Lara began her dancing career with her mother, Terri Charlesworth OAM CitWA, and travelled extensively studying at many major dance institutions throughout the world. In 1981 Lara successfully auditioned for the Victorian College of the Arts, and later at age 15 she was accepted into the Australian Ballet School where she once again trained under Terri. In 1985 she was awarded a scholarship to attend ‘L’Academie de Danse Classique de Princess Grace’ in Monte Carlo, studying with Marika Besobrasova and many other world-renowned dance teachers. From 1986 Lara was chosen to perform professionally with ‘Ballet de Monte Carlo’ and ‘L’Opera de Monte Carlo’, performing throughout France and Italy.

After settling back in Perth, Lara performed in numerous guest performances in WA and also embarked on a dance teaching career. She was quickly promoted to Senior Classical Ballet Teacher for elite training programmes including the Graduate College of Dance, and more recently the Junior Professional Course and Youth Ballet WA. From 1991 to 1996 Lara was also Assistant Director of the Terri Charlesworth Ballet Centre where she managed the ballet school of 12 locations. To this day she remains a Senior Examiner for Classical Ballet examinations.

Throughout her career, Lara has worked very closely alongside her mother Terri and has had extensive professional development training in dance teaching, including international teacher training tours of the Kirov Vaganova Ballet Academy in St Petersburg, Russia; GITIS Teacher training school in Moscow; Hambuurg Staatsoper Ballet Schule and other leading dance schools throughout Europe. Her studies have included teaching methodology; anatomy; music theory; dance history; contemporary and creative dance; prevention and care of injuries and much more.

With two young pre-schoolers of her own and recognising her passion for a quality dance programme in the early childhood years, Lara commenced teaching for Kindy Dance Time® in 2001. In 2005 she became Director.

Avril brings a wealth of dance and teaching experience to Kindy Dance Time, having commenced her dance studies from a young age including Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Highland, Drama, Singing and Acrobatics. In 1996 she was accepted in John Curtin School of Performing Arts in the Theatre Arts programme. From there she attended Hampton Senior High School specialist dance program and was awarded DUX OF DANCE in 1997 and 1999. Avril has vast dance and teaching experience over the past 13 years with 2-17 year old students and has obtained a Graduate Diploma of Education (Teaching & School Psychologist). Avril commenced teaching for Kindy Dance Time in 2009 and has endeared herself to many children and parents alike, proving her exceptional teaching skills. We are thrilled to have Miss Avril on board our team!

With her extensive teaching and performance experience, we are thrilled to introduce Miss Cindy to the Kindy Dance Time team this year!

Cindy’s own dance training as a child included Jazz Ballet and Ballroom dancing. In her teenage years she streamlined her focus into Ballroom and achieved many State Titles.

Her love of performance lead her into an entertainment career spanning 18 years to the present day, where she stills performs regularly with the popular Music Duo “Juliet’s Diary”.

Cindy has had extensive dance and fitness teaching experience, particularly in the early childhood years. Her natural warmth and bubbly personality endears her to the many children she has taught over the years. We are delighted to welcome Cindy on board our team!

Bio coming soon …

Donna commenced her dance training as a young child, studying many forms including Classical, Jazz and Tap dance. She continued her training, specialising in Tap and Jazz and was also engaged in Modelling work. In her early twenties, Donna danced professionally in Japan and Korea. After the birth of her child in 1998, Donna completed her Diploma in Teacher Assistance at ECU, and has been employed at Kindergarten and Primary schools throughout Perth. She has also been involved in implementing a Perceptual Motor Program for Early Childhood Units at schools and has had great experience teaching an early childhood dance programme in Child Care Centres. Donna began teaching for Kindy Dance Time in 2005 and has just returned from Maternity leave. She has proven to be an extremely motivating and inspiring dance teacher, and we are so excited to have her onboard our team!

Fiona’s core dance training from an early age was in Classical Ballet with Beverley Rowles in Wollongong. She completed her dance training at an elite level with the prestigious McDonald College in Sydney. Fiona was then accepted in to the West Australian Ballet Company. Over the next fourteen years she performed professionally in numerous featured roles throughout Australia, many of those created for her.

Other highlights of her outstanding performing career were her pivotal role and active participation in the West Australian Ballet’s Education Program and her active mentoring of younger company members. Fiona has spoken to thousands of school children around WA as a positive role model. She also volunteered as adjudicator and teacher in a number of awards and bursaries for dance students.

Since 2004, Fiona has gained extensive teaching experience in many levels from pre-primary to tertiary dance students. Now with two preschool aged children of her own, guiding kindy-aged children into the world of dance is her first love. Fiona commenced with Kindy Dance Time in 2010 and has already proven herself to be an exceptional teacher. Passing her love and wealth of experience to our Kindy Dance Timers, we feel truly blessed to have her onboard our team!

Janette graduated with a First Class Honours Degree in Performing Arts from London Metropolitan University. She is a performer, theatre maker and movement and drama workshop facilitator for children and young adults. She believes passionately that our moving body is an amazing tool to express our individual creativity!

Janette embraces movement, comedy and storytelling in her performances and will be showing her new work at the Blue Room Theatre, Perth in August 2011. She is also a regular storyteller in Perth’s Barefaced Stories event and one of her stories was broadcasted on Perth radio in June 2011.

Janette facilitates workshops for Starlight Children’s Foundation and recently managed the children’s program for the Wild West Comedy Festival. Janette is super excited to share her energy, experience and skills with our Kindy Dance Timer’s and looks forward to nurturing their unique creative expression.

Jude began her dance training at six years of age, studying many varied styles including Classical, Jazz and Tap dance. Her love of children lead her into a career in early childhood. With a Diploma in Social Science obtained from Meeralinga, Jude has worked with young children for over 20 years. She incorporated her love of performing arts, by creating and implementing dance and music sessions for children aged 2-6 years, in weekly developmental programmes. She has also enhanced her education of early childhood development attending many varied courses on growth and play, learning, and music. Jude also holds a Diploma in Nutrition and is a mother to two teenage children. She began teaching for Kindy Dance Time® in 2005 and has endeared herself to many hundreds of students!

Lisa began dancing at the age of 4, studying a variety of dance styles including Tap, Jazz, Classical and Contemporary with Vivienne Dance Academy. She competed in many competitions and performed regularly with Vivienne’s troupe.

She attended The University of Melbourne (B.A. Psychology, Social Science) where she was inspired by various anthropologists who stressed the importance of ritual in Latin and African culture. She departed two years after graduation for South America to do her own fieldwork in Latin American dance and culture.

The Latin American experience transformed Lisa’s life. She delighted in training with champion Latin dancers in Colombia, competing in the World Salsa Championships in Puerto Rico and performing with Son De Luz’s troupe for major events around Colombia. Whilst living overseas she enjoyed learning traditional dances, theatrical movement and mime from Peru and Bolivia and also teaching dance and creative movement in orphanages and hospitals. In Brazil, Lisa also studied Afrobrazilian dance and Capoiera. Moved by the powerful connection between movement and the mind, Lisa undertook a course in dance therapy in Buenos Aires.

After returning home to Melbourne in 2005 Lisa completed a Graduate Diploma in Creative Arts Therapy at MIECAT. She began working as a Dance Therapy Assistant for young children with Downs Syndrome. Immediately she began incorporating the dances she had learned into her choreography and also began teaching ‘Afrodanza’, a unique combination of African, Jazz and Contemporary dance at the Cuban Dance Academy. She is also especially proud of her Creative Arts Therapy Program she developed which aimed to help people suffering from severe mental illness, a channel to express themselves through the arts.

We are so thrilled to welcome Lisa with all of her wonderful experience and talent, on board our team in Melbourne. We know the little ones are certain to warm to her with open arms!

Michelle began dancing as a young child and developed a great love and passion for Jazz Ballet, Tap dance and music appreciation. She continued dance for many years and to this day Michelle participates in adult dance classes, recently developing her skills in Zumba, Hip-hop and Latin dance. Her love of the arts also lead her to learn and become an accomplished player of the Piano and Drums. She has performed musically and dramatically throughout the years.

Michelle is a fun loving and energetic person who’s love for dance, music, drama and children has lead her into her dream job of a Kindy Dance Time teacher. She has seen first hand the amazing effect this programme has had on her beautiful daughter and is very overjoyed to share it with our Kindy Dance Timers! Indeed Michelle already has many students who adore her warm and caring personality and her love of teaching. We are very excited to have Michelle join our team!

Nel began her dance training at a young age studying Classical Ballet, Tap and Modern techniques and continued through her university years in the UK. During this time she performed in many dance productions and was the recipient of several dance awards, including the Bishop prize for Dance at the University of Bath. Nel also studied Piano undertaking Royal Academy of Music performance and theory exams to Grade 5 level, and has been involved in various choirs and choral societies as a soloist and group singer.

Establishing her career as a Professional Linguist in London, Nel also maintained her passion for dance and endeavoured to keep dance as a part of her adult life. Now as a mother of two, and settling into Perth she has recently taught and facilitated music sessions for 0-5 year olds, proving to be very popular with children and parents alike. We are thrilled to announce that Miss Nel is joining our Kindy Dance Time team. With her warm and engaging personality and oodles of enthusiasm to share her wonderful knowledge and passion for dance, she is capturing the hearts of our gorgeous Kindy Dance Timers!

Nikki began dancing at age 6 and continued her studies at The Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School and The West Australian Academy of Performing Arts learning all styles of dance and graduating with distinction.

Her professional dance career began with The West Australian Ballet Company and continued with Sydney Dance Company before moving over seas. She was engaged by Stella Opern in Hamburg Germany dancing for 3 years before becoming resident choreographer of several European productions of Phantom of the Opera. She toured the world in musicals such as Cats, Phantom, Beauty and the beast, Tanz der Vampire and Miss Saigon. She was a dancer for the acclaimed International Dance Festival for Professional dancers and choreographers in London.

After moving back to Australia in 2003, Nikki worked with Opera Queensland as a dancer, Dance Captain and Assistant Director as well as a lecturer in movement and stagecraft at The Queensland Conservatorium of Music and The Unversity of Queensland. She was also a ballet teacher for school age children at Theatre and Dance and also taught dance classes at Primary Schools.

The Australian Opera brought Nikki to Melbourne for their 2009 season to perform in Madame Butterfly and she has been living here ever since. She opened her own adult ballet school Dance Umbrella after completing a business course and is also currently working as co-choreographer for a new children’s stage show called Numbat and Friends.

Nikki has 2 primary school age children and is delighted to be joining Kindy Dance Time. We are thrilled to have her on board our team and know she is a very valuable teacher indeed!

Penny began dancing at four years of age, studying Ballet, Tap, Jazz, and Song & Dance. She continued her dance education for over twenty years, broadening her passion into studying such styles as Flamenco, African, Belly Dance, Contemporary, Hip-hop, Salsa and Tango. As a teenager, Penny also studied drama at the National Theatre Drama School and has been involved in numerous theatre productions – a love that she still actively cultivates through her involvement with the Williamstown Little Theatre. She completed a Bachelor of Arts in Performance Studies, providing her with a rich education in the modern and post-modern movements of dance, and went on to create and perform in numerous independent performances. Penny also has great experience teaching creative movement to adults and children with intellectual disabilities. Now, with two pre-schoolers of her own, she is thrilled to bring her dance and performance experience to our Kindy Dance Timers in Melbourne!

Sian has followed her passion of musical theatre, dance and performance from the age of six. Since then she has had extensive experience performing in radio, film and on stage. She has performed in many productions from “Oliver” to “Sound of Music”, “Aida”, “Snow White” and “Les Miserables”, plus many more.

In 2005, Sian became involved with YOH Fest, WA’s largest Youth Drama Festival for High School students. Contributing to the organisation and planning, she now continues to be in demand as a regular judge for this event. With her love of the Arts, Sian completed a Bachelor of Communications with a double major in 2008.

In 2009, Sian founded the performing arts and drama based programme for young children in Perth - “SCRIPTED”. With a love for young children, Sian also trained to become a Kindy Dance Time teacher during this time and taught at various location throughout Perth. She became an instant hit with our little ones!

Sian has recently returned from the UK, where she worked with various early childhood development programmes and initiatives over the past two years. She has currently enrolled in a Masters in Education in Perth, WA. We are so excited to have Sian back on board the Kindy Dance Time team. We know the children will adore her engaging personality … and also learn from her wonderful background and love of dance and performance.