Jess Emblen – Principal

Area of Expertise
– Tap
– Jazz
-Lyrical
– Contemporary
– Singing & Dancing/Musical Theatre
– Piano
– Singing

Jessica has been teaching now for 25 years in the subjects of piano, singing, tap, ballet, jazz, contemporary, lyrical, musical theatre, early childhood music, English as a second language and even Biblical studies. Jessica holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology as well as a Master’s Degree in Theological studies. Jessica is also currently studying for a second Master’s Degree in Teaching in early childhood and primary education. Jessica holds a Teacher’s Diploma through CSTD (Commonwealth Society of Teachers of Dancing alongside qualifications in AMEB (Australian Music Examinations Board) singing and piano and Trinity College of London singing. Jessica grew up on the south side of Brisbane and her family has been involved in the dancing arena of this city since 1987. As a young adult, Jessica enjoyed a dance performance career working for channel 7 in various ways such as the RAQ fashion awards, as a soloist singer at channel 7’s River stage Carols by Candlelight, as a cheerleader on channel 7’s televised “Gladiator’s” tv series and danced and sung at numerous corporate functions such as the INDY Grand Prix ball opening for singer Celine Dion. Jessica also worked for many years for Warner Brothers in children’s entertainment and was involved in various promotional work as a dancer. Jessica has extensive experience in teaching dance, singing, and piano as well as experience managing ballet schools such as the Canberra Festival Ballet School during her 9 years in Canberra, where she resided as Director of Musical theatre as well as studio manager. During her time there, Jessica helped train and prepare for auditions numerous dancers who auditioned successfully for schools and companies such as the Australian Ballet Company, the Australian Ballet School and interstate program, the Russian school of ballet, WAAPA, McDonald College, the Victorian school of the arts, QUT dance degrees, the Canadian Ballet Company and more Jessica is also a mother of 5 and is passionate about teaching and working with children and young adults. Jessica works at DanSing Australia as both the Principal of the School and teacher of piano, singing, tiny tots, and musical theatre and is also a relief teacher to most styles DanSing Australia Pty Ltd offers.

Marilyn Verheyen

Area of Expertise
– Ballet
– Ballet Pointe

Taught by Mr Neil Walker in Townsville QLD Marilyn danced with the then North Queensland Ballet Company.

Marilyn also studied under former Australian Ballet Principal Dancer Kathleen Gorham OBE at the National Theatre Ballet School before being selected to join the Australia Ballet School in Melbourne.

After completing her studies, Marilyn moved to Europe and based herself in The Netherlands where she became Dancer and Co-Director of the Dutch Ballet Company Danz.

Marilyn later taught at a number of Dutch Arts Academies and also continued her studies at the Conservatorium in Rotterdam.  She has a degree in Dance Pedagogy.

Marilyn has over 20 years experience teaching classical ballet in Australia and Europe.

Todd Anderson

Area of Expertise
– Tap

Todd is a children’s and adult tap dancing teacher at Dansing Pty Ltd. He has been teaching private and group classes for Dansing since 2012 and has previously taught for Brisbane Dance Centre and River City Dance in Brisbane and Encore Dance Studio in Bundaberg. In addition to teaching, Todd has choreographed celebrated student performances for exams, eisteddfods and public performance throughout Queensland for Drama Queens Studio, Bundaberg Players and Sunnybank Theatre. He received his Tap Diploma from the Commonwealth Society of Teachers of Dancing in 2007 and is currently enrolled to study Occupational Therapy with an interest on how tap movement can be used as therapy.

Todd sees tap dancing as a fun and creative outlet for his students but his classes are based on the fundamentals of tap theory and technique. His approach to working with students combines teacher devised choreography and student devised choreography. The first is designed to develop students dance and performance ability and the second, with teacher support, is designed to encourage students to develop their own, unique dance style. Todd’s passion for dancing comes from a love of creativity and a desire to see students nurture their own while keeping active.

Jasmine Meakin

Area of Expertise
– Hip-Hop
– Street Dance

Jasmine began dancing at the age of 3 and studied Tap, Jazz, and Ballet. As the years went on, Jasmine expanded her repertoire to include Hip Hop / Street Dance. All these different styles fused together have created Jasmine’s own Street Style, which she is now renowned for. Jasmine and Luis (the other half of team Mega Jam) have been performing, choreographing, and teaching workshops all over the world thanks to the success of their Mega Jam YouTube channel which has 1.5 million subscribers and has racked up over 500 million video views globally, making it one of the biggest commercial choreography dance channels in the world. After 3 European workshop tours and pop-up classes across the USA Jaz has now settled back in Brisbane to continue doing what she loves most, choreographing and teaching commercial dance classes.

Andrew Lyons

Area of Expertise
– Ballet
-Ballet Pointe

A graduate of the Australian Ballet School Andrew Lyons has been a member of many of Australia’s leading professional classical ballet companies as well as companies abroad. Including; The Australian Ballet, The Royal New Zealand Ballet, PACT Ballet South Africa, and The Queensland Ballet. As a professional dancer, Andrew has performed many leading roles in the classical repertoire as well as featured roles in several contemporary works over a 15-year career attaining the rank of Senior Soloist dancer. Andrew has worked with some of the world’s finest and most well-respected choreographers, repetiteurs, teachers, and ballet company administrators including but not limited to; Patricia Neary (The Balanchine Trust – New York City Ballet), Janek Shergen (The Choo San Goh Trust), Ronald Hynde, Michael Coleman (English National Ballet, The Royal Ballet), Andre Prokovsky, Jane Bourne (The John Cranko Foundation), Eugene Polyakov (The Paris Opera Ballet), Johnny Eliasen (The Royal Danish Ballet), Maina Gielgud (The Australian Ballet), Lucette Aldous, Gary Norman, Marika Besobrasova (The Princess Grace School – Monte Carlo), Magdalena Poppa (The National Ballet of Canada). Ai-gul Gaisina (The Kirov Ballet). Harry Haythorne (The Royal New Zealand Ballet), Dawn Weller (PACT Ballet South Africa). & Harold Collins (The Queensland Ballet).

Miss Claire

Area of Expertise
– Silks (Aerial)
– Hoop / Lyra (Aerial)
– Pole Skills
– Circus Skills

Introducing Claire, an aerialist with over a decade of experience in aerial Silks, Lyra and Pole. She has a wealth of aerial competition experience, placing 1st in Open Apparatus Solo Masters Division Bend The Air Brisbane 2023, competing at National Level in Advanced Silks in Bend The Air National Finals 2022, placing 3rd in Lyra Duo division in Miss Lyra QLD 2023 and winning an emerging talent award for open apparatus duo in Bend the Air Brisbane 2022. Beyond her award-winning performances, Claire discovered a deep passion for teaching. Devoted to empowering others, she loves to see her students shine and reach their full potential.
Claire is also a qualified matwork and reformer pilates instructor and Mum of 3.

Brianna Johnson

My name is Brianna Johnson, I’m 24 and have been dancing for 11 years. I went to school at Kelvin Grove State College where I attended the Queensland Dance School of Excellence. I trained there from grade 5 through to 12 and was the first student ever to do so. Graduating in 2011 from Kelvin Grove State College and QDSE with my Senior School certificate and a Diploma in Dance. I started as a student here at DanSing 11 years ago and am proud to have become part of the teaching staff. Dansing has been my home away from home as I grew up and has always been my happy place and I’m so happy to see that same feeling progress through our students today.

Grace Bartlett

Area of Expertise
– Ballet
– Jazz
-Lyrical
– Contemporary
– Musical Theatre
– Hip-Hop
– Cabaret Style

Grace has been training in dance since the age of 3 and teaching dance since the age of 14. Grace has teaching experience in various dance styles and ability levels from beginner to pre professional. Some of these styles include; Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Contemporary, Lyrical, Hip hop, Commercial Heels, and Showgirl/Cabaret style. Grace has completed and obtained Honours or above in all major CSTD Jazz, Ballet and Contemporary exams. Grace is currently completing her teaching qualifications for CSTD (Comdance). Already Grace has successfully prepared many students for their CSTD and ATOD dance exams with outstanding results. In 2022 Grace also obtained her Ready Set Dance Teaching qualification and has worked at various studios teaching students from the age of 3-25. Additionally, Grace has completed a Certificate II in Dance and a Diploma of Musical Theatre through RAW Dance Company and has also completed a year of full time training at Dynamite Studios Australia and Evolutions Agencies Pre-Professional Program during 2022. During Grace’s high school education Grace obtained the highest grade in her cohort for dance two years running and scored 100/100 for the ATAR dance subject. Grace was also elected middle and senior years Dance Captain at St Peter Claver College and still choreographs for high school dance troupes around the city. In 2021, Grace auditioned successfully for QUT’s Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance and Secondary Education but decided to put this on hold to pursue her professional dance career in the arts first and is enjoying travelling the world and working as professional dancer as much as possible.

Grace has recently completed her first international dance contract at Roncalli’s Apollo Variety Theatre in Germany as a dancer/showgirl and has already been booked for her second overseas contract starting later this year. During 2021-2022 Grace performed in 5 consecutive seasons as a dancer at Movie World, including White Christmas, Carnival, Hooray for Hollywood, Tweety Birds Birthday, and Fright Night. During 2022 and 2023 Grace also performed at many high end corporate events as a performer including; The SOP Gala at the Star Casino, The Bakers Delight National Conference at the Star Casino, the Coca Cola Australia Conference and at many of the Gold Coast Suns Games.

Tilly Bruijn

Area of Expertise
– Jazz
-Lyrical
– Musical Theatre

Tilly had her first dance lesson aged 4, and has been hooked ever since : studying classical ballet, jazz, musical theatre, tap and lyrical over the years, with the last 5 years of her training taking place at Dansing Australia. She has also trained at Flipside Circus and Sayers Dance School, and studies guitar and ukelele. While a student at Dansing she has won awards for her work in tap and lyrical and first prize for Singing in the Senior Dansing Talent Competition. She has performed with Dansing at the Ekka, the Mater Little Miracles Ball, and various Spring Fairs and School Fetes. As her time as a Dansing student has come to an end, she has become involved in teaching holiday workshops, regular jazz classes, and some choreography for the end-of-year concert, and could not be more thrilled with this childhood dream coming true. She loves seeing her students’ eyes light up when they master a new move, and witnessing them experience the same joy of dance that she has felt since she was very small.

Seth Collier

Area of Expertise
– Jazz
– Musical Theatre
– Hip-Hop

Seth recently arrived back from LA training at Playground and other studios and is now represented in LA for both dance and acting. He completed a year of full-time dance at Dynamite Studios’ pre-professional program specialising in hip hop, musical theatre & commercial jazz. In 2021 he choreographed for the ABC film ‘Vivs silly mango’ which screened in Beverly Hills and aired on Australian TV.
Seth has taught dance at both high schools and various dance schools over the past 4 years and looks forward to sharing his love for the arts with our students at DanSing Australia.