Teaching Staff and Committee

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​.

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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.

Teachers

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Teaching Staff

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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. Janine has a degree in Early Childhood Development from the University of Melbourne.  .

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. 

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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.

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Samuel Rash

Sam danced for 2 years prior to moving to Ringwood Ballet Group early 2008 and has been featured in multiple roles of the RBG Annual Productions. Eleven years on, he remains at RBG as a student and teacher, leading the Junior Boys class 2019. Sam successfully completed SFD Jazz 10 and is also qualified with Acrobatic Dance Association (Beg/Inter). He has a Cert IV in Children Services (Outside School Hours Care) and is in the final stages of completing a Bachelor of Creative Arts – (Dance) at Deakin University. Sam accomplished national and state championships titles with Deakin Cheer and Dance over the past 4 years. He has been involved in multiple school productions, amateur revues, musical theatre and the 2006 Closing Ceremony of the Commonwealth Games Melbourne.

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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.

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Eloise Lamb

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Tahlia Oldmeadow

 

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 2023 Committee

President: Carolyn Callanan

Secretary: Cassie Bowman

Vice President: Jo Floyd

Treasurer: Jodie Kilworth (training up new treasurer Fiska Lusiana)

General Committee: Simone Morgante, Andrea Halden, Kristian Reid, Fiona Makedona,

                                        Simone Kleinys, Kim Trevena, Corina Crisan

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General committee members commonly take on a specific role to assist the running of the Group. These tasks include publicity, assisting the treasurer, website maintenance, catering, concert ticketing, fundraising, volunteers co-ordinator, costumes and so on.

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