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Jane Khoo Casey Cheah Catherine Day Shihoko Fukumori Sheldon Gonsalves Shermaine Heng Jane Khoo Liz Kong Anna Levene David Lih Gary Nguyen Govind Pillai Alana Pryor Heather Robertson Salvadore Christina Smith Jessica Tivendale Jenna Trayner Connie Tsang Winny Wiesano President Vice-President Treasurer Secretary |
Casey Cheah "Dance just makes you happy! It's something you always come back to, no matter what else is happening in your life." Casey trained in classical ballet (RAD) with various teachers including Martin Rubinstein at Audrey Nichols Eve King School of Ballet and Mt Waverley School of Ballet for 14 years, and completed major examinations including and up to pre-intermediate. She continued her dance training at Deakin University, as well as at the Space taking jazz and contemporary classes with Robert Sturrock and Dana Jolly. She then started latin with Kathryn Hickman at Space and has since completed almost 4 years in latin and ballroom at Forever Dance. She is currently preparing for her Premier Star Latin and Gold ballroom medals. She has danced in the Closing Ceremony of the Commonwealth Games 2002, taught classical, jazz and contemporary for 3 years, studied capoeira, and danced in FDC's 2010 production 'Reflections'. |
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| Catherine Day Catherine started dancing when she was 13 at the public high school in Kalgoorlie, WA. She mainly danced jazz and contemporary and a year of acrobatics before starting gymnastics at the age of 15. Catherine moved away from her family at the age of 17 to pursue contemporary dance study in Melbourne. She is now in her second year of dance studies at Deakin University. Further to her studies, Catherine is a member of the Deakin University Cheerleading and Pom Squad, coaches gymnastics at Wesley College and is loving dancing with FDC. | ||||
 | Shihoko Fukumori Shihoko started learning and performing for Studio One Dance Academy in the country town of Mansfield in 1997. Seeking to broaden the dance experience, she joined Flare Dance Ensemble at The University of Melbourne in 2003, performing in Footnotes (2003) and Rhythmicity (2004). After completing a Bachelor of Physiotherapy, Shihoko returned to dance with Flare Dance Company. Shihoko’s favourite styles are jazz and hip-hop. | |||
| Sheldon Gonsalves Sheldon has been dancing with FDC since 2008. He choreographed a latin ballroom dance item in FDC's inaugural production Metamorphosis. Sheldon was also the President of Monash DanceSport and has trained in ballroom, latin, street latin and salsa. | ||||
 | Shermaine Heng Shermaine started classical ballet training at the age of 4 with the Singapore Ballet Academy, before moving into contemporary dance at age 13. During her secondary school years she performed at numerous dance events and competitions with her school's dance team between 2003-2006. She first ventured into choreography at the age of 16 with Contradanza (2006), where she was one of the two dancers selected to choreograph for her school's annual production alongside other professional choreographers. Contradanza was well received and selected to perform in a dance repertoire at the Esplanade Dance Festival in 2006. Shermaine took a year off dance for studies in 2007, before joining Melbourne University's Flare Dance Ensemble as a choreographer and dancer in 2008. She has been with the dance group ever since as a production & gig choreographer, dancer and teacher. Her contemporary works include Predator (2008), Free (2009), Time (2009), Anguish (2010), A Madhattan Tea Party (2011) and several more works to come in 2011. Other works include more than ten lyrical and jazz short pieces both within and outside the university dance group. Time, originally performed at the 2009 dance production was selected to perform at the Melbourne University's Union Awards Ceremony in 2009. She served as the Treasurer of Flare Dance Ensemble in 2009, before taking on the position of President in 2010, and subsequently as Acting President in 2011. She has also taught a variety of lyrical jazz and contemporary classes at Passion Studios in 2009 and 2011, before putting them on hold to focus on other dance commitments. Shermaine also travels to London at the end of every year to expand her contemporary horizons as both a dancer and choreographer. | |||
 | Jane Khoo For information about Jane’s dance background, please refer to the Artistic Director’s page. | |||
 | Liz Kong Hong Kong-born Liz Kong (aka ‘Lizzie K’) first stepped into the dance world as a 13-year-old at the Try Youth Dance School and trained in jazz, tap and ballet for four years. Liz reminisces that her mother took her to her first dance lesson and she had always supported and encouraged Liz throughout her years in high school and university. Her passion for dance was thus instilled and continues to burn strongly a decade later. While completing her Bachelors degree in Law and Commerce at Melbourne University, Liz joined the Flare Dance Ensemble and trained extensively in jazz, ballet, contemporary and hip hop/funk over the next five years. She performed in numerous large-scale productions, gigs with the Flare Dance Ensemble and performed with RMIT group ‘Poise’n’ on several occasions. As one of the dancers of Flare Dance Ensemble who emerged as champions in the RMIT group dance competition "Battle of the Groove: Breaking Boundaries" in 2002, Liz’s talents extend beyond the realm of dance. She has achieved success in various pageants around Melbourne such as being a finalist in ‘Miss Chinese Community Quest 2001’ and a runner-up in ‘Miss University 2005’. This singer in the Victorian State Singers (1998 - 2000) and ex-Secretary of the Flare Dance Ensemble currently works as an analyst in the International Tax/Mergers & Acquisition Group at Deloitte and has an interest in Astrophysics and Formula One. | |||
 | This English, Russian girl Anna Lavinksi known as Anna Levene started to dance as a tiny tot at the age of 3. It all came very naturally to her as she danced her way into Silvia Young’s Theatre school, by auditioning in a variety of areas, from singing, dancing and acting. At the age of 8, Anna moved to Australia with her family and continued her dancing through Wendon’s school of dance. At every given moment she was dancing, whether it was at school, her dance classes or around the house, this girl just couldn’t stop dancing. She achieved great success through Wendon competing in several competitions (picking up gold and silver trophies along the way) and stage productions. After taking some time off from dancing, and feeling lost with out, she is now right back into her dance, dancing whenever and wherever she can, currently dancing several times a week at The Space, taking private lessons, and attending dance auditions, this girl just loves to perform and dance. Anna has joined Flare Dance Company to be able to dance and perform on a regular basis aside from her regular classes and lessons. She is also a part of Ministry of Dance’s agency and hopes to be performing and dancing for years to come. | |||
 | David Lih David’s dance training background has been in Hip Hop. He has had roles in the Council for the Arts funded projects Time of Our Life (1997) and Melbourne ’s first Hip Hop musical Bass Anger (2000). David continued to pursue his interest in dance through Flare Dance Ensemble, while completing Bachelor of Arts & Commerce degrees at the University of Melbourne. He choreographed and performed in the Ensemble’s inaugural production Ignite (2002) followed by Footnotes (2003). David joined Flare Dance Company in 2008 to expand his dance skills into jazz and contemporary disciplines. David also dances with Travel Art Dance Company, and performed in the group’s Request (2009) production as part of the Fringe Festival. An avid actor, David has also had several lead roles in staged theatre productions, including a lead role in Zhang Da Li and the Village of Big Eaters (La Mama, 2008), as well as TV & Film credits including Full Frontal, Balibo (2009) and Elise McCredie’s Strange Fits of Passion (ABC, Arena, Film Victoria, 1999), which was selected for the Cannes International Film Festival. David is currently being represented by the Phoenix Artist Management agency, and also works full time in the telecommunications industry as a Product Development Manager. | |||
 | Lily Martin For the past 15 years, Lily Martin has trained in a variety of dance styles including contemporary dance, classical ballet, jazz, African dance and Latin Ballroom dancing. She recently completed a Bachelor of Contemporary Arts majoring in dance at Deakin University with a focus on contemporary dance, choreography, performance and production. During her course, she was exposed to numerous dance teaching approaches, techniques and styles, including Contact Improvisation. Lily has worked with many respected Melbourne-based contemporary dance practitioners from Chunky Move, The VCA and Dance House. Lily enjoys collaborating with other performing artists and performing. She is open to cross-discipline works, “incorporating dance with fire twirling, acrobatics, and other influences to create dynamic works”. Her past performances include “Connective Tissue” and “Sativa” at Deakin University, “No Regrets” at FrostBites and “Blue” a dance video screened at Dance House. Her experience in production aspects has also been wide ranging including choreography, film, editing, illustrating story boards, and costumes design. This versatile dancer with a strong passion currently teaches contemporary dance, jazz and ballet at the Victorian Ballet School. She looks forward to travelling overseas to study traditional dance styles, for example, to Egypt to further her understanding of the Arabic language and culture and perhaps learn Egyptian Belly Dance! Lily hopes to share her love of dance with her students and collaborators and aspires to become a professional in the dance industry. | |||
| Gary Nguyen As a child, Gary’s interest in dance was inspired by the desire to move like the late Michael Jackson. It was not until his early 20s however, that he began to take dance training through Monash Dance Sport. Gary started with street Latin (including salsa, meringue and mambo) before being hit by the infectious rhythms of salsa which he focussed on for the next 2-3 years. Over this time, Gary obtained his bronze and silver medals in street Latin, and his first placing in the street Latin division of the Waverley Dance Festival granted him direct entry into the Crown International Dance Festival. Gary subsequently spent several years learning the more technical Latin-America ballroom style, before developing the passion to perform, rather than compete. In 2008, with this in mind and with the desire to learn other styles, Gary joined the Flare Dance Company. Gary is now also a passionate hip hop and lyrical jazz dancer. | ||||
 | Govind began dancing at the age of 7, specialising in Bharatanatyam, a style of Classical Indian Dance. He is drawn to the intricate rhythms, footwork, and lyrical aspects of this ancient art. For the last 5 years, Govind has been a lead male dancer with the not for profit Samskriti Dance Company (Sydney). He has performed at festival line-ups such as the National Multicultural Festival (Canberra). Govind is also a passionate solo performer, who has choreographed and performed solo works for festivals and community dance events such as the Fine Arts and Cultural Themes Festival (Sydney). His latest solo project has been to perform a feature-length (150minute) solo dance production that was staged in Sydney in Feb 2009 to live music. Govind is also the Melbourne dance correspondent for Sydwhaney, a popular Classical Indian Arts website. Govind enjoys exploring how diverse dance styles and cultures can be blended to create new and innovative work. Govind is also a Management Consultant working with a Melbourne-based consulting firm. | |||
 | Alana Pryor With the dream of wearing a tutu and pointe shoes, Alana Pryor began dancing at the age of 6 years in ballet and jazz styles under the instruction of Janine McCucheon and Bronwyn Stiles in New Zealand. Alana then completed the New Zealand Modern Dance Syllabus - Advanced level. As an adolescent, Alana excelled in theatre, singing and dancing in her school productions as well as musicals of local amateur theatre companies. Her passion was fuelled by her peers and mentors at the Havelock North High School, well-reputed in music and theatre. Over the years, Alana has trained in jazz, funk, ballet and contemporary dance whilst juggling her busy work and study schedule. Her interest in performance prompted her to pursue a degree in Classical Studies and Theatre at Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand. After completing her tertiary studies and moving to Melbourne two years ago, Alana is delighted to be able to embrace dance training fully again. Alana, who describes herself as a “small town beach girl” because of her upbringing in Wine Country, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand, loves the stage, the thrill of performing and the underlying history and theories of staged performances. This receptionist hopes to dance for as long as she can. As Alana continues to work towards fulfilling her dream, she now aspires to learn Latin dance styles such as the Tango in South America to discover and appreciate the historical basis and culture of the moves. | |||
 | Heather Robertson Heather began her dancing life at age 13 with jazz ballet classes at Donna Lierse’s School of Dancing in Bendigo. Three years later she began her foray into ballet training at the grand age of 16. After moving to Melbourne in 2000 she trained in the Vaganova, RAD and Cecchetti Ballet Methods, recently completing the Advanced 2 Cecchetti Ballet Examination with Honours. Over the past 10 years she has also undertaken 3 years full time training at Dance Factory completing their Certificate 3, 4 and Diploma in Performing Arts/Dance, her 1st Year in Bachelor of Contemporary Arts/Dance at Deakin University, and the Community Coach Training Program alongside Fitnessworx’s Active After-school Community program. Her training has seen her undertaking classes in jazz, hip hop, character, musical theatre, contemporary, repertoire, singing, acrobatics, ballet, tap, drama and even a stint at Balinese dancing. She has been a dance teacher for many local dance schools and is looking forward to fulfilling her desire to create substantial choreography with the Company. | |||
 | Salvadore "You have to love dancing to stick to it. It gives you nothing back, no manuscripts to store away, no paintings to show on walls and maybe hang in museums, no poems to be printed and sold, nothing but that single fleeting moment when you feel alive." A dancer and choreographer, Salvadore has had over 10 years collective experience in dance, martial arts and acrobatics. | |||
 | Christina Smith Christina was born with a flair for the dramatic, training in classical ballet, contemporary dance and drama from her early school going years. She continued to dance and act whenever circumstances allowed between schoolwork, undergraduate and postgraduate studies. At university she also started learning ballroom and latin dancing. She'll try her hand at just about any form of the arts at least once and she knows that whatever happens she'll still be dancing when God comes to bring her home. | |||
 | Jessica Tivendale Jessica Tivendale was born in Canberra and grew up in Devonport, Tasmania. She received her first training in the Royal Academy of Dance classical ballet syllabus at the age of ten and trained for eight years under the instruction of former Australian Ballet dancer Caroline Small. Jessica’s talent was recognised with a ‘Most Promising Dancer under 12’ award. Jessica came to Melbourne at the age of 18 to further her education and completed a degree in Contemporary Arts majoring in Dance in 2006. While studying at Deakin University, she was instructed by choreographer Shaun McCloud in the performance of ‘Sativa’ and also choreographed a collaborative work ‘Connective Tissues’. She graduated with distinctions and now continues to train in classical ballet at the Hawthorn Studio of Dance. Jessica’s broad experience includes tap and national dance styles, as well as judo training under the instruction of John Deacon, a former Olympic coach and official. According to this young dancer, she has always enjoyed dancing and feels “incomplete” when unable to do so. Due to previous injuries whilst growing up, Jessica became interested in the healing qualities of dance. She currently teaches classical ballet and contemporary dance at North Balwyn Leisure Centre, while completing an Occupational Therapy degree at Latrobe University. She intends to incorporate dance into her future therapeutic approach. | |||
 | Jenna Trayner Jenna is from a Scottish family and grew up in Sydney before moving to Melbourne in 2006. At the age of 3 Jenna started ballet and continued on at the age of 5 to start Highland Dancing. During Jenna's Highland Dancing career she competed all over the country most weekends. Jenna was a very successful Highland Dancer, wining many competitions and was placed second at the Australian Championships in the intermediate category. Jenna continued doing the Highland Fling and Sword Dance until injuries forced an early retirement. Jenna then joined a Scottish Pipe Band and her goal was to play at en elite level in a grade 1 band. She accomplished this and went on to compete in 3 world championships in Glasgow Scotland with her band gaining 11th place in the world. Jenna also teaches within the Pipe Band community. After many years not dancing Jenna found Flare Dance Company in 2009 and reignited her love for dance. | |||
 | Connie Tsang Perth-born Connie Tsang began dancing jazz and ballet at the age of four. During her undergraduate years at the University of Melbourne, Connie danced with the Flare Dance Ensemble and led the ensemble as Vice-President in 2003. For four years, she trained and excelled in various styles of dance such as contemporary, jazz and hip-hop. She performed in numerous university and public events, such as performing arts festival ‘MudFest’, Union House Theatre’s dance production in 2001 ‘Suitcase ‘O’ Dance’, the opening night show for Metro nightclub and a fashion dance show for boutique brands ‘Pieno’ and ‘PCorp’. Connie's talent and her mastery of complex choreography made her a coveted dancer in three productions by the Flare Dance Ensemble: ‘Ignite’ (2002), ‘Footnotes’ (2003) and ‘Rhythmicity’ (2004). Her impressive performances include roles in pieces such as ‘Lady M. Moulin Rouge’, ‘JJ’, ‘Frozen Moments’, ‘Shanti’, ‘Sirens’ and ‘Encounter The Ultimate’. For the past few years, Connie has broadened her training to include Capoeira, a Brazilian martial art which blends elements of dance, music, acrobatics and fighting. This dance-enthusiast currently works as an optometrist. | |||
 | Winny Wieseno Winny’s first dance performance was for Flare Dance Ensemble’s production 2005 "Elements". This experience ignited a joy and passion for dance which continues to be nurtured through the exploration of new dance styles and training in jazz, contemporary, lyrical hiphop, ballet. Winny continues to pursue her dream of becoming a professional dancer. Winny has been performing for Flare Dance Ensemble since 2006 and joined FDC in 2008. |