Miss Stephanie: Director
Miss Amanda: RAD Exam Ballet
Miss Riley: Musical Theatre, Jazz, Tap, Hiphop and Soloists
Miss Riley (She/They) has been a performing arts teacher for over 6 years teaching dance, singing, and acting across Sydney, Canberra and the South Coast.
Miss Valerie: Tuesday Acro & Saturday Preschool Classes
Miss Valerie is one of our new teachers at Ignite and we are thrilled to have her on board. Miss Valerie will be teaching the Tuesday Acro & Saturday preschool classes 😃
BIO | 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: Pre-Junior Contemporary & Tap, Pre-Teen/Open Hip Hop & Acro
Santiana is currently studying for a Diploma in Performing Arts (Elite Performance) at Brent Street Studios. She 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 would love to share the knowledge and experience she has acquired so far with the children at Ignite Dance.
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 is married with 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.