From her earliest ballet classes in Townsville to national titles, international stages and professional performances, Chanel Dworjanyn has built a career on versatility, determination and a willingness to embrace every opportunity. With the guidance of Dance Force director Nicole Wells, the young Australian performer is discovering that success is not simply about what happens in the spotlight, but everything a dancer brings to the studio long before the curtain rises.
There is a particular confidence that comes from knowing you can walk into an unfamiliar studio, learn from a new choreographer and find your place among dancers you have never met. For Chanel Dworjanyn, that adaptability has become one of her greatest strengths. Equally comfortable navigating the precision of technical choreography, the athletic demands of acrobatics or the performance qualities of commercial dance, Chanel has developed a remarkable range of skills. Her achievements already extend well beyond Australia, with national championship titles, international convention work, performances alongside recording artists and opportunities to represent Australian dance training overseas. Yet what emerges most clearly from her story is not simply the extent of those accomplishments, but the curiosity and commitment that have made them possible.
Chanel’s introduction to dance was a modest one. At three years old, while her family was living in Townsville, she began attending a weekly ballet class. As she grew older, her training expanded to include competitive cheerleading, and for several years she enjoyed the demands of both disciplines. Eventually, however, the increasing commitment required of each meant making a decision. “Dance was where my passion really was, so I decided to step away from cheer and focus my energy on becoming the best dancer I could be,” she recalls. “Looking back, I think that was one of the first times I realised just how important dance was to me.”
A family move from regional Townsville to South East Queensland introduced Chanel to a much broader dance community. With greater access to teachers, choreographers, competitions and training opportunities, she began to understand the possibilities of a professional career. Seeing dancers she admired establish themselves in the industry made those ambitions feel increasingly attainable. “I loved being challenged, learning different styles and being surrounded by people who shared the same passion,” she says. “Over time, I stopped being able to picture myself doing anything else.”
The next significant decision came when Dance Force announced the introduction of its Elite Academy, a program combining distance education with intensive dance training. For Chanel, who often found herself mentally rehearsing choreography while sitting in mainstream school classes, the prospect of devoting more of her day to dance was immediately appealing. She entered an environment where technical development, performance experience and exposure to working industry professionals were integrated into everyday training. Over four years in the Academy, she developed a foundation across ballet, lyrical, contemporary, jazz, tap, Latin, commercial heels, tumbling and acrobatics, with a particular emphasis on versatility and commercial performance.
“Training every day alongside other dancers who were just as passionate and driven pushed me both technically and personally,” Chanel explains. “I was exposed to different teachers, choreographers and styles, and I began to understand the discipline, versatility and commitment required to pursue dance professionally.”
For Dance Force director Nicole Wells, who began working with Chanel five years ago, the potential was apparent early, although Chanel herself was not yet fully aware of it. “When she first came to Dance Force she had an amazing facility but was shy and didn’t realise her potential,” Nicole recalls. “But I could see very early on that she had a fire in her belly and was going to throw herself into everything I could give her and had huge goals that she was willing to work hard to achieve.”
That willingness to embrace unfamiliar challenges became central to Chanel’s development. Rather than concentrating exclusively on the genres in which she felt most comfortable, she pursued opportunities across different disciplines, conventions and competitions, building the adaptability required of a commercial performer. Nicole considers the change in Chanel’s self-belief one of her most significant achievements. “Chanel’s confidence has been where I’m most proud of her growth. She has put herself in every different genre, convention, competition and opportunity and excelled. She is extremely versatile, has wonderful work ethic and is easy to work with, which are all qualities needed to succeed in our industry.”
The relationship between teacher and dancer has extended well beyond technical instruction. Chanel describes Dance Force as a second home and credits Nicole with helping her understand the professional responsibilities that accompany artistic ability. “She constantly pushes me to improve and challenges me to expect more from myself, while also giving me advice, guidance and opportunities that have helped me grow in confidence,” Chanel says. “She has taught me that being successful in this industry isn’t only about talent, it is also about your work ethic, professionalism, attitude and how you treat the people around you.”
It is a lesson that has become increasingly relevant as Chanel has moved from full-time training into professional work. She has performed as a featured soloist in multiple Dance Force productions around Australia and is preparing for a national tour this November. Her experience in large ensemble performances has also given her an appreciation of the collective discipline required to bring ambitious choreography to the stage. “Some of our groups have a huge number of dancers on stage, with incredible choreography that brings everyone together,” she explains. “Being part of something on that scale has taught me that performing isn’t always about standing out individually.” Understanding spacing, formations, musical dynamics and the dancers around her has become just as important as executing her own movement accurately.
That awareness of choreography as a collaborative art form has developed alongside Chanel’s growing interest in artistic creation and choreography. In 2024, she won the Get The Beat Senior National Championship, an achievement that brought an invitation to represent Australia as part of Team Australia at Get The Beat in Las Vegas in 2025. The experience added another dimension to her training, placing her alongside dancers from different studios and introducing her to the expectations of international competition.
Her involvement with Velocity Dance Convention has been particularly influential. In 2025, Chanel was awarded the MVA+ title at Velocity Dance Convention Nationals, creating opportunities to travel across several states in the United States and train with highly respected dancers and choreographers. The following year, she returned to Las Vegas and was named the 2026 Maximum Velocity Artist MVA+ Overall National Champion, an achievement she describes as one of the defining moments of her career. As part of the championship process, Chanel performed a solo featuring her own choreography, bringing her technical training and individual creative voice together on an international stage.
“Winning the 2026 Maximum Velocity Artist MVA+ Overall National Champion at Velocity Dance Convention in Las Vegas was another defining moment and one I will cherish deeply,” she says. Seeing all her hard work and dedication come together in that moment was surreal, and Chanel remains deeply grateful for the experience.
Beyond the competition environment, Chanel has begun establishing herself through professional performance opportunities. She has appeared as a backup dancer for international recording artists Icona Pop and Khalid at Velocity Dance Convention and worked as a professional assistant and lead dancer for choreographers at conventions throughout Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom. These roles have required a different kind of confidence, demanding that she absorb choreography quickly, respond to direction and understand her responsibilities within a professional creative team.
“Being trusted in those environments has taught me so much about professionalism, adaptability and responsibility,” she says. The prospect of continuing to travel internationally through performance is particularly exciting. “Touring the world through dance is the dream.”
Closer to home, Chanel was selected as a featured soloist at the Australian Dance Festival, performing before an audience of thousands. Another memorable opportunity came when she was personally selected by the founder of International Dance Technique to travel to the United Kingdom and represent the organisation’s training in dance technique and acrobatics. The experience allowed her to demonstrate the technical and acrobatic foundations she had spent years developing, while connecting with dancers and industry professionals beyond Australia.
Her versatility was also put to the test during an appearance on the Today Show, where she performed live on national television. The performance was unplanned, requiring Chanel to draw immediately on her training and respond in the moment. It was a practical demonstration of a skill that cannot always be measured through examinations or competition results: the ability to perform confidently when there is little time to prepare.
For Chanel, these varied experiences have reinforced the importance of embracing every class and every opportunity as a chance to learn, improve and grow as a dancer. “One of the biggest things I have learnt at Dance Force is that the more you put into your training, the more you get out of it,” she says. “I’ve learnt not to take any of those opportunities for granted.” She has also come to value corrections, particularly those addressing the areas in which she is less naturally confident.
Nicole believes this combination of technical versatility, professional attitude and consistent mentorship is particularly important for young Australian dancers seeking careers both locally and internationally. At Dance Force, her commitment extends beyond preparing students to graduate from full-time training. She wants them to have access to the people, experiences and opportunities that may help them establish sustainable professional careers. “It is so important for dancers to have guidance to navigate this industry,” Nicole explains. “If dancers are coming to Full Time I want to ensure they have every opportunity to make a career out of dance if that is what they choose and open as many doors as we can in the process, both here and internationally.”
For Nicole, the rewards of teaching are often realised after the training itself has finished. “There is nothing more fulfilling than being able to make the call to one of my dancers and tell them after all their hard work they have booked their first job.”
Chanel is equally conscious of the many people who have contributed to her development. While Nicole’s influence has been considerable, she is quick to acknowledge the wider network of teachers, choreographers, mentors and fellow dancers who have encouraged her throughout her training. “This is most certainly not a path I could have travelled without the ongoing guidance and support of everyone around me,” she says. “I understand now how truly blessed I was, and still am, to have this level of mentorship, pushing me to be the very best version of myself personally and creatively.”
As her professional experience continues to grow, Chanel is becoming increasingly comfortable with the idea that a dance career does not need to follow a predetermined sequence. The shy young dancer Nicole first encountered has developed into a performer willing to enter unfamiliar environments, work across multiple genres and take creative risks. Just as importantly, she has learnt to measure her progress against her own ambitions rather than the achievements of those around her.
Her advice to younger dancers reflects that perspective. “Give everything a go. Put yourself out there, even when something feels outside your comfort zone, because you never know which opportunity might lead to the next one,” she says. “Always turn up ready to work hard, be present in the moment.”
She is also mindful of the relationships formed along the way, encouraging young dancers to celebrate the achievements of their peers rather than regard every success as a competition. “Dance can be competitive, but someone else achieving something doesn’t take anything away from your own journey. Support the people around you and appreciate the small moments just as much as the big ones, because often they become some of the best memories.”
For a dancer whose career has already taken her from a weekly ballet class in Townsville to some of the industry’s most exciting international environments, there is still a great deal she hopes to experience. Yet Chanel’s ambitions are accompanied by a growing appreciation of the process itself, the daily work, the unexpected opportunities and the people who make those experiences meaningful.
“Probably the biggest thing I’ve realised is that there isn’t one path to becoming a professional dancer,” she reflects. “This is my journey, and I’m learning to trust it rather than compare it to anyone else’s.”
And perhaps that is the most valuable lesson Chanel Dworjanyn has to offer. Her career is still unfolding, but she has already discovered that the opportunities worth pursuing are not always the ones you can anticipate. Sometimes, the most important thing a dancer can do is arrive prepared, remain curious and be willing to discover what comes next.