Ms Caroline Vandersee

RAD Grades and Majors

Caroline Vandersee RAD RTS MSFD has been teaching at Dance Central since opening in February 2002. Her main focus is classical ballet and jazz but also teaches music theatre & junior contemporary.

Caroline lived in Argentina for 12 months where she attended a full-time dance school and had the opportunity of studying various different dance styles including Argentinian Folkloric Dance and performed with the graduating class. She has also performed in a number of Toowoomba Choral Society Productions including West Side Story and Oklahoma.

In 2004 Caroline completed her RAD Advanced 2 Exam. She has completed her Certificate of Ballet Teaching Studies with the Royal Academy of Dance and also her Jazz Teacher’s Certificate with Southern Federation of Dance and enters children annually for these examinations.

Ms Jenny Young

RAD Grades and Majors
Preschool Dance

Jenny Young began her teaching career in Dalby in 1974, encouraged by her mentor Mrs Ailsa Hunter, a founding member of QDSE in Brisbane.  She continued as principal of the Dalby School until 1985 during which time she also opened a studio in Toowoomba (The Young School of Ballet). Upon retiring in 1995, she was invited to guest teach for studios in Brisbane, Toowoomba and Longreach.

Mrs Young has been awarded a life membership of the Royal Academy of Dance in recognition of her 50+ year association with the RAD as a student and teacher.

Prior to Dance Central’s opening in 2001, Mrs Young and Miss Vallette conducted a ballet coaching studio in Toowoomba.  Mrs Young loves her teaching and takes great pleasure and pride in encouraging students to follow their dancing dreams.  Dance Central is privileged to have a teacher of Jenny Young’s calibre on their faculty, who is able to pass on a wealth of knowledge and love of dance to our students.

Ms Jenny Johnson

RAD Grades and Majors
SFD Jazz

Ms Andie Dashwood

RAD Grades

Ms Jen Murray

Contemporary

Jen Murray is a professional dance artist, teacher and choreographer originally from Calgary, Canada. She is a scholarship graduate of the School of Toronto Dance Theatre and has performed with a wide array of contemporary dance companies in Vancouver, touring across Canada and into the United States. Jen was a guest teacher/ choreographer at the Northern Rivers Conservatorium Arts Centre in Lismore, NSW in 03/04. Currently Jen teaches in Brisbane at a full-time dance program, as well as offering her popular ‘Flow Yoga’ classes in Toowoomba. She is frequently commissioned to set her unique choreography on students throughout QLD and northern NSW.

Miss Eliza Swan

Drama

Eliza has 15 years experience in the world of performing arts along with a Bachelor of Theatre Arts, Acting from USQ (2010). She has previous experience in Voiceover, Film and Television and also Theatre, nationally and locally here in Toowoomba. Commuting from Toowoomba to Brisbane weekly for auditions, she is continuously expanding her acting knowledge and experience. Recently Eliza played 'Cherry' in the Empire Theatres' 2010 production of Cosi and also the same role in Hit Productions National Tour (Darwin). Her latest television credit is a Bushell’s television commercial and her most recent study involve the American Dialect.

Ms Benita Whalley

Elite Program

Born in Townsville North Queensland, Benita commenced dancing at 4 years of age and trained in classical ballet, highland dancing, character, tap and jazz. Benita sat for all of the RAD examinations, participated in most of the North Queensland Eisteddfoddau and at the age of 15 became the Queensland Intermediate Highland Champion. 

At 17, Benita joined the Perth City Ballet Company touring Western Australia before joining the West Australian Ballet Company. During her five years with this company, Benita worked her way up to Principal roles and performed at the Sydney Opera House. 

Benita then joined an American Touring Company performing in “The Flintstones” touring around Asia for 6 months before returning to join the Queensland Ballet Company. She was quickly promoted to a Featured Artist in the Company and enjoyed dancing many principal roles and working again with some of Australia’s great choreographers. 

Due to a spinal injury Benita stopped dancing and began teaching while undergoing medical treatment and after some years returned to the stage to dance charter roles, coach and assist with rehearsals with the Queensland Ballet until 1997. Benita has been teaching for the Queensland Dance School of Excellence for the past 26 years as well as freelance teaching around Australia and New Zealand.  

Benita is also a Vocational Graded Examiner with the Royal Academy of Dance and travels Australia and the world examining dance students. Now living in Toowoomba, Benita works with small Elite groups of students who enjoy Classical Ballet and want to pursue a career in this field. Benita continues to freelance in teaching, choreographing, reproducing ballets and cleaning technique around Australia and Asia. 

Miss Emily Dashwood

Assistant Teacher

Miss Jess Trinder

Hip Hop and SFD Jazz

Jessica has been dancing since she was 5years old, studying all genres of dance. She has been a part of Dance Central’s family for 10 years and a member of the performance company ‘Velocity’ for seven years and is now teaching hip hop and jazz at the studio.

In 2009, Jessica moved to Melbourne to further her studies in dancing, singing and acting at Jason Coleman’s Ministry of Dance. While there, Jessica appeared as a dancer on several episodes of Neighbours, performed at the Crown Casino and worked with corporate companies and some of Australia’s leading choreographers. Jessica has appeared in several Empire Theatres productions and is thrilled that she can gain more choreographic experience by being involved. Jessica also took on the role of Apprentice Choreographer for the Empire Theatres production of The Boy from Oz.

"Dance Central is a great place to be apart of - it has a great family atmosphere and great teachers to help each child fulfil their dreams."

Mr Simon Duncan

Velocity Company Manager

Simon started dancing at the age of 4 at Dawn Hillocks Studio of Dancing before moving to Dance Central in 2001. He began teaching at Dance Central in 2005 and manages their performance company “Velocity”. Simon received his Southern Federation of Dance teaching certificate in 2005. He has also been involved in local theatre for the past 15 years, performing in the last nine Empire Theatres productions and was the director of the Empire Theatres production of Bouncers in 2008.

Miss Diane Geytenbeek

SFD Jazz

Diane was born in Johannesburg, South Africa and began ballet classes at age 5. After moving to Australia at age 12, she began training in many dance styles including jazz, hip hop, contemporary, music theatre, ballroom, latin, new vogue and ballet, and has a wide variety of experience performing in all of these styles. She began assisting with classes at age 14, and at age 16 began teaching. Diane graduated with a Certificate in Ballet Teaching Studies with the RAD in 2009 and also registered as an SFD jazz teacher. She has had experience teaching all ages, from 3 year olds to adults, and explains that “whilst developing sound technique, I hope to inspire students’ love for dance through personal self-expression, and to nurture the development of, not just well disciplined dancers, but artists, with personal qualities that can be transferred into many areas of life.”

Fiona Playle

Fiona Playle is the face of Dance Central - she is the lady who has the answers to all parents and students questions!

Fiona is the mother of three daughters and has been working for Dance Central for four years, and her daughters started to dance with the studio in 2004. All of Fiona’s daughters are members of Velocity.

In her other life, Fiona is a qualified teacher’s aide working with primary students. In this capacity she works with a broad range of students of all ages. This experience makes her invaluable in her role at Dance Central.

Janelle Fletcher

Music Theatre Vocals

Miss Kerri Hodgson

Classical Ballet teacher

Ms Charlotte Ryman

SFD Tap