Adele Hyland

Head of School
Cert IV, BEMus, Grad Dip Ed, MEdAdmin,
Fellow and Examiner, Choreographer, Adjudicator, Dance Educator

Adele has had an extensive and varied career in Dance, having performed, adjudicated and choreographed to international acclaim. As a performer, she has represented Australia in 3 World Championships and is one of only two Australian dancers to have won National Titles in 4 styles of dance. She choreographed for Strictly Ballroom, multiple television shows, commercials and celebrities, including ‘Dancing with the Stars’ and ‘Strictly Dancing’ on ABC TV. Adele was also awarded the United States Heritage Award for International Services to Dance in 2001 for the coordination and choreography of the Sydney 2000 Olympics Closing Ceremony.
Meanwhile, she has maintained a private Dance studio over a period of 35 years, whilst also teaching from Primary to Tertiary levels within the NSW Education system. Currently, Adele is the President of the International Dance Organisation (Australia). She has taught and enjoyed many styles of Dance, with a particular passion for the Latin American style. She has had a great deal of success as a teacher and mentor to both aspiring and international prize winning Dancers and is grateful for the opportunity to pursue high standards in holistic Dance practice at Wesley Institute.

Terri-Ann Bolger

Dance Co-Ordinator
Cert IV AWPT

Growing up in Adelaide, Terrie-Ann completed her advanced RAD exam and studied at the Centre for the Performing Arts, Adelaide achieving an Advanced Associate Diploma in Dance. After graduating in 1986, Terrie-Ann performed with Expressions Dance Company, The Queensland Ballet, The Australian Dance Theatre and Dance North, Townsville. Terrie-Ann travelled to London in 1995, performing and teaching for several project Companies throughout the UK before joining Rambert Dance Company as their Company Animateur in 1996-97. Upon returning to Australia, Terrie-Ann taught Company classes for Sydney Dance Company, Bangarra Dance Company and Opera Australia. In 2000 Terrie-Ann was Rehearsal Director for TasDance and upon returning to Sydney took up a position as Lecturer in Dance at Wesley Institute, where she is currently the Dance Coordinator.

Sandra Lauffenburger

BEd, MSc, AA, MCA, DipPsych DTAA (prof), ANZAP (prof.), AASP(assoc), ISMETA (reg), APMA (prac)
Lecturer in Movement Interpretation, Developmental Issues, Dance Therapy

Sandra is highly qualified as a Psychodynamic Psychotherapist, Registered Movement Therapist, Sr. Certified Pilates Method Practitioner and Examiner, and Certified Laban Movement Analyst. She maintains a clinical practice in Movement Therapy and Movement Psychotherapy in Canberra, working with a spectrum of issues from chronic pain through to personality disorders. She has over twenty-five years of studying and exploring the body and movement as well as clinical training in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy. She is an invited presenter in Laban Movement Analysis around Australia and Canada. Before moving to Canberra in 1992, Sandra spent time studying and teaching movement at the C. G. Jung Institute of Psychoanalysis and Creative Arts in Houston, Texas. Sandra also has 23 years experience with the Pilates Method and Movement Therapy. Sandra is a Founding Councilor of the Australian Pilates Method Association and co-authored the curriculum used at UTS for training Pilates Method instructors. She currently trains Pilates-based Rehabilitation Practitioners, using somatic and movement methods.

Corinne Urquhart

Dip. Ed, Dip. Spec. Ed.,Grad. Dip. Dance Therapy

Corinne is a trained dancer in ballet and contemporary/modern dance, and has experience in hip-hop, street dance, jazz and ethnic dance.  She has danced professionally with several dance companies nationally and internationally including a USA national tour ‘Dayuma’ with Impact Production and International Festival of the Arts. She has also work in many cultural community arenas and Churches and has experience in Events Management and Production.
Educated in Switzerland, she is a qualified primary and special education teacher and has 12 years experience in the field. Her training and qualifications have been in various aspects of dance, drama and music as well as Dip Ed Primary School Education, Dip Ed Special Education and Post Grad Dip Dance/Movement Therapy. She also worked in the area of Dance Movement Therapy with people with developmental, physical disabilities and/or emotional disorders.
Currently she is running her own Creative Arts Company ‘Crea Ruach Creative Arts’ offering workshops in creative movement, contemporary dance and choreography, directing rehearsals and choreographing her own works. The company performs at various events. She is also working at Gymbaroo and is studying at UTS, a Post Graduate Certificat in Media Arts and Production.

Chrishanthi Nagendra

ARAD, LCDD Teaching Dip (Lon) Royal Academy of Dance Grades Examiner.

Born in Sri Lanka and trained in London for 4 years, Chrishanthi has over thirty years of teaching experience. She has trained young dancers and teachers, dancers engaged with reputable companies in Australia and Europe and directed / produced 2 ballets in Sri Lanka in aid of charity.

Valerie Lloyd

A.R.A.D. L.L.C.D. R.A.D.Tchrs Dipl.(London) L.C.D. Tchrs Dipl. (London)
Lecturer in Classical Ballet

Born and raised in Oxford UK, Valerie has dedicated her working life to the teaching of dance and is proud to acknowledge the success of her pupils in all walks of life.
Valerie trained at Elmhurst Ballet School and the London College of Dance. After teaching in the UK for 2 years, she migrated to Australia in 1963 to teach for the Lorraine Norton Ballet School, subsequently becoming a partner. The year 1991 saw the start of Danzartz Performing Studio, which Valerie ran successfully until 2005.
Valerie has adjudicated extensively and been in many related activities including the Suzuki Association of Australia for whom she staged 20 Opera House Graduation Concerts involving over 800 musicians.
Her passion and involvement coupled with a love of theatre has resulted in her being able to give her students the benefit of learning about artistry and musicality, together with a strong technical base.
In 2006 Valerie was invited to take up a teaching position in Osaka, Japan. Since her return to Australia Valerie has been freelance teaching and is excited to give the benefit of her experience to other teachers and students.   

Hannah Cooper

BCA, MVPA

Hannah Cooper graduated with a Bachelor of Creative Arts (Dance) from Wesley Institute in 1998.  Since then she has been part of Sydney's performing arts community, initially performing at Sydney's premier contemporary dance seasons, including Bodies and Dance on the Edge. A founding member of Ask Dance Theatre and RockSalt Arts, Hannah has collaborated with several local companies and has directed, choreographed, performed, taught, toured and produced shows around Australia. She has also spent time performing, choreographing and working in arts administration with New Trails Dance Theatre, Collage and the Planting Project in East Bay San Francisco, USA. She has recently completed a Master of Visual & Performing Arts through Charles Stuart University with an emphasis on dance creation and collaboration.

Linda Badger

Linda Badger has over a decade of experience in the performing arts industry as dancer, teacher and choreographer.
Highlights of Linda’s career include touring extensively as a dancer throughout Los Angeles with Imprint Performance Company also choreographing works for the company, dancing in Times Square, New York for Project Dance and teaching at the Alvin Ailey studios, New York, for Project Dance.
She has worked as a performer for Kelly Clarkson, at the NRL grand final, The World Dental Federation at the Sydney Entertainment Centre, ‘Hair the Musical’ promotion for David Atkins and more, with choreographers such as Jason Coleman and Michael Boyd.
Linda has also choreographed several works for Hillsong Events and Album Launches, being performed in front of audiences up to 20,000 at venues such as Sydney Superdome, Sydney Entertainment Centre and has also choreographed a production of ‘Guys and Dolls’ for the Seymour centre.
Linda is also a dedicated dance teacher at many of the well known schools in Sydney. Her most recent achievement in this area is being made dance course head trainer for Hillsong International Leadership College, having also head up the writing of the course.

Greg Holdaway

m.ATI, AUSTAT cert, NLP(prac), Dip PA(Dance)
Lecturer in Alexander Technique

Greg has over twenty years of professional experience in movement education, initially as a dancer and dance teacher and now with 14 years experience as an Alexander technique teacher. He has trained accredited Alexander technique teachers and is recognised as a Sponsor of Alexander teacher trainee by Alexander Technique International (ATI Inc).
Greg has been teaching AT based classes in full-time performing arts courses in theatre, dance and music for many years and has worked at many Adult Education colleges across the Sydney region. This has included the development of teaching methodologies in the university sector, and publication of a manual of procedures for dance educators via the University of Western Sydney.

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