NBT  TEACHING FACULTY

Kristy commenced her full time training at Tanya Pearson Classical Coaching Academy, training with Julie Wells, Garth Welsh, Kim Traynor, Mark Reilly, Julie Kerr, Shane Carroll & Rita Dubrovsky. Here she had the opportunity to Dance with the Sydney Youth Ballet at the Sydney Opera House & Town Hall and work with emerging Choreographer Tanja Liedtke.  She then went on to study at Ballet Theatre of Victoria (now Ballet Theatre Australia) under the direction of Leanne Rutherford.

In 2000, Kristy travelled to the US to take part in Artisan Dance Theatre’s summer program and went on to a 10 year professional career with Charleston Ballet Theatre, Augusta Ballet and Idaho/Eugene Ballet and as a freelance artist with both Ballet & Contemporary companies.

During this time she has performed many soloist and principal roles. Most notably, The Sugarplum Fairy in The Nutcracker, Odette in Swan Lake, Mina Murray in Dracula, The Queen in The Three Musketeers, Le Corsaire Pas de Deux, Balanchine’s Serenade, and
Lar Lubovitch’s My Funny Valentine.

From Winter Park, Florida in the U.S., Rider began his training at a young age with the School of Southern Ballet Theatre (now Orlando Ballet), training under Russell Sultzbach, Eliza Harwood, Barbara Riggins and Cynthia Roses-Thema. At 15, he left Orlando to train full time at the Virginia School of the Arts studying with former Royal Ballet soloist Petrus Bosman and David Keener. During that time, he also trained at the Boston Ballet summer programs, working with Devon Carney, Bruce Marks, and Yacov Sharir among many others.
Beginning his professional career with Charleston Ballet Theatre, and later moving on to the Augusta Ballet, Eugene Ballet/Ballet Idaho and as a freelance artist, Rider danced in numerous ballets including the title roles in Romeo and Juliet and Dracula, Prince Seigfried in Swan Lake, Cavalier in The Nutcracker, Pas de Deux and Pas de Trois from Paquita, Grand pas Classique, Lar Lubovitch’s My Funny Valentine, and principal roles in Balanchine’s Serenade, Tarantella, Allegro Brilliante, and Who Cares?
Since moving to Australia, Rider has appeared as a guest performer with Melbourne Dance Theatre, Gold Coast City Ballet, & the Australian Conservatoire of Ballet.

Rider has been a guest teacher with the Canberra Dance Development Centre and Melbourne Dance Theatre, and faculty with Queensland National Ballet, Ransley Dance Centre, Amanda Bollinger Dance Academy, Anne Kingsford Academy of Dance, Sheridan’s Studio 1, and Fiona Munroe Ballet and Dance Studio.

Amelia started ballet at the age of three on the NSW Central Coast. She has trained in both the RAD Syllabus from Pre-primary to Advanced 1, completing all examinations successfully, and the Australian Conservatoire of Ballet (ACB) Syllabus while completing 3 years of full time ballet training at Newcastle Ballet Theatre. Amelia has also trained  in Jazz, Tap and Contemporary. She has competed in the Isobelle Anderson awards, Alana Haines Awards, Sydney Eisteddfod (both solo and troup) and numerous other eisteddfods.

In 2018 Amelia joined Elephant in the Black Box, a junior contemporary company in Madrid, Spain where she had the amazing oppotrunity  to work with many different choreographers and teachers. In addition, she was part of Central Dance Company Australia for 3 years.

Amelia has been student teaching since she was 12 and at the age of 15 started running classes.  She has taught students in both the ACB & RAD  Syllabus, Contemporary and Jazz work,  Stretch and Conditioning, as well as choreogaphing for eisteddfods.  Miss Amelia will be available for Private Lessons for students at NBT, for both eisteddfod  and ACB Syllabus work.  
Whilst attending a development program, Amelia obtained her Certificate III in Dance and during her Full Time training at NBT, received her Certificate IV in Dance. Amelia is a certified teacher for the Australian Conservatoire of Ballet  Syllabus.

Isabelle Leonard began her training in Taree at Andrea Rowsell Academy of Dance at age 5. In 2010, she went on to study Fulltime training at the National College of Dance under the direction of Marie Walton-Mahon and Brett Morgan, graduating in 2012 with a Diploma in Dance. She also spent a year studying at NIDA in Sydney completing the Young Actors Studio Course.  Isabelle had previously taught at the National College of Dance for 5 years teaching mainly RAD ballet classes, contemporary classes and private lessons, whilst also guest teaching at several workshops and choregraphing small contemporary projects. The most recent being for Dance Architect in Melbourne performed at Gasworks Arts Park, 2017.  Between 2013 and 2016, Isabelle was the Resident Choreographer for The National Theatre Company working on productions such as ‘Alice in Wonderland’,

Bronte completed her formative dance training years with Letitia Polinelli in Cairns before moving to Sydney to focus on Classical and Contemporary Dance training under Janece Graham and Tanya Pearson. Bronte has studied the Royal Academy of Dance Syllabus and completed her RAD Advanced 1 Ballet Examination.    During her high school years she performed with the State Dance Company and was awarded Excellence for her NSW HSC Dance results and selected to perform in the Callback Showcase. 

Bronte completed her Masters in Secondary Dance Education at Deakin University and Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Performance at the Victorian College of The Arts. During her time at VCA she performed in a number of professional Contemporary Dance performances choreographed by: Stephanie Lake, Lina Limosani, Rebecca Hilton, Natalie Cursio, Gerard Van Dyck and Rochelle Carmichael. She has also performed in Lucy Guerin’s Pieces for Small Spaces in 2013, under the choreographic direction of Rebecca Hilton. Bronte was the recipient of the Lionel Gell Foundation Scholarship in Dance at the Victorian College of the Arts in 2013. 

Bronte is passionate about educating dance artists to become creative and intelligent performers. As a Mat Pilates Teacher, she sees Pilates as a complimentary training practice to enhance the strength and anatomical awareness of her students. She will continue her Pilates training with a Diploma in Studio Pilates with Polestar.

Stephanie started dancing at an early age, with Julie Wells, Tanya Pearson, Kim Traynor and Rita Dubovsky. In 2000 Stephanie was awarded her RAD Solo Seal Award and outright winner of the City of Sydney Performing Arts Challenge Ballet Scholarship in 2000.   Stephanie moved to Munich, Germany, where she  continued studying dance and classical ballet at the then Heinz Bosl Stiftung Ballett Akademie München  under the direction of Professor Konstanze Vernon. It was in the first week of her studies in Munich she was chosen to perform  with the ballet company, The Bavarian State Ballet, in the productions of La Bayadere, Swan Lake,  A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Porträit John Neumeier. Studying at the school in the day time and working with the company most evenings and weekends. Stephanie graduated with her Diploma in August 2003 with a full  employment contract with the Bavarian State Ballet.  Stephanie danced 16 years under contract with the  Bavarian State Ballet and was promoted to Soloist in 2014. She performed prinicpal and solo roles in all major  classical repertoire from Petipa through to Balanchine and has an extensive résumé with many of the major modern choreographers, Jiri Kylian, Mats Ek, William  Forsythe, Nacho Duato, Hans Van Manen, Pina Bausch, José Límon, John Neumeier, Russell Maliphant and  Graeme Murphy to name a few, most of whom she was  fortunate to have worked with personally.  
In the years 2010-2012, parallel to her work with the Bavarian State Ballet, Stephanie was invited to study her Diploma Classical Ballet and Dance Pedegogy with the University for Theatre and Music in Munich, under the renowned  Professor Alex Ursuliak.   
Stephanie has taught and mentored dancers in Munich, Germany, Monte Carlo, Monaco and since 2019 in Sydney, Newcastle and Bowral, NSW.  
Stephanie is also a fully certified and licensed GYROTONIC® and Gyrokinesis Trainer.   

STEPHANIE HANCOX

Classical Ballet -  Pointe  - Full Time Program

Born in Newcastle, Meg studied with Tessa Maunder. She was awarded her Solo Seal aged 15 before winning a scholarship to finish her studies at London’s Royal Ballet School. While at the School Meg demonstrated the Solo Seal syllabus for the Royal Academy of Dancing and was chosen to perform in ‘Pineapple Poll’ for the annual School Performance at Covent Garden. Shortly afterwards Peggy Van Praagh invited Meg to be a founding member of The Australian Ballet. She initially danced in the corps de ballet, progressing to soloist roles and performing with guest artists including Eric Bruhn, Sonia Arova, Margot Fonteyn, Rudolf Nureyev, and Robert Helpmann before leaving the company to marry and settle in Sydney.
Meg then danced for a few years in a small Sydney based company which is now known as Sydney Dance Company before retiring from the stage and beginning a family.  For the next decade Meg worked in various wardrobe departments for stage, film and television programs and was wardrobe mistress at NIDA for 6 years. Meg returned to Newcastle in 1993. Her love for classical ballet was re-ignited and she is now guest teaching and coaching senior classical ballet students.

   MARGARET (Meg) AKERMAN  ARAD  Solo Seal

GUEST TEACHER   -   FULL TIME PROGRAM  

RIDER D VIERLING -  Co-Principal

Classical Ballet  -  Boys Classes  -  Full Time Program

KRISTY TANCRED  -  Co-Principal

Classical Ballet  -  Pointe  -  Full time Program  

AMELIA HAYNE

Classical Ballet   -   Contemporary & Jazz  (Junior to Intermediate Students)   -   Tiny Dancers   -   Mums & Bubs

BRONTE TUIT

Contemporary   -   Acro   -   Jazz   -   Pilates   -   Full Time Program

ISABELLE LEONARD

Contemporary  -  Full Time Program

Tara trained with NBT through 2019 before moving to Sydney to take up a place with Dargie Entertainment’s Full Time course, earning her Diploma in Elite Performance and Dance. Tara has worked professionally in the Commercial Dance industry, most recently in Taiwan.

TARA CONNORS

Commercial Jazz   -   Musical Theatre   -   Adult Jazz

Click here to have a look at some of the amazing Guest Teachers we have had at NBT over the years…