About us

Canberra Dance Theatre began life in Canberra as the New University Dance Ensemble (NUDE) in 1977 under the leadership of Diana Shohet, Lorna Marshall and Graham Farquar. In 1978, NUDE became the Canberra Dance Ensemble, and the company was handed over to Artistic Director, Stephanie Burridge. A name change from the Canberra Dance Ensemble to the Canberra Dance Theatre occurred in 1983 as an indication of the wider and more theatrical vision the company wished to pursue in its performances.

The company has worked both with the local dance community and with many significant Australian dancers, choreographers, musicians and designers, including Stephanie Burridge, Elizabeth Cameron (Wilson) Dalman, Kai Tai Chan, Julia Cotton, Patrick Harding-Irmer, Anca Frankenhauser, Beth Shelton, Anna Smith, Cheryl Stock, Andris Toppe, Wendy Wallace, Bernadette Walong, Graeme Watson, Meg Millband and Amalia Horden. Many Canberra Dance Theatre company members have gone on to attain places in companies and productions, both in Australia and internationally.

Canberra Dance Theatre has provided dance opportunities and experiences for the local ACT and NSW recreational and tertiary-trained dance population, together with professional and interstate dance artists.

This integration of professional and community practice is a defining and unique aspect of the company’s history. It is also one that has enabled it to survive a long and often challenging arts environment.

Vision

To be a distinct and integral component of a vibrant, diverse and sustainable dance culture in the ACT region through the delivery of inclusive dance education and performance.

Mission

To contribute to the dance culture of the ACT region through quality dance education, dance performance, and engagement with local artists and organisations.

Staff and Teachers

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.

Watch a video of Liz Lea.

Company Manager
Vacant

Teachers

Mica Cochrane (Jumping Juniors, Tween Moves and CDT Teens)

With a lifelong interest in theatre and performance and a background in drama, Mica began her dance journey in 2005 while at university, studying a BA of International Relations.

Keen to make up for lost time, she has since received training in various different styles, including creative movement, Bollywood, hip hop, street funk, world fusion, west African dance, swing, ballet and contact improvisation. She has taken classes and workshops locally, as well as in New York and California.

Mica has been working 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 locations and 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.

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.

David Corbet (Contact Improvisation)

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.

Frances Dumbrell (Pilates)

Fran works as a Pilates Matwork Instructor part time at Pilates Canberra and Canberra Dance Theatre and has done so since August 2004. Fran’s training in Pilates matwork is recognised by Pilates Alliance Australasia. Fran commenced Pilates herself in May 2001, undertaking semi-private studio programs and matwork classes.

Jane Ingall (Creative Moves for Women; Performance, Parents, Tinies & Toddlers, Jumping Juniors, Tween Moves, CDT Teens)

Jane’s dance background has encompassed training in many dance styles over the past 25 years including creative dance and improvisation. She has a Graduate Diploma in Movement and Dance from Melbourne University (1997) and has conducted creative dance classes for adults and children since 1992. She has been with CDT since February 2006.

Jane is choreographic director of Terpsichore’s Aunts, a group of Canberra women in their 40s and 50s, creating dance from the everyday. They recently performed Reading the Threads in the Australian Choreographic Centre Performance Space.
Also an experienced 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. Her latest achievement is a successful grant application for CDT to launch a dance class for teens with special needs. Previously Jane 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.

Liz Lea (Contemporary, Performance)

Please refer to Artistic Director for CV.

Dereta Lennon (Ballet)

Dereta has spent many years performing, teaching and choreographing across Australia. She undertook her initial classical ballet training with Mary Heath at the Queensland Ballet School and was offered a position in the company at the age of 15 by the then founding director, Charles Lisner. In the same year she was 1 of 2 students selected to perform with the Australian Ballet in their Brisbane season of Giselle.

Full-time dance training at Ballet Victoria in Melbourne was undertaken studying under Garth Welch, Janina Cenova, Jurgen Schneider, Patty Cox and Arthur Turnbull. Natalie Makarova and Mikhail Baryshnikov were guest artists with the company the same year.

After taking a break to raise a family, Dereta was invited to teach classical ballet technique to artistic and rhythmic gymnastic students in country NSW, one of whom went on to be selected for the junior talent squad by the Australian Institute of Sport.

During this period she also taught ballet to young children as well as classical technique to students of other dance styles. Involvement in community dance with school students competing in Eisteddfods and other competitions gave her the opportunity to utilize her choreographic skills.

She has directed her own ballet school, which received national accreditation from VETAB (Vocational and Educational Training Accreditation Board) in 2002, teaching ballet and choreographing performances for students ranging in age from 3-70years. She holds qualifications from Adap (Australian Dance Assessment Program) in Classical Ballet teaching and Workplace and Assessment training.

She currently works full time in the Executive of the National Library of Australia (previously with the Curators of Music and Dance), where even the staff are not safe from her enthusiasm for dance. Each year, for the past 3 years, she has inspired many a desk bound worker to perform in her now famous end of year dance extravaganzas.

Rita Markwell (Modern Gypsy)

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.

Rebecca Olsen (Ballet, Jumping Juniors, Tween Moves and CDTeens)

Rebecca received her early training at the Northern Connecticut Ballet, where as a young girl she began performing in children's roles in The Nutcracker, Nocturne, Tchaikovsky's Suite and other works of original choreography by Helen Stevenson.

During her undergraduate years in New York City, Rebecca studied performing arts and ballet as her minor, focusing on pedagogy under the direction of Haila Strauss and Finis Jung. She also studied at the Broadway Dance Centre and Steps on Broadway. In her 20 years of studying dance she has focused on the RAD and French schools of technique.

Throughout her over 20 years of dancing, Rebecca has performed lead roles in Ballets such as Three Cheers, Les Sylphides, Paquita, Ragtime and the Nutcracker with the Northern Connecticut Ballet.

Over her five years of teaching experience, she has taught beginner and intermediate ballet to children and adults, mainly within the French school of technique.

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 is now Company Manager. 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 continues to freelance throughout Australia, in the school, studio, university and community sectors.

Mardi Roberts Bolton (Ballet)

Originally from Canberra, Mardi trained and performed with Janet Karin and Bryan Lawrence until she moved away to Melbourne to undertake a Bachelor of Arts in Dance Teaching at the Victorian College of the Arts. Much freelance dancing and teaching accompanied her studies in Melbourne and she spent some months with Dance Theatre of Victoria performing pantomimes to regional centres around NSW, the ACT and Victoria.

A trip to Austria and employment in Innsbruck at the Tiroler Landesteater was followed by work with the Wiener Volksoper Ballett in Vienna and tours with the company through Japan and Hong Kong. She also went to Denmark with Marie Brolin-Tani's MBT Danseteater in Arhus where she performed in many contemporary dance pieces and subsequent tours through north-west Europe and Scandinavia.

On return to Australia in 1996, she completed professional dance teaching studies at the Australian Ballet School in Melbourne followed by further freelance teaching and performance work. A position at her former ballet school in Canberra with the National Capital Ballet School brought her home and also completed a Graduate Diploma in Education. She continued freelance teaching and performance work in the ACT, including projects with Canberra Dance Theatre.

Mardi is currently teaching dance to high school students in the ACT and has worked in the college system helping to write new courses. She is a guest contemporary teacher at the Cecchetti International Summer School held in Melbourne each January and continues to teach the occasional class to whoever needs or wants her!

Lani Smales (Belly Dance)

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 ...

Shannon Winsor (Funk / Hip Hop)

Shannon first started dancing in 2002 in Gang Show, a performance program run through Scouts Australia. In 2004 Shannon joined the street funk/hip hop dance group Fresh Funk at the Tuggeranong Arts Centre in Canberra, and has been involved in their major performances each semester, as well as other smaller public performances throughout the years. As a member of Fresh Funk Master Class, Shannon performed for the Canberra leg of the Olympic Torch relay in 2008, and the Moon Festival on the shores of Lake Tuggeranong.

She has also been involved in Fresh Faced Funk, a young choreographers initiative. For four years, Shannon has been a performer for the program as well as choreographing and teaching for two of the shows.

Her teaching experience also extends to a school holiday program School is Out, where she taught hip hop classes to young children.

In July 2009, Shannon will be participating in a USA tour with Fresh Funk, taking intensive hip hop dance workshops as well as the opportunity to perform in Hollywoods Carnival (Choreographers Ball).

For Shannon, dance is a passion, and she plans on further improving her skill, knowledge and experience through performances and teaching.

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.

Karina Dennis (Guest Teacher)

Following the completion of her Bachelor of Commerce degree, Karina went on to complete an Associate Diploma of Arts (Dance) at the Queensland University of Technology. Her performance career spanning ten years included employment with Dance North contemporary dance company on three separate occasions under the direction of Cheryl Stock, Wendy Wallace and Jane Pirani. She also undertook short contracts with Tasdance and the Australian Folkloric Dance Company. During her career she also worked with Natalie Weir, Henry and Diana Laska, Sue Peacock, Sue Healy, Brett Daffy, Neil Adams, Jenny Kinder and Steven Petronio. Karina has also performed works by Leigh Warren, Jean Tally and Sharon Boughen.

Karina’s dance teaching career started at the age of 15 teaching modern and tap at her local ballet school. She has continued to teach dance regularly in a variety of settings including as a movement tutor for the Bachelor of Theatre course at James Cook University, teaching company class at Dance North, and facilitating many creative movement workshops for children and adults. Karina completed her Bachelor of Education degree and was the dance teacher/coordinator in a Townsville secondary school for four years.

Karina was assistant Artistic Director of Extensions Youth Dance group for a short time. She has choreographed works for Extensions and Dance North choreographic seasons, and short works for the company to perform at community functions. She also choreographed a section of a La Luna Youth Arts theatre project and many works for secondary school productions, local eisteddfods and ballet school concerts. Karina has also enjoyed performing in amateur musical theatre productions including the lead roles of Cassie in A Chorus Line and Helene in Sweet Charity.

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! 

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.

Adelina Larsson (Guest Teacher)

Adelina is a Swedish performer, freelance dance artist and teacher in contemporary dance and improvisation who arrived in Australia in mid-June 2007. Previously, she had spent four years working in the field of dance and theatre in The Netherlands in Europe.

Adelina has performed for and worked with European and International choreographers and dance companies including Ignacio Azpigalla (Ultima Vez) André Gingras, Gabriella Staiger, Erik Kaiel, Itzik Galilli, Fiona Lummins (Netherlands Dance Theatre), Black Grace Dance Company and Maxime Iannarelli and DOX Theater Group.

Adelina is involved with the contemporary dance community through performance, teaching and her own practice. She collaborates with David Corbet exploring, exchanging and creating common movement modality and artistic ideas. They have recently received a grant from the Arts ACT for developing a dance film called Its impossible...

Adelina worked as a collaborator in the Dance Screen Lab facilitated by David Hinton (UK). She has collaborated with David Corbet in developing a dance film installation entitled Cribrosa. She worked with choreographer Meg Millband in the site-specific work, Enduring Intimacy performed at the Australian National Gallery in late 2008. She has also performed in Waste Land a film work of Elena Näsänen (Finland).

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.

Francisco Rojas (Guest Teacher)

Graduating from the Royal Academy of Dance in 2000, Francisco studied with Mme. Tita Ortega in Mexico City. During this time he received a scholarship from the American Academy of Ballet to study at Vassar College in New York, where he trained in the Balanchine Technique with ex-members of the New York City Ballet, like Stephanie Saland and Sean Lavery. He then moved to Spain to dance at the Professional Royal Conservatory of Dance as an International guest student and studied with Julia Estevez, Ricardo Franco and Arcadio Carbonell, and was invited as a guest dancer to the Larumbe Dance Company.

In Paris (2001-2002) he studied with Wayne Byars in Le Centre de Danse du Marais and Le Studio Harmonic, with Eric Camillo (ex-member of Paris Opera Ballet) and Le Jeunne Ballet de France. He also participated in the festival Cartier d' Ete as a guest dancer.

In Mexico he has worked and trained under the direction of Alejandro Vargas in the company Danza sin Fronteras where he danced the principal role in The Nutcracker, Remembranzas, Vivaldi for 13 Dancers, Mahler Symphonie, etc.

In 2004 he joined The National Dance Company of Mexico where he has performed many different roles including Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet, General Zuñiga in Carmen, Von Rothbart and the Prince Sigfreid in Swan Lake, La Feé Carabosse in Sleeping Beauty, Herre Drosselmeyer in The Nutcracker, Don Quixote, etc.

At the National Dance Company of Mexico he has danced the principal roles in both contemporary and neo-classical ballets such as Dionaea by Gustavo Herrera, The Triumph of Afrodite by Mark Godenn, Miroirs by Mark Godenn, Fragmentarios by Carlos López, Carmina Burana, Esquina Bajan by Nelli Hapeé, Desir by James Koudelka and Les Noces by Bronislava Nijinska, amongst others.

As a guest principal dancer of Compañía Provincial de Ballet in México. Franciso has also performed the roles of Le Spectre from Les Ballets Ruses’ Le Spectre de la Rose (by Fokine), and Albretch from Giselle.

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.

Canberra Dance Theatre Board

The Canberra Dance Theatre Board is a group of CDT members who have volunteered to help
run this not-for-profit arts organisation. They have skills in finance, management, communications and marketing, governance, dance, and dance education.

Board membership is open to any CDT members who feel that they can contribute in ensuring CDT's business is conducted effectively and efficiently. The Board meets approximately once each month.

Enquiries regarding the CDT Board and Membership should be directed via email
or 0435 025 365.

Current Board Members

Susan Cochrane
Thor Diesendorf
Rachael Hilton
Jane Ingall
Hannah Ley
Elanor Matton-Johnson

Artistic Directors

Life Members

Stephanie Burridge
Russell Cunningham
Amalia Hordern
Kay Johnston
David Keany
Meg Millband
Priscilla Ruffell
Bren Weatherstone

Employment

Company Manager part-time

CDT seeks a part-time Company Manager to work with the Artistic Director and Board, in the on-going delivery of quality dance performances, classes and other programs in the ACT. Hours flexible, work from home, some evening and weekend work required.

Love of the arts and excellent communication and organisational skills essential for this busy, vibrant, community based arts organisation.

Starting asap.

For more details and selection criteria, please contact info@canberradancetheatre.org or phone 0435 025 365.

Please send application, CV and names of 3 Referees to above email address.

Closing date: February 28.

Class Teachers

CDT is always seeking expression of interest from teachers keen to be part of the CDT Teaching Faculty.

Please forward your CV to info@canberradancetheatre.org