About 
Love to Dance School of Ballet shares a unique sense of belonging to the Yarraville Community Centre, where the ballet school has called its home for over 14 years.
At the Love To Dance School of Ballet we aim to inspire students by sharing our love, passion and joy of music, dance and creative expression.
We aspire to provide a safe and fun learning environment where students' creativity, confidence and skill can be nurtured.
With qualified and experienced teachers, students may choose to enjoy dance as a hobby or as a platform into vocational training or a professional career.
Happy dancing!
Miss Amba Hawley (McKee)
Principal
RAD Committee Member (VIC)
Bachelor of Dance (VCA)
Post Grad. Dip. Classical Ballet Teaching (VCA)
Post Grad. Dip. Contemporary Dance Teaching (VCA)
Teachers
Amba Hawley 
Amba Hawley (McKee) - Principal (8 Years)
Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) Bachelor of Dance
Post Grad. Dip. in Classical Ballet Teaching - VCA
Post Grad. Dip. in Contemporary Dance Teaching- VCA
Certificate in Performing Arts - Dance World 301
Trained in Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) at the National Theatre - 11 yrs
Lead Artist with VCA ABS
Choreographic assistant (Auditions) Commonwealth Games Closing Ceremony 2006
Session Teacher-VCA
Panel Member of the RAD Regional Advisory Panel Melbourne/Tasmania
Karen Stephens Miss Karen Stephens - Guest Teacher RAD Examiner
(Term 1 2011)
Each year we are very fortunate to have international guest examiner Miss Karen Stephens teaching Grades 1-7 for a Term.
Miss Karen is an RAD Examiner who has examined and taught extensively though out the world. This is a great opportunity for the students to hone their skills.
Natasha Middleton Natasha Middleton –- Classical Ballet
Professional dancer and teacher, specialising in technical training, repertoire, rehearsal direction, pointe, choreography and pas de deux
Teaching Experience -
Rehearsal Director with Tasdance
The Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) Secondary School
Jason Coleman’s Ministry of Dance
City Dance Centre
Dancing Experience -
Sydney Dance Company
Royal New Zealand Ballet Company - Principal Dancer
Tasdance
Co.loaded dance-narrative film ‘Merge’, ABC
West Australian Ballet Company, Principal Dancer
London City Ballet - Principal Dancer
Le Ballet du Nord, France - Guest Artist
Ballet Classico de Zaragoza, Spain Guest Artist
Scottish Contemporary Dance Theatre, Guest Artist
Australian Stars of Ballet, Guest Artist Training and Education.
Acting for Film and Television - Swinburne University
Advanced Diploma of Dance Teaching - Australian Ballet School
Megan Beckwith Megan Beckwith –- Tap
Megan is a graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts School of Dance (VCA), she also holds a Graduate Diploma in Choreography and a Masters Degree from the VCA.
She is a qualified teacher holding a Graduate Diploma in Education and a Certificate IV in Training and Assessing from Latrobe University. Since 2002 she has taught dance within the education system at the year 11 and 12 guiding students through to their VCE Certificate examinations in dance.
Tap Dance has been one of the styles she taught at this level. She is currently studying for a PHD at Deakin University and is looking forward to being Dr Dance.
Eden Read Eden Read - Tap
Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) Bachelor of Dance
Certificate 3 Commercial Dance – Bartuccio’s
Choreographic Assistant for the Commonwealth Games Closing Ceremony 2006 Toured internationally with Irish tap show ‘Spirit of the Dance’.
Re-staging Choreographer for the musical ‘Eurobeat’
Choreographer for ‘Neighbours’
Worked with Opera Australia in more than a dozen productions as a dancer, actor, re-staging Choreographer and Assistant Director
Performed in professional musicals including ‘Grease the Arena Spectacular’, ‘Sunset Boulevard’, ‘Hello Dolly’, ‘The Pirates of Penzance’, ‘HMS Pinafore’.
Minerva Draeger Minerva Draeger - Salsa
Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) Diploma in Dance
Christine Walsh Dance Centre (The Australian Conservatoire of Ballet) Dance Teaching (honours)
Australian Ballet School - Dance Teaching Psychology
Studied in Germany at the Staatlichen Balletschule Berlin, Saarbrucken Dance Theatre and the Palucca School in Dresden.
Permofming in classical, contemporary, hiphop and latin, Minerva's dance credits include:
Victorian Atrs Centre
Fox Studios (Sydney)
Bacardi Festival (Sydney)
Melbourne Fringe Festival
Australian Tennis Open
South Dragons Cheerleaders (NBL)
Melbourne Spring Fashion Week
The Footy Show (Channel 9)
1 V's 100 (Channel 9)
Felix Palmerson Felix Palmerson –(Student Teacher) - 4 Years Kindy Ballet
Felix aspires complete her RAD exams through to Solo Seal, explore different dance styles and travel the world with her dancing.
Her achievements include:
Training in RAD to Advanced Foundation (all Distinction Results)
2005 L2D Senior Ballet Award
2006 Highest Marks in RAD Exam, L2D Senior Ballet Award
2007 VCA audition call-back
2008 L2D Most Outstanding Pupil
2009 L2D Most Outstanding Pupil, Highest Marks in RAD Exam & Children’s Ballerina Parties
2009 Orincipal Role L2D The Rose Princess Aurora.
2010 Love to Dance promotional image logo for media, website and water bottle
Beth Kerr Beth Kerr –(Student Teacher) - Primary Jazz
Beth aims to successfully complete her RAD Solo Seal Exam and continue to further her technique and style with jazz.
Her achievements include:
Training in RAD to Advanced Foundation
Currently enrolled in VCE Dance at National Theatre
2004 Highest Marks in RAD Exam
2005 L2D Junior Ballet award
2006 Encouragement award-RAD Winter Workshop.
2007 L2D Most Outstanding Pupil
2008 L2D Principal role L2D ‘The Rose’ Carabosse
2009 L2D Perpetual Jazz Award
2010 L2D Most Outstanding Pupil
2009-2010 Assistant Teacher L2D Kindy - Grade 3
Choreography L2D ‘The Doll’ ‘Walking on Sunshine’
Dance Captain and lead parts in school productions (Grease, Wizard of Oz)
Click name for more information
- Amba Hawley
- Karen Stephens
- Natasha Middleton
- Megan Beckwith
- Eden Read
- Minerva Draeger
- Felix Palmerson
- Beth Kerr
Classes
Ballet Ballet - Royal Academy of Dance (RAD)
RAD is the largest classical examining body in the world. RAD comes from the British sytem of training and maintains quality standards across the globe.
At Love to Dance we recognise the need to provide a fun and creatively stimulating learning environment with quality training which acts as a platform for students who may wish to dance as a hobby or aspire to pursue a professional career.
RAD exams are held once a year (Grades and Vocational)
Open Senior Ballet Open Senior Ballet / Repetoire
Based on Vaganova (Russian system of training) known for it's strong use of epaulment (style and line through upper body).
Designed at an advanced level, it is an open age class.
The emphasis is on developing the ability to pick up material quickly, skills in pirouettes, adagio, allegro and ballet repertoire.
Contemporary Contemporary
Based on pioneering contemporary dance methods such as Martha Graham and Merce Cunningham and current contemporary dance methods, these classes include skills development such as duo/group contact work, improvisation and composition.
Jazz Jazz
Fun, energetic and funky!
Jazz classes are for all students 5 years and up and consist of cardiovascular fitness, strength, flexibility, skills in jumps, kicks and turns, including up to date, age appropriate dance moves seen in music videos/musical theatre.
Stretch and Limber - Open Age Stretch and Limber (Open Age)
Designed to compliment students existing ballet lessons, this class helps improve strength and flexibility. The class will also focus on targeting individuals specific needs.
Students may attend 1 or all 3 weekly classes.
Senior students are encouraged to attend this class regularly as part of the new packaged fee.
Tap Workshop Tap
Taught by industry professionals, Tap classes are for all ages and levels.
Learn to tap in a fun energetic environment to the groovy sounds of Trad Jazz, Motown, and even Disco.
This class teaches rhythm, coordination, terminology and basic tap choreography.
Our tap classes are a happy supportive environment where students are required to work at their own level. When ready, students move on to gaining skills in tap combinations and patterns.
Adult Ballet Workshop 2012 Term 1 Adult Ballet Workshop.pdf
Adult Ballet / Conditioning Workshop
A fun, friendly and informal class for those who have always wanted to learn ballet or are returning to dance.
Designed with the mature body in mind, Adult Ballet is open to all levels of fitness.
Adult Ballet moves through a body conditioning warm up, a series of Barre excercises and centre practice, finishing with choreography which is built on each week.
The benfits include improved stretch, strength and body awareness, balletis a fantastic way to tone and get fit while enjoying the benefits of Classical Ballet.
Commences: Monday 6th February (8 weeks)
Time: 8.15 - 9.15pm
Cost: $150.00*
*Fee includes unlimited Stretch & Limber Classes
Click for more information
- Ballet
- Open Senior Ballet
- Contemporary
- Jazz
- Stretch and Limber - Open Age
- Tap Workshop
- Adult Ballet Workshop
Term Dates - 2012
Term 1 Saturday 28th Jan - Thursday 29 Mar
No classes Labour Day Monday 12th March
Term 2 Saturday 14 Apr - Thursday 28Jun
Term 3 Saturday 14 Jul - Thursday 20 Sep
Term 4 Saturday 6 Oct - Saturday 15 Dec
The Ballet School offers dance classes in ballet for kids as well as dance lessons in jazz and contemporary lessons for kids and adults of all ages.Jazz classes and tap lessons are all part of the dancing environment at the love to dance school of ballet. Exciting dancing lessons and fun jazz classes for children are a main focus at the love to dance school of ballet.
Adult tap, ballet and jazz are also now available at the school and RAD ballet is available for children.
