Our teachers
Dancespace 383 is home to two of the most highly recognised Dance Sport couples in the world. Between them they have accumulated - World, British Open, International, United Kingdom, European & Australian titles. They endeavour to bring to you quality Ballroom Dancing for the beginner to the competitor.
Alan & Donna Shingler
Alan and Donna Shingler have been dancing together for 12 years. Alan is from the UK and Donna is a Thirroul girl. They have won every major event in the World and Donna has won every major title in Australia from an 8 year old Juvenille up to Australian Professional Champions and the onto International with Alan.
Achiemevents:
- British Open Champions
- International Champions
- IMG/TWI World Champions 1998
- 6 times Australian Amateur Champions
- Australian Professional Champions
- Carl Alan award winners
Performances:
- French and Saunders - BBC
- Elton John's 50th Birthday
- Entrapment with Sean Connery
- Cold Comfort Farm
- Shall We Dance
- GMT guests in the UK (Good Morning Television)
- Guest performers Australian Open 2002 Channel 7
Adam & Karen Reeve
Adam and Karen have been dancing together for 8 years. Karen is from Iceland and Adam is from Thirroul. They are the most famous 10 dancing couple in the World. They have achieved the highest accolades in Ballroom Dancing - but have also had success on stage and television.
Achievements:
- World Professional 10 Dance Champions 2003
- 3 x Undefeated European Professional Champions 2000-2004
- 6 times undefeated Australian Professional Champions
- Karen has been voted Icelandic Sportswoman of the Year
- Original cast members of the Wolrd famous stage show "Burn the floor"
Performances:
- Radio City Music Hall on Broadway - New York
- Royal Albert Hall - London
- Universal Studios - Los Angeles
- Teachers to "Dancing with the Stars"
- Directors of OzDance Inc.
Peter Todd
Tina Finch Marshall
Steven Grinbergs
Rachel Plass
Tanaya Webb
Jacqueline Peperkamp
Born on the Melanesian Islands off Eastern Papua New Guinea, her study in dance commenced from the age of 4. She studied classical ballet locally for approximately 12 years. After high school she auditioned for a Melbourne based contemporary dance ensemble ‘St Martin’s Youth Arts Centre’ and performed as a cast member for 3 years. She commenced teaching jazz and modern contemporary dance in her late teens. She was a Victorian state finalist in the ‘National Flash Dance Competition’, danced in various theatre, film and television productions such as ‘Carsons Law’ and ‘Brisbane Breakfast Show’.
Jacquelines main dance focus today is teaching Tribal Style formats, both ATS and Gypsy Caravan Formats. Jacqueline is renowned for her artistic approach with blending traditional and modern Bellydance styles together with her past experience in contemporary dance studies (Graham Murphy Technique).
Jacqueline commenced teaching belly dance in 1996. She opened her first belly dance studio ‘Jewels of the Harem’ in June 2004. Today she teaches weekly classes at Dancespace 383, Wollongong NSW and is often hosted for workshops both state wide & interstate.
Director of Tribal Mosaic - Winter Retreat (a bi-annual event) & is actively involved in co-sponsoring teachers to the Illawarra & organising various Tribal Bellydance events for the Community.
Jacqueline is renowned for adding a contemporary twist in her choreographies, together with her professional dance troupe Tribal Jewels. Jacqueline is experienced in staging at all levels including: stage presentation, choreography, music interpretation, costume design and performance makeup application.
In 2005 Jacqueline was presented with the ‘Amera’s Palace Belly Dance Logie’ for her consistent study and teachings over the last decade.Past teacher training: certificates with Belyssa, Paulette Rees-Denis, Carolena Nerriccio & Megha Gavin. Personal training with Devi Mamak, Colleena Shakti & Gypsy dancer Raki (India). Workshops with Rachel Brice, Blue Damsel and many others in various styles during her earlier years of MED.
Michael Harris
Zoe Pryor
Originally from the Southern Highlands, Zoe has been dancing, competing and performing for over 16 years. Beginning with Gymnastics when she was 7 years of age, she has always had a love of human movement and performing. With training in various styles of dance including, Jazz, Hip-Hop/Funk, Contemporary, R.A.D Ballet and Irish dancing; Zoe brought a new avenue to Dancespace 383 in 2006 and since, her classes have been a great success.
Attending a range of professional dance workshops and performances over the years has provided Zoe with inspiration and dedication within her own dance technique and subsequently, her dance teaching. Zoe has gained extensive experience being involved in many dance competitions, performances and concerts through the Dance Studios she attended throughout her training. She has also become one of the head organisers of the Annual Dancespace 383 Christmas Party and Dance Gala. Being behind the scenes has proven to be a very demanding, rewarding and satisfying job for the young dancer. However, this has not stopped her performing dance pieces with her senior students. Zoe also attends dance lessons locally and in Sydney to continually improve her own technique and to keep up with the latest trends in dance.
Zoe is passionate to provide adequate performance experience for her students. Zoe's students have performed at various events each year around the Illawarra including: Wollongong Crown Street Mall Show, BlueScope Steel Big Day Out, Thirroul Seaside Festival, Illawarra Home & Leisure Show, Relay For Life, SingSensational Concert, Wollongong Crown Street Mall Model Search & the annual Dancespace 383 Christmas Party & Dance Gala.
Zoe is currently half way through completing a 4 year, full-time Undergraduate Degree, Bachelor of Physical and Health Education (B.PHE) at the University of Wollongong. This degree has provided her with the opportunity to teach Human Anatomy for the 1st Year students of the B.PHE Degree. With a passion for teaching, Zoe has enjoyed all of the teaching practice the degree has had to offer. One of her many dreams is to own a Dance Studio in the future.
"I would like to provide the opportunity for all of my students to achieve their greatest potential through dance. I thoroughly enjoyed my years of learning to dance and I wish to pass this onto my own students. I am honoured to be working alongside some of the most amazing, talented dancers in the world."
Michael Contreras
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Dancing at Reeves and Dancespace 383 since the age of 4. Michael has over 6 years experience in competition, winning numerous Australian and state championships. Achievements:
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Melissa Core
Ron Panto
Achievements:
Performances:
Rodolfa Biasotto
Rodolfa Biasotto gained an Advanced Teaching Certificate in Classical Ballet and National Character Dance from Moscow's GITIS Institute (Russian Academy of Theatre Arts) after being awarded a year-long USSR Ministry of Culture / Australian Department of Foreign Affairs Cultural Exchange Scholarship. A 3-month scholarship to the renowned Moiseyev (USSR State Academic Character Dance) School followedRodolfa commenced her professional dance career with Dance Concert Ltd./Folklorico Australia, NSW's only professional national character dance company. The repertoire included Russian, Hungarian, Filipino, Indian, Mexican and other styles taught by masters. She became principal dancer and balletmistress, and toured constantly. She attended seminars in Turkey, Macedonia (Yugoslavia), Hungary and Bulgaria.
She danced with The Australian Opera Ballet in "The Merry Widow", "The Queen of Spades", "La Traviata", "The Bartered Bride", "Hamlet", "Die Fledermaus" with Kelvin Coe and Lois Strike, "Lucia Di Lammermoor", "Manon", "Norma", "Eugene Onegin", "Semiramide" and the Madonna in "Suor Angelica" at the Sydney Opera House and on tour to Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane and Canberra.
Rodolfa was assistant director to Guillermo Keys-Arenas for the Shell National Folkloric Festivals at the Sydney Opera House, Adelaide Festival of the Arts, Victorian Arts Centre and Queensland Performing Arts Centre. On ABCTV's Playschool she danced the Mexican Hat Dance.
In Moscow, Rodolfa danced with the Russian Seasons Dance Company on the Bolshoi Theatre stage, choreographed a contemporary pas de deux for a young Russian soloist (Bashkortostan State Ballet, Ufa) for the 1994 U.S.A. Jackson International Ballet Competition, 3rd Place, Junior Competition; was guest modern dance teacher for the Russian Seasons Dance Company, modern dance teacher at the New Humanitarian University Dance Faculty and Ballet School and others. During these years she studied with some of the finest ballet teachers including Anatoly Yelagin (Irek Mukhamedov's teacher) and Marina Semyonova of the Bolshoi Ballet. She saw countless performances of the legendary Bolshoi Ballet and Opera, Mariinsky Ballet and Opera, Moiseyev Ensemble, Stanislavsky Ballet, Moscow Classical Ballet etc. She wrote for English language journals in Moscow. She studied Martha Graham technique with company soloists and with Merce Cunningham and company soloist.
She has taught classical ballet to private students in Australia and Russia and as guest teacher for Sydney Dance Company Open Classes, All Starz Performing Arts Studio, Deidre Bronner School of Ballet, Mary Ellen Geer Academy, etc. She has taught character dance to students of The MacDonald College, Ransley Studios, Sydney Ballet & Dance Centre, NAISDA College, movement teacher for Nepean College and replacement movement teacher at NIDA. She has taught and choreographed for The Kazachok Ensemble of Sydney and the Illawarra Spanish Artistic Society. She has been an adjudicator for the Leeton Eisteddfod and character sections of the City of Sydney Eisteddfod. Artistic Director: The Dancer's Studio and "Las Gitanitas" Flamenco Dance Group. A certified Fitness Leader teaching seniors.
Katerina Zirogiannis
Accredited Exercise Physiologist B.Ex.Sci.&Rehab(Hon-1), MAAESS, AEP, AMS
Katerina graduated from the 4-year Bachelor of Exercise Science and Rehabilitation degree at the University of Wollongong with 1st class Honors in 2004. Katerina worked at the University of Wollongong's Exercise Science & Rehabilitation Centre from 2005-2009 and moved into private practice in 2010 following the closure of the clinic. Katerina has a passion for delivering exercise physiology services and educating clients on how to prevent or manage various injuries and medical conditions through tailored exercise interventions. Katerina now provides Exercise physiology services to the local community through her newly established practice called Rehabilitation in Motion.
Katerina provides musculoskeletal rehabilitation, work conditioning, chronic disease management, diabetes programs, falls prevention and corporate manual handling training. Katerina was awarded the Australian Association of Exercise and Sports Science (AAESS) professional practice award in 2008 for her demonstrated outcomes in exercise rehabilitation programs for individuals with subacute and chronic lower back pain.
Katerina is also a qualified Pilates instructor and has been teaching group mat Pilates classes since 2005. Pilates is a form of exercise aimed at improving core strength, stability, flexibility, postural awareness and movement control.
Other programs Katerina has been involved in include the University of Wollongong's Better Balance Falls Prevention Program, Illawarra Division of General Practice community diabetes program and Aboriginal Vascular Health Program. Katerina has guest lectured at the University of Wollongong and also presented at the 2008 Australian Association of Exercise and Sports Science Conference. Katerina is Work Cover, Medicare and DVA accredited and has gained accreditation in Exercise Physiology and Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation.
Do you want to become a ballroom dancing teacher?
We have qualified staff at Dancespace 383 that can train you to become a dance teacher. Please enquire at the studio - or by phone +61 (2) 42 299 222
