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Sunshine Coast Qld

 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
An Introduction to the Teachers

 

Kym Stevens was trained on the Sunshine Coast by Norma Dickson, at the Dickson School of Dance, and continued her ballet and contemporary dance training with the Joffrey School of Dance in Los Angeles. She was the co principal of the Dickson School of Dance on the Sunshine Coast before moving to Sydney to complete her Certificate in Dance Education at UTS.

While in Sydney she served on the board of Ausdance NSW, and on returning to Queensland was employed as the dance consultant for the years 1 – 10 Arts Syllabus. Kym has taught dance in both NSW and Queensland, in Primary and Secondary schools, and continues to develop arts implementation strategies with schools in Queensland.

As well as teaching contemporary dance and jazz at the Anne Fraser School of Dance, Kym is currently lecturing in Dance in Creative Industries at the Queensland University of Technology. Kym holds the C.S.T.D. Theatrical, Ballet, Tap and Jazz Teacher's Certificates and a Masters of Education.

 

 

 

Vanessa Di Santi trained in Sydney at the Donna Halloran School of Dance and later in Melbourne at the Victorian College of the Arts. At 18 she received a two year Scholarship to attend Dance World 301 and after extensive study, obtained a Diploma in Performing Arts.

Vanessa’s dance career took her to many international centres. From 2000 to 2002, whilst living in Italy, she performed with several contemporary dance companies and commercial agencies. She also performed in many European dance festivals. In 2003, Vanessa was engaged by Carnival Cruises as Dance Captain and choreographer, which involved travelling extensively throughout the Caribbean.

Since 2006, Vanessa has been living in Queensland, working for Warner Brothers Movie World on the Gold Coast as well as teaching at many dance schools.

 

Mark Brinkley began his dance training in Queensland under Pam Petrie, Norma Dickson and Phyllis Danaher before entering The Australian Ballet School in 1970 where he topped both years with honours. In 1972 he joined The Australian Ballet where he worked with many distinguished international artists such as Dame Margot Fonteyn, Rudolph Nureyev, Sir Frederick Ashton and Sir Robert Helpmann. His many roles included those in: Gemini, Monotones, Romeo and Juliet, Swan Lake, Symphony In D, The Dream, One in Five, Carmen, The Merry Widow, Lady and the Fool, Nutcracker, Tales of Hoffmann, Beyond Twelve, Spartacus, The Concert, The Taming of the Shrew, La Fille Mal Gardee, Gaite Parisienne, Giselle, Don Quixote, Graduation Ball and Coppelia.
Mark was promoted to Soloist in 1979 and to Senior Soloist in 1981 and toured overseas with the Australian Ballet on 12 occasions. Since 1981 Mark has frequently been a Guest Artist with The Australian Ballet's Dancers Company and became its Ballet Master in 1986 under the direction of Marilyn Rowe. Mark retired from the Australian Ballet in 1991 after an impressive performing career which spanned twenty years. Since leaving the company, Mark has been on the faculty of the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts and has also freelanced as a teacher with private dance schools as well as Queensland Ballet, West Australian Ballet, and the Australian Ballet School where he has served on the panel of examiners.
In 1993 Mark was awarded the Medal of Order of Australia for services to ballet.