Dance Matters Podcast

Yvette Lee is a choreographer, creative director and creative producer who has become renowned as one of the most versatile creatives in Australia. She is renowned for her work in television, theatre and live touring events. Yvette’s television credits include Dancing with Stars , Asia’s Got Talent, So You Think You Can Dance, Australian Idol, Neighbours, The Masked Singer, Dance Boss, Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards and the ARIA Awards. Yvette has choreographed musical theatre productions such as ‘In the Heights’, Rock of Ages, Shout - The Legend of the Wild One ,Dusty - The Original Pop Diva, Sweet Charity, Managing Carmen, and Just the Ticket. Her music industry credits include choreography for major music labels Sony, Universal &Warner for artists such as; Guy Sebastian, Zara Larsson, Samantha Jade, Jessica Mauboy, Ricki Lee, Tim Campbell and Bobby Fox. Yvette has also worked on a range of live events including; the AFL Grand Final with Robbie Williams and the Victorian State School Spectacular. She loves working as artistic director for VDF and has recently launched her own activewear range by Energetiks. https://www.yvettelee.com/

Yvette Lee is a choreographer, creative director and creative producer who has become renowned as one of the most versatile creatives in Australia. She is renowned for her work in television, theatre and live touring events. Yvette’s television credits include Dancing with Stars , Asia’s Got Talent, So You Think You Can Dance, Australian Idol, Neighbours, The Masked Singer, Dance Boss, Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards and the ARIA Awards. Yvette has also worked on a range of live events including; the AFL Grand Final with Robbie Williams and the Victorian State School Spectacular. She loves working as artistic director for VDF and has recently launched her own activewear range by Energetiks. Join Charlie as she asks the hard questions in this performer profile. Find out all the things you have always wanted to know about your favourite performers, but never had the chance to ask. https://www.yvettelee.com/

Shannon grew up in the Central Queensland town of Gladstone which is where her love of dance began. At the age of 15 she moved to Brisbane where she studied ballet full time at Queensland Dance School of Excellence before completing a Diploma of Performing Arts at ED5 International in Sydney. She has since obtained a diploma in Professional Pilates Instruction through PITC. A versatile performer, Shannon has had the privilege of working with many of Australia’s leading choreographers including Kelley Abbey, The Squared Division, William Forsythe, Keith Hawley, Matt Lee, Leanne Cherny, Marko Panzic, Jason Coleman, Sarah Boulter and Stephen Baynes. Stage credits include Fame the Musical (Australian tour), Grease the Musical (Australian tour), previous Opera Australia productions including La Traviata and Carmen on Sydney Harbour, Le Gand Cirque, Ben Veitch’s production of Blood, Swart and Dance and the Shorter, Sweeter Dance tour. Shannon has made regular television appearances on The X Factor, The Voice, Australian Idol, Australia’s Next Top Model and more. She has worked with both Australian and International artists including Ricky Martin, Jessica Mauboy, Ricki Lee, Red Foo and Sneaky Sound System. She has also appeared in films and music videos and performed at countless events including the Glasgow Commonwealth Games Closing Ceremony. Since the birth of her two gorgeous children, Shannon has begun to focus more on the choreographic and creative side of the industry. She has choreographed for a number of award ceremonies and events. Crystalized Costumes Adrenaline Dance Competition Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

At the age of 15 Shannon Burns moved to Brisbane where she studied ballet full time at Queensland Dance School of Excellence before completing a Diploma of Performing Arts at ED5 International in Sydney. A versatile performer, Shannon has had the privilege of working with many of Australia’s leading choreographers including Kelley Abbey, The Squared Division, William Forsythe, Keith Hawley, Matt Lee, Leanne Cherny, Marko Panzic, Jason Coleman, Sarah Boulter and Stephen Baynes. Stage credits include Fame the Musical (Australian tour), Grease the Musical (Australian tour), previous Opera Australia productions including La Traviata and Carmen on Sydney Harbour, Le Gand Cirque, Ben Veitch’s production of Blood, Swart and Dance and the Shorter, Sweeter Dance tour. Join Charlie as she asks the hard questions in this performer profile. Find out all the things you have always wanted to know about your favourite performers, but never had the chance to ask. https://www.shanburns.com.au/

Zoe Ioannou grew up immersed in the world of dance. It seems that dance was in her blood with her Nan, Aunt and mum all working as professional ballerinas. Originally Zoe’s goal was to follow in their footsteps but at the age of 12 she discovered her vocal talent. From that day on her trajectory changed. Zoe found a passion for musical theatre and jazz. She appeared in her first amateur theatre role at the age of 11 when she was cast in Les Mis. Zoe then landed her first professional job working on the set of Dance Academy. This was followed up with her first professional stage role in Annie at the age of 12. After graduating from school Zoe went on to attend NIDA to achieve her Diploma of Musical Theatre. Following that she successfully landed a role in Opera Australia’s Westside Story. Since the world of theatre has been resurrected post Covid, Zoe has gone on to land roles in Nine and Hairspray. http://zoeioannou.com.au/ Crystalized Costumes Adrenaline Dance Competition Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Zoe Ioannou grew up immersed in the world of dance. It seems that dance was in her blood with her Nan, Aunt and mum all working as professional ballerinas. Originally Zoe’s goal was to follow in their footsteps but at the age of 12 she discovered her vocal talent. She found a passion for musical theatre and jazz. She appeared in her first amateur theatre role at the age of 11 when she was cast in Les Miserables. Zoe then landed her first professional job working on the set of Dance Academy. This was followed up with her first professional stage role in Annie at the age of 12. After graduating from school Zoe went on to attend NIDA to achieve her Diploma of Musical Theatre. Following that she successfully landed a role in Opera Australia’s Westside Story. Join Charlie as she asks the hard questions in this performer profile. Find out all the things you have always wanted to know about your favourite performers, but never had the chance to ask.

Liana Blackburn is a professional dancer and long-time health and wellness enthusiast. Her versatility is what makes her such a valuable teacher, choreographer, and dancer. She has been honored to dance with so many incredibly inspiring individuals including Britney Spears, Nick Jonas, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Jason Derulo, Talyor Swift, Ricky Martin, and Kylie Minogue She has also worked on shows such as Glee, Dancing with the Stars, The Voice, Cirque Du Soleil, X-factor and many more. She also performed with Selena Gomez on her REVIVIAL World Tour as a dancer and Dance Captain. Liana has taken her passion and enthusiasm for helping others to create an online dance program called BODY LANGUAGE. She is passionately dedicated to inspiring and coaching others to navigate their own paths toward health and wellbeing. You can follow her journey and find learn more at Daily Dancer Diet.

Liana Blackburn is a professional dancer and long-time health and wellness enthusiast. Her versatility is what makes her such a valuable teacher, choreographer, and dancer. She has been honored to dance with so many incredibly inspiring individuals including Britney Spears, Nick Jonas, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Jason Derulo, Talyor Swift, Ricky Martin, and Kylie Minogue Join Charlie as she asks the hard questions in this performer profile. Find out all the things you have always wanted to know about your favourite performers, but never had the chance to ask. Crystalized Costumes Adrenaline Dance Competition Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Luca Dinardo is a musical theatre performer, dance captain and choreographer. She grew up training at Patrick Studios and completed her full time training there. Luca was drawn to the world of musical theatre and her professional credits include; Bring It On – The Musical, Billy Elliot ,NINE, RENT , Kiss of the Spider , West Side Story and Hamilton. Luca’s career has also seen her assist some of Australia’s finest choreographers, including Andrew Hallsworth, Kelley Abbey, Michael Ralph and Marko Panzic and international choreographers Travis Wall, Stacey Tookey & Al Blackstone. Join us as we explore the highs and lows of Luca’s career. We discuss the struggles she faced to make a name for herself in the industry and to overcome self doubt. We also talk about how she has overcome setbacks. A truly inspiring conversation.

Luca Dinardo is a musical theatre performer, dance captain and choreographer. She grew up training at Patrick Studios and completed her full time training there. Luca was drawn to the world of musical theatre and her professional credits include; Bring It On – The Musical, Billy Elliot ,NINE, RENT , Kiss of the Spider , West Side Story and Hamilton. Join Charlie as she asks the hard questions in this performer profile. Find out all the things you have always wanted to know about your favourite performers, but never had the chance to ask.

Soraya Zapata’s love for dancing started when she began taking classes at Sher's Studio of Modern Dance at the young age of 3. She continued her training at WHSPA (Wollongong High School of the Performing Arts) as a dance student. During her time there Soraya was thrilled to be given the role of a featured dancer Schools Spectacular. She was also company member of The Forge Tap Project and is a member of ‘Girls on Tap’. In January 2018, Soraya was honoured to obtain a position in the Dream Creative Oz and was given the opportunity to perform along with the Dream Dance Company at the Australian Dance Festival. In 2019, whilst completing her CERT IV in dance at Village Nation Soraya was given the opportunity to be a featured Dancer in Guy Sebastian’s hit single ‘Choir. Soraya was successful in gaining a contract with Royal Carribean cruise line as a dancer and left for Miami in December 2019 unfortunately due to COVID19 had to returned home earlier than planned. She loved performing and misses it but is enjoying being back at home auditioning for roles and teaching. Crystalized Costumes Adrenaline Dance Competition Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Soraya Zapata’s love for dancing started when she began taking classes at Sher's Studio of Modern Dance at the young age of 3. She was a company member of The Forge Tap Project and is a member of ‘Girls on Tap’. In 2019, whilst completing her CERT IV in dance at Village Nation Soraya was given the opportunity to be a featured Dancer in Guy Sebastian’s hit single ‘Choir. Soraya was successful in gaining a contract with Royal Carribean cruise line as a dancer and left for Miami in December 2019 unfortunately due to COVID19 had to returned home earlier than planned. She loved performing and misses it but is enjoying being back at home auditioning for roles and teaching. Join Charlie as she asks the hard questions in this performer profile. Find out all the things you have always wanted to know about your favourite performers, but never had the chance to ask.

Dominique Kelley is an incredible dancer and choreographer. He may not have started his formal dance training until he was 9 but by the age of 12 he was already on his first Broadway tour. At the age of 16, he co-choreographed his first musical named “Wild Women Blues” in Germany. Dominique combined his love of musical theatre and commercial dance in order to become a highly sought after dancer and choreographer. He has worked on film including; “The Princess and the Frog”, “The Smurfs Movie”, “Bring It On: Fight to the Finish”, “Jump The Broom”, and “Mariah Carey’s Magical Christmas Special”. His television credits include; “So You Think You Can Dance”, “Dancing With The Stars”, “The Masked Singer”, “American Music Awards”, “The Late Late Show with James Corden”, and “Lip Sync Battle”. He has also worked with top recording artists including; Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, Ariana Grande, Jennifer Hudson, P!nk, Usher, Gwen Stefani, Chris Martin, Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, and Flo Rida. Not leaving out sports entertainment, he has been one of the main choreographers for such sports teams as the San Francisco 49ers, San Diego Chargers, Brooklyn Nets, Boston Celtics, LA Clippers, and many teams around the country. Dominique’s goal and endeavor is to bring movement and dance artistry to every facet of the entertainment industry. Crystalized Costumes Adrenaline Dance Competition Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Dominique Kelley is an incredible dancer and choreographer. At the age of 16, he co-choreographed his first musical named “Wild Women Blues” in Germany. He has worked on film including; “The Princess and the Frog”, “The Smurfs Movie”, “Bring It On: Fight to the Finish”, “Jump The Broom”, and “Mariah Carey’s Magical Christmas Special”. His television credits include; “So You Think You Can Dance”, “Dancing With The Stars”, “The Masked Singer”, “American Music Awards”, “The Late Late Show with James Corden”, and “Lip Sync Battle”. He has also worked with top recording artists including; Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, Ariana Grande, Jennifer Hudson, P!nk, Usher, Gwen Stefani, Chris Martin, Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, and Flo Rida. Join Charlie as she asks the hard questions in this performer profile. Find out all the things you have always wanted to know about your favourite performers, but never had the chance to ask. https://www.domkelley.com/

Angelique is a true triple threat performer, excelling as an actor, singer and dancer with an extensive list of Australian stage and live theatre credits. Angelique began training for a performance career with The Dance Works in Brisbane, Australia and furthered her studies at The Australian Dance Performance Institute. She made her professional musical theatre debut in Annie in 2000. She recently starred as Cassie in A Chorus Line (Darlinghurst Theatre Company) for Sydney Festival and the Sydney Opera House and is freshly back in Australia after appearing in the disco cabaret extravaganza, Velvet for its Hamburg, Germany season. Angelique has also appeared in ; American Psycho at the Sydney Opera House, Pippin, Hair , Saturday Night Fever, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Carmen, Rent, Strictly Ballroom, King Kong Live on Stage, Mary Poppins, High School Musical, Guys and Dolls and Handa Opera’s outdoor extravaganza Sydney Opera House - The Opera, The Eighth Wonder. Angelique has performed to critical acclaim in her one-woman show Guilty Pleasures. Crystalized Costumes Adrenaline Dance Competition Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Angelique is a true triple threat performer, excelling as an actor, singer and dancer with an extensive list of Australian stage and live theatre credits. She recently starred as Cassie in A Chorus Line (Darlinghurst Theatre Company) for Sydney Festival and the Sydney Opera House and is freshly back in Australia after appearing in the disco cabaret extravaganza, Velvet for its Hamburg, Germany season. Join Charlie as she asks the hard questions in this performer profile. Find out all the things you have always wanted to know about your favourite performers, but never had the chance to ask.

James Maras is an incredible choreographer whose star is on the rise. At 7 he attended a summer camp which ignited his passion for dance. By the age of 12 he started taking his training seriously and had the opportunity to work on Candy man the Musical. At 15 James moved to Brent Street to study in their BSA program. But it wasn’t all a straight projection into consistent work as a professional dancer. James found the inconsistencies of life as a performer challenging and instead found a deep passion for teaching and choreographing. James now works at a range of studios and is highly sought after for his unique choreography. Crystalized Costumes Adrenaline Dance Competition Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

James Maras is an incredible choreographer whose star is on the rise. At 7 he attended a summer camp which ignited his passion for dance. By the age of 12 he started taking his training seriously and had the opportunity to work on Candy man the Musical. At 15 James moved to Brent Street to study in their BSA program. James found a deep passion for teaching and choreographing. He now works at a range of studios and is highly sought after for his unique choreography. Join Charlie as she asks the hard questions in this performer profile. Find out all the things you have always wanted to know about your favourite performers, but never had the chance to ask.

With an International Career spanning over a decade, James Maxfield is one of Australia and the UK's most versatile creatives. Starting his career as a Musical Theatre performer and Touring with International Artists, James has established himself as a highly sought after creative across all platforms of entertainment . Since graduating full time at Brent Steet, James has performed in numerous productions including; Wicked, Grease – The Arena Spectacular, The Boy From Oz, Sweet Charity, Miss Saigon, Carmen, A Chorus Line, The Rocky Horror Show, the Australian tour of Dirty Dancing, Xanadu and Hamilton. As a commercial dancer, James has toured with Kesha and Samantha Jade, and has performed live with Taylor Swift, Rita Ora, Kylie Minogue, Kelly Clarkson, Havana Brown, Ricky Martin, Delta Goodrem, Loreen, Little Mix, Fergie, Redfoo, Sneaky Sound System and Wynter Gordon. He has numerous TV dance credits including; x factor Australia, The Voice, The Masked Singer and Dancing on Ice. https://jamesmaxfield.wixsite.com/website-1 Crystalized Costumes Adrenaline Dance Competition Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

With an International Career spanning over a decade, James Maxfield is one of Australia and the UK's most versatile creatives. Starting his career as a Musical Theatre performer and Touring with International Artists, James has established himself as a highly sought after creative across all platforms of entertainment . Join Charlie as she asks the hard questions in this performer profile. Find out all the things you have always wanted to know about your favourite performers, but never had the chance to ask. https://www.jamesmaxfieldcreative.com/