Experience and Career Highlights

2001-2017

After completing a Bachelor of Dance from The Victorian College of Arts in 2003 I was based in the UK for seven years. Here I collaborated with a number of multi arts, performance based collectives developing and facilitating community arts projects, touring, making and performing new dance works.

The most influential to my practice was my experience (6 years) with The FATHoM Project, a collective of professional artists with and without disabilities. Key collaborators Adam Benjamin (founder of CanDoCo UK) and Caroline Bowditch (CEO Arts Access VIC)  ignited my passion and informed my inclusive dance practice working with the community. I also played key roles in securing funding from Arts Council England, National Lottery UK. Museums Libraries and Archives, as well as various stakeholders including community groups, theaters, festivals and schools.

Also in the UK I was a founding member of MOTHER, a dance collective. We secured funding from Arts Council England and Northern Skills Cultural Partnership to explore our creative dance practice developing ‘The Inbetween Spaces’ performance work, which was invited to Copenhagen and shown throughout northern England.

I have since contributed to regional arts and dance projects while based now back in Australia.  In addition to dance I have also been employed by public schools as an integration aide supporting students with special needs for two years. I have gained an insight into schools, students' experiences and their needs. I can see clearly how my practice can fit within schools and meaningfully contribute to the growing issues faced by students such as anxiety, trauma, physical fitness and now the effects of covid and homeschool.

After recent maternity leave I have been regularly sharing positive inclusive dance practice in my regional community independently by starting a small business, Big Blue Dance Co, and am excited to expand this work into all types of schools to reach more participants outside of the private dance studio setting, increasing access to the artform, promoting inclusivity in the arts and meaningful change.

2021 - 2024

Over the last two years I have developed a large dance following with a mature demographic in my local regional community. As a cofounder of Bellarine Peninsula Rockers providing RockNRoll dance lessons and social dance events. Also introducing SwingFit with Wendy licenced dance fitness method established in the UK. 

Currently I am directing the second season of Creaky Dance Theatre. Funded by the City of Greater Geelong. Founded to provide an opportunity for women over 50 to explore contemporary dance by participating in a theatre production at The Potato Shed on the Bellarine Peninsula. 

AWARDS

Currently nominated and shortlisted for ‘Women in Community, education category’  City of Greater Geelong.

Danceography

2013 Choreographic commission for Arts Out West, NSW

2009 The FATHoM Project 2009-10 (performer) Tour including, Decibel Showcase

Manchester, TaPRA Conference Plymouth, Sadlers Wells London. Funded by Arts

Council England

2009 ‘Trading Places’ – Commissioned by Dance City, Director of ‘Yield’ research and

development into dance and arts in and around community allotments.

2009 ‘Turning on a Sixpence’ – Choreographer and performer. commissioned by Dance City,

collaboration directed by Alan Lyddiard, exploring stories of refugees and asylum

seekers in multidisciplinary performance based at The Crisis Centre, Newcastle

Upon Tyne.

2009 IMPROV LAB – Co Director and facilitator. A series of workshops that are open to

movement, theatre, sonic and visual artists. The workshops enable both disabled and

non-disabled artists to network and share their practice through improvisation.

Newcastle upon Tyne.

2009 Creative project collaboration with Architecture and Fine Art Departments, Newcastle

University, co-director and facilitator, MOTHER CIC

2009 Platform 000000009 Live Art Festival, Star and Shadow Cinema, Newcastle upon

Tyne. Commissioned to create and perform multi disciplinary performance.

2008 ‘Swimming Pretty’ Short film, Commissioned by Northern Film and Media, Screened

-09 Northern Stage, Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle Upon Tyne, DANCE:FILM 09 at the

Edinburgh Film Festival, and the live space at Glastonbury Music Festival

2008 Dancer, Research and development, Directed by Coral Lee, Dance Base, Edinburgh

2008 ‘Brief Encounters’ Scottish Dance Theatre, DCA, Dundee

Site-specific improvisation collaboration.

2008 ‘Slight’ New work choreographed by Adam Benjamin, The

FATHoM Project, premiere Dance City, UK, Funded by Arts Council England

2008 MOTHER rural tour or ‘The Inbetween Spaces’ Northern UK, co-director and performer,

community dance facilitator

2008 ‘Between Here And There’ Stockton International Festival, directed by Molly Sturges in

collaboration with the Silver Singers community choir, social workers, individuals and

families without or in between homes. Commissioned by Dance City, UK

2007 Liz Lea Dance, Choreographic research and showing at Parramatta Riverside Theatre,

Sydney, Aus

2007 Newcastle Improvisation Collective, Co-founder, regular contact improvisation

workshops and events

2007 ‘The Inbetween Spaces’ a MOTHER production, co-director and

performer, DC:UK season. Funded by Arts Council England and Dance City

2007 ‘Type’ new work The FATHoM Project, tour, collaborator and

performer, funded by Arts Council England, Northern Rock Foundation, Buddle Arts

Centre.

2007 Choreographic Mentor for ‘Green Go’, a MOTHER production supported by Dance City

2006 ‘Self Placed’ Director/Producer, an Arts Council England funded digital

-07 dance video project. Screened through out Europe and South America

2006 MOTHER – Co-founder director/performer, Newcastle, UK, multi-disciplinary

-09 performance company (www.motherproject.co.uk,) ongoing projects

2005 The FATHoM Project, multidisciplinary performance company

-09 Newcastle, UK (www.thefathomproject.com), ongoing projects

2005 The FATHoM Project, two year inclusive dance project working with community

-06 groups with disabilities, Hartlypool Museum Gallery Funded by Museums Libraries and

Archives (MLA)

2005 No Limits Theatre Company, Facilitator, Sunderland, UK

2005 Open Practice workshops (founder) Supported Dance City, Newcastle, UK

2005 Dance Film ‘Beyond Now’ - Choreographer/performer, funded by Creative New

Zealand, Massey University, Palmerston North, Directed by David Reid. Screened

Estonia, UK, Denmark.

2005 EmaNoN Dance Company, Performer, company class leader, Newcastle, UK

2004 Edinburgh Fringe Festival ‘Noble and Silver Show’, UK

Assistant Choreographer and performer directed by Stewart Silver and Kim Noble

2004 Traveling Scholarship (Rossenove)& Work Experience:

Gallili Dance, Groningham, NL, Manheim Ballet, Germany

2003 Secondments, Australian Dance Theatre, Buzz Dance

Theatre, Chunky Move, AUS

2003 Director and performer in ‘Journey’ outdoor multi disciplinary event,

Federation Square, Funded by Melbourne, AUS

2003 Beyond Butoh Dance Festival, AUS

Directors – Umi Umiumiare, Tony Yap

Choreographer/performer

2003 Melbourne Fringe Festival, AUS

‘Dancing Shorts’ Mudfest, choreography, performer

Director - Annette Evens

2003 VCA Graduate performance performed works by Stephanie Lake, Phillip Adams, Anna

Smith

2002 Liquid Skin Dance Company, Melbourne, AUS

Director – Rochelle Carmichael

2002 ‘Amniosis’, Choreographer, Great Escapes Festival

Melbourne Fringe Festival, AUS

2001 Shandy Independent Dance Company, Melbourne, AUS

Director – Melanie West

2001 Verve Productions Season, Chapel St Theatre, Melbourne, AUS

Director: Bridget Bantick

2001 VCA Regional Tour, performing works by Leigh Warren, Lucy Guerin

2000 Dance entertainment season contract, Andaman Resort, THAILAND

Director: Dianne Heaton

1999 Dance entertainment season contract, Club Chorus, GREECE

Director: Megan Ailet

1998 Sydney Festival Ballet, AUS

-99 Directors: Hassan Sheater, Janice Graham

1998 Entity Dance Collective, Graham technique based choreographic works. Various

performances in and around Sydney, AUS

Director: Mira Mansell