come dance
with us
APR 12-14 2024 \\ MELBOURNE SHOWGROUNDS
VDF24
LINE UP
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR YVETTE LEE
ANNOUNCES THE LINE UP FOR VDF24
*Instructors subject to change.
KATE WORMALD Jazz
Kate Wormald has been an in-demand Choreographer, Intimacy Coordinator and Movement Coach with a career spanning over 25 years. Her passion for movement has led her from the stage to choreography, casting and movement direction and her incredible body of work is testament to her talent and work ethic as one of Australia’s leading performers and creatives.
Kate has lent her talents as choreographer on Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis Movie, Ticket To Paradise, Anyone But You, animated feature film Happy Feet 2, Disney’s Nautilus, Godzilla X Kong, Apples Never Fall, Amazon Primes series The Wilds, NBC’s Young Rock, Rose Byrnes feature film Seriously Red, Foxtel’s THE END, Irreverent and ABC’s Harrow S2.
Kate has become a fully certified Intimacy Co-ordinator through IDC in New York. Working in safe spaces incorporating consent based practises is so very important to the work Kate develops. Kate has worked as IC on projects for Netflix, Universal, Columbia/Sony Films and the Queensland Ballet Company.
As a creative and choreographer, Kate’s stage and event credits include Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, Associate Head of Choreography & Staging for the Opening Ceremony of the 2018 Commonwealth Games, Azerbaijan’s 4th Islamic Solidarity Games and P&O Cruises production of Seven.
Creatively, television has been a huge passion of Kate’s with her work featured on shows and commercials such as Dance Boss, So You Think You Can Dance, Australia’s Got Talent, The Voice, X Factor, Lord Mayors Christmas Carols, Dancing with the Stars and campaigns for BONDS, BERLEI and Channel 10.
As a performer, Kate has a long list of credits, working with some of the world’s most revered actors, choreographers, directors and recording artists including George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Sydney Sweeney, Austin Butler, Rachael Griffiths, Ol Parker, Ricky Martin, Jennifer Hudson, Samara Weaving, KE$HA, George Miller, Baz Luhrmann, Ellie Goulding, Michael Gracey, Robbie Williams, Macy Gray and Krew Boylan, as well as performing in stage shows such as Fame, Footloose, Carmen, Oh What a Night, Happy Feet 1 & 2, The X Factor, Australian Idol, TV Week Logie Awards, Sir Cliff Richard Tour, ROVE, Long Way to the Top, MTV Awards, ARIA Awards, Nickelodeon Awards and various national corporate events.
SARAH BOULTER LYRICAL
Since paving her professional dance career, Sarah has become an Australian house hold name specialising in contemporary choreography. Her choreographic work has been described as breaking boundaries for its theatrical edge.
Sarah’s choreographic journey began on the global television hit So You Think You Can Dance, where she was engaged for the UK & Australian seasons.
On film, television, and stage, her credits include Enter the Vortex by the Dream Dance Company, Dance Academy the Come Back, The Opening Ceremony of the Arab Games (David Atkins Enterprises), SYTYCD UK and Australian season 1,2,3 & 4, Dance Academy ABC3, The Voice for Jennifer Hudson, Dance Boss, Puberty Blues and Dancing with the Stars.
Performance highlights include working for legendary artist Celine Dion in the resident show A New Day, working with industry greats, Mia Michaels and Franco Dragone. Westend credits include a solo for her Majesty the Queen, Royal Variety performances and West end musical Notre dame de Paris.
As well as performing and creating, Sarah finds passion in teaching and is the Co Director of renowned full-time course Ev & Bow in Sydney. She has taught all around the world receiving much acclaim, teaching workshops and master classes in Australia, USA, UK, Italy, Indonesia and Middle East. Sarah is sought after for her contemporary works and find’s great pleasure in sharing her knowledge to up and coming dancers.
JESSE RASMUSSEN TAP
SPONSORED BY CAPEZIO
Training on the Gold Coast, Australia under the direction of Peta Mckenney and Robert Sturrock. Jesse's Musical Theatres credits include playing the role of Tip in David Atkins's Hot Shoe Shuffle in which he was later nominated for "The Most Outstanding Performance In a Musical" at the Australian Dance Awards.
Oh! What a Night, Grease The Arena spectacular, Candy Man with Wayne Scott Kermond, and touring both nationally & internationally with Dein Perry’s Tap Dogs.
Film credits include: Peter Jackson’s King Kong and George Miller’s motion capture blockbusters Happy Feet 1 and Happy Feet 2
Jesse’s Choreography credits include; Stan Walker’s “ SummerBeats” Australia and New Zealand tour, Jessica Mauboy’s Beyonce Tour, Channel 9’s “Hey Hey It’s Saturday reunion show” So You Think You Can Dance Australia seasons 3 & 4 after appearing as a top 20 finalist in season 2.
In 2013, 2015, and 2016 Jesse was the lead Choreographer on the Australian season of The X Factor working with artists like Guy Sebastion, Natalie Bassingthwaite, Red Foo, Lunch Money Lewis, Mel B, Fall Out Boy. Jesse has also choreographed performances on Dancing With The Stars and the winners of Young Talent Time "Lil Banditz Krew".
2013 saw Jesse co-create The Tap Pack which is successfully playing in theatres all over the world and recently includes performances on "The Morning Show", the world-famous "TED X Convention" and "The Carols in the Domain" with special guest Adam Garcia. In 2014 The Tap Pack was nominated for two Green Room Awards and an Australian Dance Award for Best Musical. In 2016 & 2019 The Tap Pack wowed audiences at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival with Sold Out shows, rave reviews, and receiving the "Spirit of the Fringe" award. 2017 saw The Tap Pack play the famous Super Theatre in Beijing followed by a 2 month Season at the Tipi Am Kanzleramt in Berlin. In May 2018, The Tap Pack performed their debut season at the Peacock Theatre on London's West End under the famous umbrella of Sadler's Wells.
Jesse and The Tap Pack were very proud of the 10-week USA tour playing sold-out shows across the USA in February 2020
2023 was the 10-year reunion tour of The Tap Pack playing sold-out houses at The Comedy Theatre in Melbourne, Bpac in Brisbane, and the famous Sydney Opera House. TICKETS GO ON SALE THIS NOVEMBER for The Tap Pack regional Australian tour coming to a town near you in 2024.
Jesse is pleased to announce that next year in 2024 he is launching his brand new Tap Dance Syllabus product right here in Australia - Coming soon!
To RSVP and join the mailing list for Jesse Rasmussen's Tap Dance Syllabus, please email: jesserasmussen.events@gmail.com
TIANA CANTERBURY AFRO FUSION
Tiana Canterbury has worked actively at the forefront of the Australian dance scene for close to two decades. Her experience working with dancers to bring them to their full potential has sparked the attention of many large organisations seeking talent for their campaigns.
Over the past 3 years Tiana has served as the dance scene expert for Red Bull Australia. She plays the role of the middle woman between Red Bull and the dance community throughout Australia. A role which calls on her to actively liaise with Red Bull teams internationally, deliver and mentor talent through preliminary and final stages of competition, and build overall relationships between corporates and communities.
Tiana featured in films The Great Gatsby, The Matrix and Son of Mask and has danced with Macklemore (USA), JaRule (USA), Montell Jordan (USA), Marvin Priest (UK), Guy Sebastian (AUS), Jessica Mauboy (AUS), Stan Walker (NZ), Color Me Badd (USA), Timomatic (AUS) and CHINGY (USA) and featured in commercials for Google, Telstra, 2dayFM and even been Janet Jackson’s body double!
Tiana is active as a Choreographer. She is currently appointed as Head Choreographer for touring artist Sampa The Great. Her choreography has been showcased on world-renowned stages. Lead Choreographer credits on TV and Stage also include Hungry Jacks, Timomatic Dance Boss, MADIBA Aus/NZ Theatre Tour, KMART Active Wear, Macklemore NRL, The Voice, Stan Walker Nickelodeon, Australia's Got Talent, SYTYCD, MTV Awards CHINGY and more.
Tiana is highly respected as a leader and somewhat mother figure to the Australian Dance Community. She is regularly booked to travel nationally and deliver both spoken and dance choreography workshops. She is currently developing her own platform which she refers to as ‘The Dancing Mind’. This approach leans into sparking Self Belief and overcoming self by tapping into the energy centres of dance and movement.
jarryd byrne Latin & Partnering
Jarryd is a creative, choreographer and dancer who has forged a successful career on both stage and screen. Specialising in Latin and Ballroom, Jarryd is a Dancing With The Stars Champion, winning with Actress and Comedian, Celia Pacquola.
His most recent choreography credits include Stan’s “Ten Pound Poms”, Dancing With The Stars; MTC’s Heisenberg; Immersive Cinema’s Dirty Dancing; The Unbelievables and White Night Melbourne.
Professional Credits include: “Nathan Starkey’ Baz Luhrmans Strictly Ballroom The Musical (understudy Ken Railings), Burn The Floor; The Unbelievables and Shake Rattle & Roll.
A resident professional dancer on Dancing With The Stars, Jarryd has been partnered with stars such as Renee Bargh, Olympia Vallance, Ricki-Lee Coulter, Jesinta Franklin and Ash Pollard.
cassie Bartho commercial
Cassie Bartho is a dynamic dancer and choreographer from Newcastle. At 16 she moved to Sydney to complete her HSC and fulltime training at Brent Street.
Since graduating fulltime Cassie has jet-setted into the commercial dance world to dance for artists such as Dua Lipa, Katy Perry, Sam Smith, Ricky Martin, Jessie J, Kylie and Danni Minogue, PNAU, Client Liaison, Hailee Steinfeld, Kim Petras, and Havana Brown. Bartho has also performed on shows such as X-Factor, The Voice and Australia’s Got Talent as well multiple corporate events.
Cassie’s choreography is making an impact within the industry. Her work is slick and polished and her approach to creating visually exciting pieces – whether the brief calls for on-trend movement or something more classic – is fresh and energetic. Most recently she has been in Spain choreographing for David Guetta and Becky Hill at the Los 40 Music Awards for The Squared Division and movement direction for Delta Goodrem’s Bridge Over Troubled Dreams Tour. Bartho has also joined various creative teams, choreographing for companies, major brands and artists such as The Masked Singer, Optus, Mugler, Harvey Norman, The Star Casino, Luke Antony, NuSkin, Channel 7, Westpac and the ABC Network. Bartho has also assisted choreographers such as The Squared Divison, JTown, Matt Lee, Lucas Newland and Cat Santos.
Cassie hopes to continue to grow and develop as a dancer and choreographer and wishes to continue sharing her knowledge as much as possible with the Australian dance community.
JACOPO GRABAR coNTEMPORARY
SYDNEY DANCE COMPANY
Italian born Jacopo trained at Ateneo della Danza in Siena. In 2012 he joined Balletto di Siena as an apprentice, graduated to full time dancer in season 2013/14. Jacopo received his American Ballet Theatre NTC diploma in 2013, before joining Baltic Dance Theatre (Gdańsk, Poland) the following year where he worked with choreographers including Jiri Kylian, Patrick Delcroix and the director, Izadora Weiss.
In 2015 he joined ImPerfect Dancers Company (Pisa, Italy), directed by Walter Matteini and Ina Broeckx and in August 2016 he joined Ballet des Stadttheater Bremerhaven, under the direction of Sergei Vanaev, where he worked with Itzik Galili and Ed Wubbe.
Jacopo joined Sydney Dance Company in 2018 and made his choreographic debut in New Breed 2021.
maxwell trengove coMMERCIAL HIP HOP
From beginning his performing training in Adelaide, to performing around Australia and internationally, Maxwell is now working in choreography based in London. He is currently the Associate Choreographer on Spotlight Bar and Stage Struck for Princess Cruises. He was also Associate Choreographer on Bring It On UK and most recently, Assistant Choreographer on Peter Pan at The London Palladium. His theatrical credits include the original London cast of Magic Mike Live, Goldilocks & The Three Bears and Jack & The Beanstalk (London Palladium), the world premiere of King Kong, The Australian productions of West Side Story, The Bodyguard, Don Quichotte and Hugh Jackman's Broadway to Oz
Maxwell's has also worked with countless artists and events such as Cher, Kylie Minogue, Lewis Capaldi, Ed Sheeran, The Veronicas, Sneaky Sound System, Caroline O'Connor, Rhonda Burchmore, The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, Australia's Got Talent, X-Factor (AU), The Voice (AU & UK), Dancing with the Stars (AU), Dance Dance Dance (UK). His film credits include, Matilda (2022), Argylle (2024) and Kath & Kimderella (2012).
jo clancy
contemporary aboriginal dance
wagana dancers
Jo Clancy is a Mother, a Daughter, a Sister and an Aunty to many.
She is a First Nations Choreographer, Dancer, Teacher and Mentor. A Wiradjuri woman from Western NSW, Jo was raised and still lives on Darug and Gundungurra Country in the Blue Mountains with her family.
Jo commenced her full-time dance training at NAISDA Dance College in 1990 and then went on to Western Sydney University where she became the first Aboriginal person to gain a BA in Dance in NSW.
Jo has worked as an Independent Artist nationally and internationally for thirty-five years. She founded her company Wagana Dancers in 2007 and until recently was currently Head of Cultural Practice at NAISDA. She is the recipient of the 2023 Critical Path First Nations Fellowship.
Jo works extensively in Aboriginal communities across Wiradjuri Country. She has
connection to Kandos/Rylstone, Condobolin, Lithgow, Mudgee and Bathurst. She has been a Movement Director, Cultural Consultant and Puppeteer with Erth Visual and Physical and incorporates Cultural props and puppets in many of her creations.
Jo’s works include Bangalang for the Commonwealth Youth Dance Festival in Glasgow, Sum of our Ancestors for dance and the Child in Copenhagen, Gaurii for the Commonwealth Games Art and Cultural Festival 2018 and Wirawi Bulbwul for dance and the Child 2019. Wagana were the Australian representatives at the Honolulu Festival in Hawaii from 2016-2020 and they have an ongoing relationship with the Raven Spirit Dancers from Canada.
Her latest productions and collaborations include birrirra bandhung which premiered at Cementa Festival 2022, Wurimbirra – to take care which toured to Whistler in Canada in 2022, Yindyang Bila for the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre exhibition ‘WATER” in 2022 and Mawambul – all together for the Coastal Dance Festival in Canada 2023.
In 2022/2023 Jo has choreographed and performed for a number of corporate events including the Telstra Uluru Statement from the Heart commitment, the FIFA Women’s World Cup Draw in Aukland New Zealand, the ball drop in Sydney and the trophy tour media launch at Taronga Zoo in Sydney.