and exciting nature of contemporary dance in Australia and beyond. Recent participation in Soft Landing, led by Solon Ulbrich, has confirmed her commitment to sustain a career as a contemporary dance artist.
Zsuzsi Soboslay Guest Teacher
Zsuzsi has developed BodyEcology in Australia in clinic, workshop and creative processes for the past 20 years. She is interested in ethical practices which look at how full and truly reciprocal a level of engagement we can have with both big and little beings, and with our environments. She has been involved in solo, community and environmental theatre and dance projects, and has written across the arts in Real Time, Canberra Times, Art Monthly, Writings on Dance, and other publications since 1991. She has taught in over a dozen tertiary institutions, devised work with young children, and ran a series of immersion workshops in Tidbinbilla and on Lake George between 2001-2005. Her current projects include Intimacy: Ecobody: MamaWise [perinatal] and BodySongs: an ongoing collaboration with percussionists, in Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne.
William Tran Guest Teacher
Hip Hop artist and choreographer William Tran has taught basic to advanced level hip hop to students both locally and nationally. He thrives on providing dance environments that allows students to perform and create in a comfortable and safe environment and has taught at numerous locations including Canberra Grammar School, Melbourne Music Academy, Kulture Break, The Dance Factory Academy ‘Ulladulla & Berry’, Dance Central, Sparkles Dance Studio and Urban Lava. He has won many awards throughout his career including winner of the Australian Hip Hop Championships in freestyle event and choreography and was awarded the Ben Jackson Prize for Promotion of the Arts. He is a black belt in Tae Kwan Do and was top 80 finalist in So You Think You Can Dance Australia.
Hayley Schmidt Guest Teacher
Hayley has a Bachelor of Performing Arts (Dance) from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts and was a founding member of their graduate company – LINK. During her time at the Academy, she won the Dame Peggy van Praagh award, was honoured the West Australian critics ‘dancer to watch’, travelled to Taiwan to work with Shih Gee-Tze’s ACME Physical Theatre and performed lead roles in works choreographed by Neil Adams, Tim Gordon, Shih Gee-Tze, Angelyn Diaz, Carol Welman, Paea Leach, Chrissie Parrott, Jon Burt and Sue Peacock. Hayley was the first person to be awarded the Merce Cunningham Scholarship allowing her to attend this world-renowned foundation in New York City. In 2004, she joined Diversions – Dance Company of Wales – where she worked with Roy Campbell-Moore, Deborah Ford and Phil Williams. She also worked as assistant director/choreographer with the company in collaboration with Cardiff City Council, and taught and choreographed at community arts centres and educational institutions throughout Cardiff. Hayley worked with Cadi McCarthy and Company in the development and performance of Shambles. She travelled with them to New York for the development – in partnership with Chez Bushwick NY – of Grappling For the Edge, and is working with them for the reworking of Restless. With a keen interest in yoga and a great believer in its benefits, Hayley will undertake her teacher trainer qualification in power yoga in early 2009. A committed and determined dancer, Hayley continues to strive for excellence in her career, aspiring to tour, performing original and inspiring works.
