Miss Stephanie: Director
Mr Jordan: RAD Ballet
Mr Jordan graduated from the Australian Ballet School in 2017 with an Advanced Diploma of Dance and a Graduate Diploma of Classical Ballet. He has also performed with the Australian Ballet’s Regional Tour in both 2016 and 2017. Jordan has a passion for teaching strong dependable technique that supports his students so they have the ability to explore their artistry through movement. Jordan is also a current student at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music studying a Bachelor of Music (Performance) in their Music Theatre degree.
Miss Valerie:
Hi, my name is Miss Valerie and I’m so excited to come back to Ignite as a Teacher! I trained at Ignite as a student from age 4 to 17 in all styles and competed throughout the years as a soloist and a part of troupes.
I then went on to complete a Diploma in Performing Arts and Dance Teaching at Brent Street Performing Arts.
Following all my training I have been signed with Focus Talent Agency where I have participated in several productions, most recently appearing in the latest Mcdonalds Ad.
I am super excited to work with the students at Ignite and utilise all the tools I’ve learned so far in the industry.
Miss Santiana:
Miss Santiana studied a Diploma in Performing Arts (Elite Performance) from Brent Street Studios and has always had a passion for dancing and performing since her early childhood. She started dancing at the age of 6 and started training seriously to become a professional dancer when she was 12.
She has trained in jazz, hip hop, tap, contemporary, lyrical, musical theatre and ballet and has been part of many prestigious competitions and shows during her high school years. During these years, Santiana has developed her own style which is more of an urban/commercial style of dance and loves to share the knowledge and experience she has acquired so far with Ignite students.
Mr Aaron:
Having been a part of award-winning productions from a young age, Aaron decided to focus his efforts on tap dance in 2015. He has received training from The Forge Tap Project, Tap Dogs and other leading figures in Australian tap dance. After receiving an Emerging Artist award from the Australian Tap Dance Festival in 2017, he featured in The Forge Tap Company’s inaugural performance, Alpha, and co-created the tap duo Two Soles with Tania Gould.
Aaron spent the summer of 2020 in Auckland teaching classes and choreographing competition pieces, and the subsequent lockdowns directing a long-distance video collaboration between 20+ tap dancers from across Australia and beyond.
Currently, Aaron spends his time teaching tap all over Sydney, training students of all ages and ability levels, including advanced diploma students at Brent Street. He also conducts workshops, either organised himself or as part of the Australian Tap Dance Festival’s Sydney masterclass line-up. He especially enjoys teaching improvisation and thrives on watching his students’ confidence and personal style grow.
Miss Olivia:
In 2023, Olivia graduated from ED5INTERNATIONAL, earning an advanced diploma in performing arts under the mentorship of William A Forsythe.
She embarked on her dance journey at the age of 2, delving into musical theatre classes at 7. Olivia is trained in musical theatre, jazz, tap, lyrical, contemporary, ballet, hip hop, partnering, and acro, Olivia also has been trained professional in singing and acting (for stage and screen)
She began teaching at 13 and loves sharing her creativity and passion with her students.
Over the past year, Olivia launched her professional performance career – Dance captain in Carols in the Domain 2023 performing alongside Rhonda Burchmore, working as a performer at Luna Park Sydney, and backup dancing for DJ’s like “KAOS.”
With a deep passion for Musical Theatre, Olivia looks forward to imparting her knowledge and experience so far to the students at Ignite.
Miss Georgia:
Georgia is a passionate and accomplished dancer training in numerous styles since the age of 3. Growing up in Canberra, Georgia first immersed herself into the world of dance with Classical Ballet & Jazz, and soon added everything from lyrical and contemporary to tap and musical theatre. She has taken class throughout Australia and overseas with countless inspiring teachers including Ellias Garcia, Victor Zarello, Nicole Aspinall and Matthew Shilling, igniting her passion for teaching early in life.
Georgia has completed all Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) ballet exams, from Pre-Primary to Advanced 2, and holds a distinction in Advanced 2 under the classical training of Matthew Shilling.
Her dance repertoire includes everything from classical ballet, jazz, contemporary and lyrical, to tap, hip-hop, musical theatre and acrobatics.
Georgia has taught dance for 5 years and prepared numerous students for their RAD exams. She is also a certified Acrobatic Arts instructor and strives to not only make her classes fun, but always employ proper technique, ensuring safety for all her students.
She has many highlights from her time dancing, in performing both locally and interstate with high achievements. One of her all time favourite memories was performing in Disneyland, California, Universal Studios and on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, LA.
Georgia is currently studying a Diploma of Dance at Ettingshausens Pro, refining her years of training and performance. She is a passionate, dedicated teacher who is always looking for innovative ways to engage her students, explore their movement and creativity and development their kids.
Miss Estelle:
Hi, I’m Miss Estelle and I’m so excited to start teaching at Ignite. I have trained as a dancer in all styles for 16 years with 15 of them being right here at Ignite. Being a student at Ignite provided me with the opportunity to complete the DanceStep program, which has lead me to where I am now. I’ve also represented Ignite as a soloist and a troupe member throughout the years.
I am currently studying a Bachelor of Primary Education and a Bachelor of Performing Arts at Macquarie University.
I’m looking forward to working with all the students at Ignite and I hope to pass on the same love of dance that was created for me at Ignite.
Stephanie has a dance/dance teaching career that spans over 30 years. Starting at the age of 5, she quickly fell in love with dance, ballet and contemporary in particular. She completed her RAD examinations through to advanced levels during her teenage years, also sitting for examinations in tap. She began teaching at her local dance studio at 17 years of age. At 18 she began her double degree of Bachelor of Dance/Bachelor of Education at UNSW. This degree included such studies as anatomy, teaching pedagogy, dance theory, technique classes and regular performance work. At 21 years of age and while in her third year of university, she opened Ignite Dance Co. (then known as SD Dance Studio) and her studio director journey began!
Stephanie taught for many years at local schools in the area whilst building Ignite up, slowly growing to the point she could rely solely on the studio. During this time she completed her accreditation with the NSW Department of Education. These years of working in schools, whilst running Ignite, only cemented her teaching skills and understanding of children and how they learn.
A love and knowledge of music also helps Stephanie to teach dance from a different approach. Having trained as a flautist for 15 years, she also taught music while studying at university. This knowledge allows her to show her students how to really listen to the music they are dancing to, how to use it to express their emotions and how to manipulate music to make their choreography more dynamic and enjoyable.
Stephanie has a love for contemporary dance in particular but enjoys teaching all styles, especially technique classes. Having trained mainly in RAD ballet, BAL tap, contemporary and jazz she has a strong technical base to work from when passing on her knowledge. She continually builds on her education through courses and being involved in teaching associations, striving to always better herself and her teaching. She believes that every child should have the chance to experience dance and the joy it can bring. The best part of her job is seeing her students grow into responsible and kind adults and she loves keeping in touch with all her students and their families from over the years.
She currently teaches all contemporary classes, troupe and soloists.
Stephanie has two young children and while busy juggling family life with running a studio, wouldn’t have it any other way!
Miss Caitlin: Co-Director
Beginning her first dance classes at the early age of 4, Caitlin trained in a number of dance styles over the years including ballet, jazz, contemporary & tap, however focused mainly on classical ballet, training in R.A.D through to advanced levels.
While continuing with dance training and starting to take on teaching roles within Ignite, Caitlin took on a different route in her early adult years – she followed another growing passion of hers and completed a Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood at Macquarie University. This led to a number of years of experience working closely with young children, in both early childhood and primary school settings.
However, while maintaining her dance teaching during the early years of Ignite, and after a few short years focusing on teaching in a school setting, Caitlin chose to turn back to her real passion in dance and being able to gift this to her students. The combination of the joy of dance along with the theory & practice behind early learning quickly became a new focus for her and one that is now steadily thriving within the studio.
In 2012, with the steady growth of Ignite, Caitlin moved on from only teaching a number of classes per week by taking on the role of Co-Director. She has been heavily involved in the management of all aspects of the studio since. Being part of the studio in this way has been so rewarding, especially due to truly being a part of each student’s (and their parent’s) dance journey, and to watch them grow from tiny dancers into confident, talented young adults!
Caitlin currently creates & runs all of our Ignite Kids program, along with teaching jazz, ballet, performance teams & technique classes amongst our youngest age groups.
Miss Lucy: Reception/Administration
Lucy has been immersed in the dance world for over 25 years, with 15 years experience as a teacher, studio manager and studio owner. Lucy completed her full time ballet training with Classé Ballet Academy in 2012, studying under Susan Wuele, Azure Dixon and Garth Welch, former principal with the Australian Ballet.
Lucy loves being surrounded by the dance world and strives to create a supportive, safe, joyous studio space for the students of Ignite.
Bachelor of Arts, Science & Economics | USYD, Cert. Business Management | IAOBM, Cert. Public Engagement | IAP2, R.A.D Adv 2, Working With Children Check WWC0655558E
ARAD