Teachers
Miss Francesca
(ARAD RAD RTS)
Principal
Francesca completed her training at the Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance and the Central School of Ballet in London, graduating with majors in contemporary and classical ballet. She then held positions as a professional classical dancer in Germany for 14 years, dancing as a soloist in major classical ballets such as “Graduation Ball”, “Don Quixote” and “Romeo and Juliet”. She also choreographed for musical theatre productions such as “My Fair Lady”. Her last dancing appointment for five years until 1999 was at the Theater Vorpommern. She was also appointed as head of dance for the Conservatorium of Music in Stralsund in 1997. In 1999, the opportunity arose as a sponsored teacher at La Vive Studios in Port Macquarie, and she moved to Australia completeing her RAD Teachers qualification in 1999.
Francesca has been the Principal of Harbour Performing Arts Centre since 2007. She is a firm believer in continuing to expand her knowledge of dance and related genres in order to help her students achieve their goals.
Miss Merryn
Merryn was born in Sydney, Australia. She began studying classical ballet (RAD) at the age of six, under the guidance of Janece Graham and Tanya Pearson. She participated in many competitions, including the prestigious Prix De Lausanne, Switzerland. In 1988, she was offered a traineeship in Banff, Canada where she was fortunate to study with Victoria Simon (Balanchine Répétiteur), Brydon Paige and Brian McDonald. At the completion of the program, Merryn was to be awarded two scholarships, 1st to San Francisco Ballet School, USA and the 2nd to École Supérieurede Danse du Québec, Montréal Canada. Merryn accepted Canada and developed under the watchful eye of Master teacher Daniel Seillier (Paris Opera Ballet).
Merryn went on to dance professionally with Les Grande Ballet Canadiens, Boston Ballet, Ballet Theatre of Boston, and upon return to Australia, Opera Australia. Whilst at Opera Australia, Merryn worked with a diverse range of choreographers that included Stephen Page, Gideon Obarzanek and Barry Moreland.
Merryn has successfully taught abroad and in Australia, serving as both company member and dance educator. Merryn believes she is a dance artist who loves to create a supportive, inclusive and performance-ready dance community. Merryn is nurturing and encouraging but firmly demanding of her students. She is able to develop in them an appreciation for both artistic expression and technical details.
Miss Nina
Nina’s career spans performance, choreography, direction and teaching in both dance and film. An Australian Ballet School graduate, she was a founding member of the Sydney Dance Company under Graeme Murphy’s direction, touring extensively in seminal Murphy works both nationally and internationally. Throughout her 13 years with the company, Nina performed works by Australian and international choreographers (Leigh Warren, Graeme Watson, Don Asker, Barry Moreland, Kai TaiChan, Garth Welch, Paul Mercurio/Kim Walker, Louis Falco, Ralph Lemon and OhadNaharin) and developed her own choreographic work – Late Show, Radar, (Risks 2Workshop) Annie Lennox for Murphy’s Sirens, and a sequence for the film of Nearly Beloved. She was nominated for Green Room Awards for Best Female Dancer in Principal and Supporting Roles for After Venice and Afterworlds.
Nina holds a BA degree in Film and Television from the Australian Film, Television and Radio School (AFTRS) specialising in Direction. Credits include Tales from a Suitcase produced for SBS. Nina has held teaching positions with Aboriginal Islander Dance Theatre, NAISDA and was Rehearsal Director for Bangarra Dance Theatre for Stephen Page’s productions of Skin, The Dreaming, Corroboree and international tours to New York, Washington DC, Hawaii and Noumea.
A certified teacher in Conditioning with Imagery Training, Gyrotonic® and Gyrokinesis®, Nina has been an Academic Staff member at the Victorian College of the Arts, University of Melbourne from 2002 – 2020, teaching classical ballet and a range of somatic practices. She maintained an interest in filmmaking, recording and editing dance productions for their archives. Nina has twice been nominated for Lecturer of the Year Awards. In 2019 Nina was one of 10 SDC alumni invited to perform in US50 choreographed by Gideon Orbarzanek to celebrate the company’s 50th Anniversary.
Miss Nicole
Nicole grew up in Grafton, NSW before moving to the Central Coast to complete 3 years of full-time dance training at Lee Academy. During this time, she completed her Certificate IV in Dance, Certificate IV in Dance Teaching and Management and Diploma of Dance. She is also currently studying her Pilates Matwork course.
Some of her greatest performance opportunities include performing in Lee Academy’s grad and immersive shows, being an extra in the 2022 Farmer Wants a Wife promo commercial, dancing for the Central Coast Mariners pre-show, performing in the 2018 Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony and winning the People’s Choice award at the Stars of Clarence Dance for Cancer event in 2019.
Nicole has a love for teaching and sharing her knowledge of dance with her students. She has experience teaching all styles and age groups and creates a supportive environment within her classes that encourages students to work hard to reach their full potential.
Mr Steve
Steve has been tapping since his early teens and has now been working with us for more than five years. Tap classes are steadily growing from his expert teaching techniques and we always look forward to Eisteddfod and other tap performances where our children perform.
Miss Elise
With a passion for the performing arts and a degree in teaching, Elise is a dedicated drama and musical theatre educator. Her journey includes intensive training through prestigious agencies like The University of New England and NIDA, enriching her expertise in performance and pedagogy.
Armed with comprehensive knowledge and experience, she nurtures budding talents, fostering creativity and confidence in her students. Through innovative approaches and a deep understanding of theatrical craft, Elise inspires young minds to explore the realms of drama and music, shaping the next generation of performers with a blend of professionalism and artistry.
Miss Zoe
Zoe teaches all genres, her wealth of knowledge and expertise makes her a fantastic mentor for students of all ages. Zoe’s professional stage career led her overseas to perform in London, Europe and Asia for over a decade in renowned musical theatre productions on London’s West End, including, Chicago, Guys and Dolls, and Thoroughly Modern Millie.
Zoe is passionate about teaching. She is a deep believer in the importance of building mental and emotional wellness for the performing arts industry. She endeavours to find each child’s unique gifts, talents and abilities. Zoe loves to make her classes fun, interactive and engaging for every child to establish their way of learning.
Miss Molly
Molly is a Coffs Harbour local and moved to Canberra after graduating from HPAC. She taught at local dance studios in Canberra, covering all genres of dance including RAD Advanced ballet levels.
Molly started coaching Hip Hop at the Australian National University and has continued to coach Hip Hop, Jazz and Lyrical Teams at The University of New South Wales, The University of Wollongong and The Australian National University. She has lead her teams to many AASCF Competitions from 2021-2024 where her UNSW Open Hip Hop Team came third in the country in 2023 and her UOW University Lyrical Team were Grand Champions in 2024. She has also had the pleasure of dancing in Hip Hop Crews in Sydney at Movement Nation.
Molly teaches all genres of dance and performing arts.