About Ringwood Ballet Group
Established in 1961, Ringwood Ballet Group has been part of the community for more than fifty years. Our group is a non-profit organisation contituted to provide expert tuition in the art of dance and to further the enjoyment and understanding of dance and its related arts in the community.
The curriculum is based on the Southern Federation of Dance and the Royal Academy of Dance, both Graded and Vocational, and offers students a sound training and preparation for examinations and assessments from Pre-Primary to Advanced level. Children from age 3 enjoy dance play classes and when they are 4 to 5 they move to an informal but structured introduction to dance in our Kinder groups.
History of the Ringwood Ballet Group
Founding of Ringwood Ballet Group - 1962
The Ringwood Ballet Group was founded in April 1962 by a group of passionate individuals, led by Mrs. Elva Blackmore, with the goal of establishing a ballet school in the Ringwood area. After forming a committee, the group began offering ballet classes under the artistic direction of Mr. Bruce Morrow, a former soloist with the Borovansky Ballet, and his wife, Mrs. Bernice Morrow. Early classes were held at the 1st Ringwood Scout Hall, and as the school’s popularity grew, it moved to various venues, including St. Paul’s Church Hall and Scots Church Hall. The group held its first independent annual recital in 1965 at the Ringwood Town Hall and participated in local events, such as the Croydon Annual Recitals, which laid the foundation for a long history of community performances.
Establishment of the current studio - 1975
As the school expanded, the search for a permanent home intensified. In 1971, the Ringwood City Council granted land for a ballet studio, but soil tests deemed the site initially unsuitable. Despite setbacks, the school continued to grow, attracting talented students who would go on to study at prestigious institutions like the Australian Ballet School. In 1975, after years of temporary locations, the dream of a permanent ballet studio was realized when the Ringwood Ballet Group’s new studio in Bedford Park opened its doors. This marked a significant milestone in the group’s history, providing a dedicated, well-equipped space for both classes and performances, which further supported its continued growth.
Teachers and students
Throughout the years, the Ringwood Ballet Group has flourished under the leadership of various artistic directors, including Mrs. Bernice Morrow, who became Artistic Director in 1971, and later Susan Massey in 1983, followed by Rosemary Frost in 1995. Under their guidance, the group produced numerous original productions, including “Cinderella” and “The Nutcracker Suite,” and achieved great success in both training and performances. Many students have gone on to pursue professional careers in dance, with some joining prestigious institutions such as the Australian Ballet School. The school’s teaching staff has also been integral to its success, with experienced instructors like the Morrrows, Massey, and Frost shaping the curriculum and fostering a nurturing environment. The group’s legacy includes many successful graduates who have performed with renowned ballet companies or become ballet teachers themselves, continuing to pass on their knowledge to future generations of dancers. Today, the Ringwood Ballet Group remains a vibrant part of the community, offering students a chance to develop their technical skills and artistic expression in a supportive, inspiring atmosphere.
Our Team
Artistic Director
Rosemary Frost – A.R.A.D. (Reg. RAD) – M.S.F.D. (Examiner) - I.D.T.A.
Trained in Zimbabwe and at the Royal Ballet School, London, appearing in several productions with the Royal Opera Ballet at Covent Garden, Rosemary is an associate and registered teacher of the Royal Academy of Dance and a qualified teacher of Modern Dance (I.D.T.A.). She taught on the faculty of the College of Music and Performing Arts in Frankfurt, Germany and examined for the G.D.B.A. in Hessen. She also trained and coached the members of the Ballet Frankfurt. ​ Rosemary was a member of both the CAPAB in South Africa and the Frankfurt Ballet Companies and has performed many major roles including Odette/Odile in Swan Lake; Myrtha in Giselle; Sugar Plum Fairy (Nutcracker) plus works by George Balanchine, Jiri Kylian and William Forsythe. After merging her own school with Ringwood Ballet in 1993 Rosemary became Artistic Director in 1995. In 2008 she was made a Life Member of the Royal Academy of Dance, and since 2011, she has been a classical examiner for the Southern Federation of Dance​. ​ As Artistic Director, Rosemary is responsible for all creative, artistic and teaching decisions within the group including decisions relating to syllabus and productions. She oversees the teaching staff ensuring that the quality of teaching remains high.
Teaching Staff
Susan Massey – Dip. Arts (Dance Teaching & Management.); R.A.D. (RTS); I.S.T.D.; I.D.T.A. (Fellow); C.D.T.A.;
The former Artistic Director of Ringwood Ballet Group, Susan is an experienced and highly qualified teacher having taught in England, New Zealand and Australia. Susan’s early career saw her choreographing and dancing in pantomime, musicals and operas as well as running her own dance school in her home town of Sheffield. She previously worked with the RAD programme at the Victorian College of the Arts, and also taught at seminars and workshops for the RAD within Australia as a member of the RAD Faculty and is a life member of the RAD. Susan teaches the Vocational levels at Ringwood Ballet, and brings her expertise to coaching senior students for the Annual Production.
Janine Box – Dip. Arts (Dance), Dip. Ed., B. Ed.
Janine graduated from the Victorian College of the Arts in 1982. She has danced with the Russian Theatrical Society and the Russian Folkloric Dance Company of Melbourne. She has performed a number of character roles (such as Widow Simone and an Ugly Step-Sister) for Ringwood Ballet. Janine is one of our classical teachers and has a degree in Early Childhood Development from the University of Melbourne. Â .
Ashlee Furness – B.Dance (VCA) M.S.F.D (Examiner)
Ashlee is our senior Jazz teacher and is a former student of this school. She completed 3 years at the VCA aquiring a Bachelor of Dance and has performed with Ajkun Ballet Theatre in New York. As well as a performer, choreographer and dance coach of the Tasmanian Ballet in Hobart. A qualified teacher with Acrobatic Dance Australia and Southern Federation of Dance. Ashlee is also an examiner for SFD in the Jazz, Tap, Ballet and Dance Fusion Syllabus.
Wendy Dalton - Graduate Diploma Choreography (VCA) - Diploma in Dance Teaching and Management (TAFE) – M.S.F.D (Examiner)
Wendy comes to us with a wealth of experience having worked with such renowned choreographers and directors as: Joe Latona, Jillian Fitzgerald, Jeanette Liddell, Coral Deague, Barbara Warren-Smith and Ross Skiffington. Wendy also studied in Los Angeles in 1984 and her professional career includes: The Ernie Sigely Tonight Show – Bert Newton Midday Show – The Don Lane Show as well as special events including Logies, Royal Command Performances and Olympic Prime Ministers Dinners. Wendy has also performed in Evita, Iolanthe and Red Hot and Rhonda. Wendy is an examiner for the SFD and also adjudicates at many Dance Festivals.
Natalie Middlemast - Deakin B.Ed.
Natalie is a qualified Health, Physical Education and Dance teacher (Deakin B. Ed.), and is registered with the VIT. She has 4 national titles in Open solos for contemporary and Improvisation, has competed in over 10 National Championships around the country, and qualified for the 2013/14 Australian Aerobic Gymnastics team for Aerodance. Natalie began teaching contemporary classes at Ringwood Ballet Group in 2018, and has 10 years of contemporary and lyrical dance teaching experience.​
Penelope Gibson MSFD
Penny completed the highest level of exams for RAD Grades, RAD Vocational and SFD Jazz as a student at Ringwood Ballet Group. For many years and while completing her SFD teachers training certificate, Penny assisted with classes. Penny has dances a number of feature roles in the schools Annual Productions and has a teacher loves to inspire the next generation of performers. Penny is passionate about the community elements of the school and ensuring that students feel they have a place to explore and express their dance creativity and potential. With a Bachelor of Nutrition Science and Cert IV in Leisure and Health, Penny enjoys exploring the everyday use of dance as a health therapy for all.
Joanna Done - Deakin BCA (Dance Research)
Joanna Done is a highly accomplished dancer, performer, and choreographer with a diverse background in Contemporary Dance, Classical Ballet, Modern Jazz, and Tap. She achieved her ARAD (Advanced 2 Certificate) in Ballet from the Royal Academy of Dance in 2010 before completing an advanced diploma specializing in Classical Ballet and Contemporary Dance at the Australian Dance Performance Institute (ADPI) in Brisbane. Her training at ADPI provided opportunities to work with some of Queensland’s top dance professionals and compete at a national level. Joanna’s career then took her overseas, where she danced with La CompañÃa Colombiana de Danza and appeared as a special guest artist with Tango-Ballet Fusion. She also gained experience in commercial dance through her work on the TV series Chica Vampiro, leading to further dance and teaching opportunities. In 2014, Joanna returned to Australia to focus on dance education under the mentorship of internationally renowned RAD examiner Mrs. Dale Coles. Her passion for contemporary dance led her to pursue a BCA (Hons) in Creative Arts (Dance Research) at Deakin University, which she completed in 2019. Most recently, she has collaborated with the Sincerely Survivor Project, Grace Dance Co., and photographer Zee Abbas of Lifeboat Creations Photography, with exciting upcoming projects alongside Sam Rash.
Committee
​Ringwood Ballet Group is run by a voluntary committee of parents whose primary role and purpose is to provide the policies and procedures to ensure the group operates efficiently and effectively. The committee oversee all financial and business matters for the Group. ​ The Ringwood Ballet Group community greatly appreciates the assistance of its voluntary helpers. Being a 'not for profit' group, it is a requirement that Group be run by a committee of parents to function legally. Significant contributions are being made by parents and other community members enabling the school to provide the best learning opportunities for all students. However, there are often too many tasks with too few hands. Please give serious thought to joining the committee (sometime in the future), or if you are able to lend a hand in any other way (no matter how big or small) please speak to a committee member. ​ Elected each year at the Annual General Meeting, and in accordance with the Constitution, is the committee which is made up of the following roles:
​Our 2025 Committee
President: Andrea Halden
Secretary: Kristina Reid
Vice President: Jo Floyd
Treasurer: Friska Lusiana
General Committee: Fiona Makedona, Corina Crisan, Simone Klienys, Kristy McKenzie, Payal Shah, Danni Baker, and Emily Stuchbery.
