2016 will go down in DE history as one of the most amazing years. 

Not only have we exceled in the competition scene but we have also received some of the most outstanding exam results, and had students make their professional debuts. 

I am so proud of the love and support shown to each DE member especially the connection our

Senior & Junior students have with each other.   

 

Many of our staff & students attended workshops and worked with many professionals during the year including Ready Set Dance, Virtuosos, In2Dance, Queensland Ballet, CSTD, RAD Graded & Vocational, Australian Dance Festival, Bangarra, 

Tapatak Oz, QCYB, and John Byrne (CDA). 

At these workshops some students were the recipients of awards – KENNEDY FOLEY received a Tap, Jazz, Music Theatre & Contemporary Award at In2Dance Workshop, SHONTAE MINNIECON received a Music Theatre, Tap & Contemporary Award at In2Dance Workshop, 

BRIELLE DETHOMASIS received the overall Contemporary Bursary also at the In2Dance Workshop.

 

Our Exam students results have been exceptional once again this year. 

We had 61 students sit their CSTD Tiny Tot’s, Jazz & Contemporary Exams this year with Mrs Sharon Alback. 

She gave 13 Honours Plus, 30 Honours, 11 Highly Commended, 5 Commended, 1 Pass Plus & 1 Pass.  Fabulous Results!!

Our Tapatak Oz results were also fabulous with 3 Supreme Passes, 6 Distinctions, 15 Honours, 3 Commended & 1 Sound

awarded by examiner Christine Denny.  

The Following students were mentioned in the Tapatak Oz Honour Roll for 2016 -

ZOE ANDERSON Junior Intermediate 2 (Only Supreme Pass awarded in Australia) 

KENNEDY FOLEY Junior Advanced 2 (1 of 6 Supreme Passes awarded for 2016) 

TERAH HOPE (1of 2 Supreme Passes awarded in Australia) 

She also gave the following special awards at our June exam session

Most Outstanding Juniors – KENNEDY FOLEY & ZOE ANDERSON

Most Promising Junior – NAOMI BUCKLEY

Most Outstanding Teen – TERAH HOPE

Most Promising Teen – ELLA GOLDSWORTHY & MURPHEE FOLEY

Most Improved – GRACE BROWN

Encouragement Awards – ABBY SPENCER & LEAH BELZER

Personality & Energy – MIA CHAPMAN

Our RAD Graded students received 10 Distinction & 19 Merit and the Vocational students receiving 4 Distinction and 8 Merit marks.  A special Congratulations to SHANAE DETHOMASIS who has attained her Advanced 2 Ballet qualification…  Congratulations!!!

 

2016 saw many special events involving our students with the most impressive being SHONTAE MINNIECON being chosen to perform the role of Hortenzia in the professional production of MATILDA the Musical. Shontae will star at the Lyric Theatre in Brisbane then tour Perth & Adelaide with the production.  This is a huge achievement and we are so very proud of Shontae…. 

Congratulations also to one of our Junior students, DYLAN ITZSTEIN, who has been chosen to perform with the

Brisbane City Youth Ballet for their 2017 January season of ‘The Far Away Tree’…

Our Chinese Umbrella dancers once again entertained the large crowd at the MRC Chinese New Year Celebrations… 

Our fabulous tiny Ready Set Dancers performed like seasoned professionals at the St Josephs School Markets. 

Many of our students use their skills learnt at Dance Express to perform in shows including lead roles in MMCP, Red Giraffe, TTTA, various School Musicals and other dance related performances.

 

Our Eisteddfod results in 2016 have been beyond amazing… 

Our students exceled in every competition they attended and bought home a swag of prizes, trophies and awards.

The following students Mollie Fitzpatrick, Naomi Buckely, Mia Chapman, Tyla Saron, Dylan Itzstein, Kennedy Foley, Shontae Minniecon, Shelby Johnson, Ella Goldsworthy, Terah Hope, Jayde Readman, Lara Joblin, Lucy Fitzpatrick, Jorden Riggs, Amy Fitzpatrick, Hayley Berck, Emily Joyce, Jessica DeLuca, Shanae DeThomasis & Hannah Vella travelled to the Bundaberg, Ayr, Emerald, Rockhampton, Charters Towers and Gladstone eisteddfods with tremendous results. 

Congratulations to the Travelling Bandits!!!

This year our solo performers also dominated the inaugural Mackay Dance Festival and we had the best Mackay Eisteddfod to date. 

Over all of the 2016 competitions our performers collectively have won

85 First, 53 Second, 62 Third, 22 VHC and 72 HC placings…… WOW that is impressive….

Our students have also been successful in many Championship sections this year with

TERAH HOPE – Winner Junior Tap (Mackay), Winner Junior Modern (Emerald), Winner Intermediate Modern (Gladstone),

R/U Intermediate Tap (Gladstone), R/U Junior Modern (Mackay),  

JAYDE READMAN – Winner 11&12yrs Tap (Bundaberg),

KENNEDY FOLEY – R/U Junior Tap (Mackay).

 

Award winners this year have been SULLIVAN GOLDWORTHY – Most Outstanding 6yrs (MDF) & Joe Norris Bursary (Mackay)

DYLAN ITZSTEIN – Peregrine Video Award (Rockhampton), Most Outstanding 8yrs (MDF), Overall Most Outstanding Junior (MDF),

Most Outstanding Classical Solo (Mackay)

TYLA SARON – Most Pormising 9yrs (MDF)

SHONTAE MINNIECON – Most Promising 11yrs (MDF), Most Outstanding Choreography Intermediate (MDF) 

KENNEDY FOLEY – Most Outstanding 11yrs (MDF), Butch Bernett Bursary (Mackay) 

ELLA GOLDSWORTHY– Encouragement 12yrs (MDF)

TERAH HOPE – Most Outstanding 12yrs (MDF), Most Outstanding Choreography Intermeduate (MDF),

Wendy Gretton-Satti Memorial Award (Mackay), Junior Modern Aggregate (Mackay), Kevin Anderson Memorial Trophy (Mackay),

Rose Slipper Interpertive Bursary (Emerald), 11&12yrs Modern Aggregate (Gladstone), 11&12yrs Tap Aggregate (Gladstone),  12&u Highest points Ballet, Jazz & Tap Solos (Gladstone), Improvisation Highest points (Gladstone), Jazz Solo Highest points (Gladstone),

LARA JOBLIN – Spirit of the Festival (MDF),

JORDEN RIGGS – Most Promising 13yrs (MDF),

HAYLEY BERCK – Encouragement Award 14yrs (MDF). 

Also our 8&under Novelty Group ‘The MINIONS’ were awarded the Most Entertaining Group 12yrs&under at the Mackay Eisteddfod.

 

Our groups had an impressive run at the Mackay Eisteddfod winning the 8&under Novelty Group, 12&under Slow Modern Group, 12&under Tap Group, 12&under Cabaret Group, Open Cabaret Group, Open Slow Modern Group,

we placed second in 14&under Modern Group, 14&under Classical Group, 12&under Up Tempo Modern Group,

third in Open Tap Group, 10&under Classical Group, Open Song & Dance Group, 12&under Classical Group &

HC in the 10&under Tap Group. 

What a fabulous job.. Congratulations….

Also congratulations to the many students this year who were chosen as student leaders at the respective schools,

it is always lovely to see them achieve in so many other areas of their lives.

Congratulations on what has been a fabulous year full of amazing achievements due to everyones hard work and

dedication to Dance Express, for this we thank you all….