Meet our Instructors
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Kate Richardson (Ticehurst)
Director, Instructor, Performer & Choreographer Kate is one of Canberra's most knowledgeable and respected Dance Instructors and Choreographers in Canberra. Being in the dance scene for 20 years, Kate is most renowned for her creative and unique choreography, champion competitors as well as her broad knowledge of Latin & Brazilian culture. In her earlier years after passing exams in Modern Jazz and blitzing classes with a flair for performance, she quickly realized that it is the character, performing art side and teaching other's about these things, that is what she was most interested in. At age 16, Kate was teaching her own Hip Hop classes outside of school and was highly inspired by the greats, Michael and Janet Jackson RnB styles, however when Salsa caught her eye Kate was captured, jumping straight into an intensive training course in Canberra with a Ballroom and Latin Studio. Here she studied both adult learning and over 15 styles of dance including Ballroom/Latin and South American Dance. Teaching over 30 lessons a week to students, couples & groups, dance became her life at age 18. Kate has judged and competed & performed In Canberra, interstate and internationally, in all of these styles. Kate was one of the first two to teach and perform Brazilian Samba in Canberra, she was selected by one of Sydney's best Latin performance Troupes, 'Brazilian Fantasy' to perform with them at a one-night performance in Canberra, learning the routines in a few hours. Through audition, Kate was chosen as a lead dancer to perform in Canberra's production of the musical 'Shout', allowing her to exercise the stage presence she holds, as something so critical to a dancer. Kate has encouraged many business's in Canberrra to see the TRUE value in having dance entertainment at their event and has planned many events for clients. Kate has performed and judged at prestigious Latin, Hip Hop & various events and with prestigious teams including:
Kate was offered a place at two different major dance schools to complete a Certificate 4 in Dance, selected by audition, however, turned the opportunities down as she chose to put her efforts into her students through teaching movement and offering her students a creative outlet and a sense of self belief. Kate believes in substance and wants to help you obtain it! She also, believes 'The Best is Yet to come ' ........and is waiting to teach you! |
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Kirstie McMillan
Samba & Glamourosas Instructor Kirstie lives and breathes dance. Having over 10 years experience in several styles, Kirstie is always the first to be dancing wherever she is. Her experience consists of Hip Hop, Burlesque, Showgirl, Waacking, Vogueing, Dancehall, Brazilian Samba and is a member of the Glamourosas Elite Samba Team. She has trained and performed at charities, showcases and competitions with many well-known choreographers, dancers and crews throughout her career. She is also the first Australasian Samba Queen in history after competing in the Australasian Samba Queen competition in 2016 and qualifying her to compete in the International Samba Queen Competition in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Kirstie’s vision is to create a humble and fun environment for anyone who loves to move and wants to gain more skill, strength and knowledge. Kirstie has a huge passion for sharing her knowledge with others who have the same love for music and dance. For her, there is nothing more satisfying. Teaching at Subsdance: "What I love about Subsdance is the crazy passion and vibe when you walk into any class. The positive and enthusiastic attitude of the teachers and the look on the students faces is enough to make anyone dance and join in!! You can't help but move at Subsdance". |
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David Sox (Nguyen)
Hip Hop Instructor David is a Hip Hop dancer that loves dance of all kinds. He has danced in Vietnam and Japan and has learnt from some of Australia's most well known choreographers. David is a part of Team Rockit Company, an extension of Team Rockit that performs regularly around Canberra. David takes his inspiration from the dancers who surround him, as well as styles outside of Hip Hop. David has previously taught as a substitute for Team Rockit, as well as prepared a Hip Hop set for a wedding. Above all David cherishes dance and strives to improve daily. David brings together a class designed for beginners with little to no experience, who just want to move and enjoy the music. The single most important aspect of every class is the focus on having fun in a stress free environment. David teaches moves accessible to anybody and always loves to have a laugh in class. Students in David's class will hopefully understand more about how their body moves and begin to feel comfortable with their movements. |
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Ali Rosenfeld
ZUMBA Instructor Ali danced, played sports, and was a cheerleader throughout her childhood. But after 3 surgeries on her left knee in her teens she gave up most physical activities… but never stopped loving dancing for fun. In February 2012, after years of telling herself she couldn’t exercise because of her bad knee, she took her first Zumba class and her love of dance came pouring out (along with a lot of sweat)! At first it was difficult not knowing all the steps and learning the Zumba movements, but soon she was taking multiple classes a week and feeling stronger every day. Ali finally had a workout she looked forward to! Less than a year after that first class Ali became a certified Zumba instructor. She then packed up and moved to Australia. While getting settled in Australia Ali stopped taking regular Zumba classes and missed it terribly. One night while at Guzman and Gomez she heard the music of Pitbull and a lot of “Woo’s!” coming from up high. Not being from Canberra, she had no idea how to actually get into MonkeyBar, so she ran around the block until she realized the small silver door was where she needed to go. Ali took her first class the next day (she was too full of burrito to join in for the class in progress). A couple of months later Ali started assisting the other Zumba classes and took over as the Monday class instructor earlier this year. Teaching at Subsdance: "Teaching at Subsdance has been amazing –it’s rewarding, welcoming, friendly, and fun. I haven’t been a part of the crew for too long but I adore everyone I work with and teach. Kate and Kirstie are two of the most dedicated and energetic women I have ever met. Their love of dance and sharing it with others shines through everything they do. I feel very lucky to have found such a wonderful place to teach Zumba at –it’s a little family away from home… and as my home is in New Jersey, I can’t tell you how important it is to have that here in Australia. It can be intimidating trying something new, meeting new people, being “the new guy/girl” but when you work with people who genuinely want everyone to succeed and have fun it makes you feel like you can do anything. I encourage you to grab your friends who might be nervous about taking “dance” class and bring them along." - Ali |
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Jessica Sharp Dancehall Instructor Jessica has over 8 years of dance experience in Hip-Hop and Funk. But it wasn’t until 2012 when she started Dancehall she realised her love for dance, dedicating every waking moment to improving her skills. She has trained and performed at charities, showcases and competed as a soloist in the Australian Latin Dance Championships in 2015, placing 2nd at a state and national level. With a great passion for teaching and a love for the Dancehall 'riddims' she wants to create a vibe that is so contagious you will never want to leave! Robin Seewooruttun
Male Samba & Afro Brazilian Instructor Robin has danced since he was very little where he and his sister would always be among the first to join the dance floor at parties at his home in Mauritius. He discovered Latin dance styles while in his first year at ANU in 2005. Wanting to get away from the daily stress of uni studies, he joined a Salsa class to add balance to his busy student life. He joined Subsdance in 2012 after seeing a Samba performance at the National Multicultural Festival where he was simply blown away, and decided that he would aim to join them on stage the following year. He kept that promise and has since participated in two samba parades at the festival including an onstage performance. Over the years, he has tried various styles, from Bachata to Brazilian Samba and regularly performed at the mid year and end of year shows. This year (2015) he decided to enter his first competition, the Australian Latin Dance Championships after some great motivation from Kate Ticehurst. After taking on the challenge, he was very happy to be awarded with first place at both the state and national level. Teaching at Subsdance ‘I am excited for my journey as a Subsdance instructor for Beginner Male Samba, and I am very grateful to Kate for giving me the opportunity to share what I have learnt so far and to bring my contribution to the Latin dance scene in Canberra’ |
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Sophie Balch Dancehall & Queenz Instructor When Sophie moved to Canberra from Perth four years ago she joined Subsdance to keep learning dancehall, but never expected it to become her dance family full of wonderful friends too! Sophie trained in ballet for 8 years before moving on to martial arts for something different. After achieving a black belt she went back to dance and discovered dancehall, and where her true passions lie! A part of the Subsdance Dancehall Queens, Sophie regularly performs at gigs, dance festivals and charity events. She recently placed first as a soloist at the 2015 Australian Latin Dance Championships. New to the Subsdance Instructor team, she loves to create an atmosphere of energy and fun in the room - get ready to dutty, gully and whine!! Emily Gageldonk
Contemporary Instructor Emily comes to us with an extensive and impressive technical background having danced from the age of 4. In 2013 she decided to further her dance by moving to Sydney and graduating with a Certificate 4 in Performing Art from Urban Dance Centre. She appeared on The Morning Show and performed at several corporate gigs while she was there. Since returning home, she has been teaching various styles for performance and just class work. "I LOVE teaching technique! I love knowing that that student knows their stuff and are improving because of the foundations I have taught them" - Emily Her all time favourite styles are Tap, Jazz and Contemporary. Charlie Caburlesque & Vaudevixens Instructor Hailing from London, England, Charlie has travelled the world performing and teaching for nearly a decade. From her beginnings dutty whining in the Caribbean, to her extensive stage history performing glamourous Burlesque, Vaudeville, Shakespeare, Cabaret and even clowning all over the world, Charlie uses her vast life experience in the industry to pack her classes with more than just dance technique. Her calling is spreading passion for dance, confidence and positive self image. "I do not seek to change or improve the masterpiece that is already there, all I do is polish up the mirror so you can see yourself properly"- Charlie ❤️ Alli
Afro Fusion & Reggaeton & Queenz Instructor Allison comes with 7 years of choreographing and teaching experience in a variety of urban styles including; Hip Hop, Latin funk, Salsaton and Reggaeton. Being of Peruvian descent, her individual style is influenced by Afro-Latino vibes and, more recently, Dancehall flow. She has been dancing for over 12 years and since joining the Subsdance family has developed a strong passion for Afrobeats and Latin fusions. Amongst Allison's achievements is having choreographed dance performances which won state championships for two consecutive years, having her work showcased on TV and joining the Subsdance Queenz. When it comes to dancing, Allison hopes to instill in her class the passion and encouragement needed to forget about the day’s worries and focus on re-energising oneself. Nathalie Espinoza
Samba Instructor Nat's been dancing a range of different styles over the past 12 years, including salsa, bellydance and samba. Nat grew up watching samba at community festivals, and a few years ago decided to try a Samba class at Subsdance. She was immediately hooked by the drums and energy of it all, but also by the rich history and culture that samba embodies. Since then Nat's been to Carnaval and trained with an array of different samba artists in Brazil and here at home. Being trained in Samba no pé, Malandro style, Samba de roda, Afro-Brazilian dance as well as axé. Nat has also competed a few times, something she never thought she would do. 'Samba for me is about more than just the feathers - it’s about feeling, expression and connection to the music and Brazilian culture. Community is at the heart of Samba and Subsdance has become my second home - come be a part of the Subsdance community!' Kerrie Anne
Samba Instructor Kerrie-Anne grew up taking dance classes and first found her love for teaching when she spent three years coaching Brisbane based Cheerleaders. Upon moving to Canberra, she fell in love with Subsdance and quickly submersed herself in the many different styles the studio has to offer. Kerrie-Anne has trained in Afro Brazilian, Dancehall, Reggaeton, Afrobeats, Salsa and the style that quickly became a favourite, Samba. She is a member of Subsdance's professional samba team, The Glamourosas and is also a part of the Subsdance Queenz. She regularly performs at gigs, dance festivals and corporate and charity events and has entered a number of competitions including the 2017 Australian Samba Queen Competition where she was crowned Samba Muse. New to the Subsdance Instructor Team, she hopes to share her enthusiasm and love for samba with her students and inspire them to bring out their inner divas! Get ready for a fun-filled class that will fill you with energia and empower you to be your fiercest self! Aaron Kenny
ZUMBA Instructor Aaron has been dancing since Year 5 where he started with the dance activities at his school and was inspired to go and try a proper dance class, since then Aaron hasn't looked back. Competing in various dance competitions and local talent shows as well as local musicals. Aaron had the opportunity to go to the Global Dance Convention and his interest for dancing turned into a passion. He got to learn from some of America's best choreographers and was inspired to do more. In 2016 Aaron's dance had to come to a halt as he became unwell. This is where he decided to turn to ZUMBA, combinding both his passion for dance and fitness. Aaron wants to inspire others to achieve their goals of living a healthy and happy lifestyle. |
