nsw » Dance Directory

For 20 years Lee Academy has been a leader in dance & performing arts education.
Lee Academy is a dance studio, gymnastics & cheerleading school, aerial arts training centre & vocational full-time course provider. We also have a talent agency, in-house professional photographer & a professional dance company.

We believe that our success comes as a result of providing solid training and quality service, as well as our underlying belief in the strength of our organisation.
Jo Cotterill, our Studio & Artistic Director founded Lee Academy in 1993 & continues at the helm today.
A passionate & dedicated advocate of the performing arts, Jo grew up on the Central Coast attending Lake Munmorah Primary School. In 1988 Jo & her family moved to Japan for a few years & then Jo returned & attended Wyong High School. In High school, Jo met many of the people that would become her colleagues today & Lee Academy was founded from very humble beginnings in a tiny, run down space at the back of the school. 2 years later, Jo decided to run classes in her hometown of Lake Munmorah as well, & the Lee Academy studios for the northern end of the Central Coast were also founded. After 8 years of hard work & commitment to the local community, Lee Academy could afford to rent a small studio space : above a bakery opposite Wyong Train Station (The studio location & the original dance floor that Jo had installed, is now in use by a small dancing group that is new to the area). Lee Academy quickly grew & added a brand new studio location in Tuggerah, & expanded to over 700 enrolments.

After years of careful planning, saving, hard work & negotiations, Lee Academy moved in to the brand new multi-studio complex in Tuggerah Business Park in 2009. With world-class equipment from top to bottom in every room, the Central Coast was now home to a world-class dance & gymnastics facility for everyone to enjoy. In the following year, Jo upgraded Lake Munmorah as well, moving into a lovely studio space at Doyalson.

Most recently a major achievement was devising the complete courses for Lee Academy under the new National Dance Qualifications. Jo & her team successfully devised all 6 courses from Certificate I in Dance through to Advanced Diploma in Dance (Elite Performance), making Lee Academy the first dance studio in Australia to be approved by the Australian Government to deliver the new qualifications in January 2012.

Lee Academy’s objective is to inspire a passion for the performing arts in every student who passes through our doors. In the process, we strive to set the right example and help each student (and their parents/guardians) create memories that will last a lifetime.

Lee Academy Dance and Performing Arts exists to further the health and happiness of our clients, to become mentors to our students and to build the image and strength of the performing arts on the Central Coast and in the wider industry.
Lee Academy is the place to be!

Truly the only school of its kind in Australia.

We are an independent, non-denominational, co-educational K – 12 school in North Strathfield.

We offer a range of disciplines in performing arts and elite sports integrated with an equal focus on students’ academic studies:

· Acting (ATYP)
· Classical Ballet
· Contemporary Dance (Sydney Dance Company)
· Dance (Commercial)
· Music
· Musical Theatre
· Technical Production
· Elite Tennis (Voyager Tennis Academy) and
· Rhythmic Gymnastics (Rhythmic Academy of Sydney).

Students love The McDonald College because here they find their people, people who appreciate their individuality and value their diverse interests. Parents love The McDonald College because we place equal emphasis on academic rigour and the pursuit of their child’s passion.

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Our Junior school class sizes mean we can offer personal support to your child, tailoring their education to their abilities and needs. Developing your child’s foundations of literacy and numeracy is our focus. We tap into their natural creativity through our engaging program of performing arts classes to build their confidence and self-esteem.

We can take up to 45 boarders of all genders from Years 7 – 12 a home away from home. Boarders come from the world over – from China to Cootamundra and as close as Concord. Our boarding house is designed to provide increased levels of privacy as students become more independent and mature. Our strong community values, together with holistic guidance and support for boarders creates close family-like relationships that last long after graduation. Our chef provides nutritional varied meals making dinner time a highlight of the day.

Our unique partnerships with ATYP, Sydney Dance Company, Voyager Tennis Academy, and Rhythmic Academy of Sydney offer our students pathways to the future with industry training of the highest calibre.

Our highly experienced staff are professional, personable, and passionate. Many of our staff have been at the top of their career, are still active in their chosen field on a professional basis and stay current via professional development.

Our performing arts students are offered many opportunities to perform throughout the year including at our High Performance Season, An Evening of Classical Ballet, showcases, various plays, Eisteddfod groups, and more.

Classical ballet students may audition for our pre-professional company, The Premier State Ballet, which performs a full-length ballet each year. Additionally, we offer an Elite Masterclass Series with respected industry professionals and the popular International Summer School.

We also have an After Hours program which runs year-round and caters for all years and all levels.

We count among our alumni the likes of Sarah Murdoch (international model, TV presenter, actor) Nikki Webster (star of the Sydney Olympics, dancer, vocalist) Tim Draxl (actor, musical theatre performer), Dimity Clancey (TV journalist), Meg Mac (singer-songwriter), Ash Magic (who has over 6.6M followers on TikTok), and Emma Watkins (the Yellow Wiggle). Recent graduate, Micheal Zhang (ATAR 99.95) is now studying at Harvard – all keeping good company with our graduate doctors, lawyers, teachers and business leaders. We are proud of all our alumni and love to stay in touch.

OPEN DAYS AND AUDITIONS
We hold a series of Open Days / Mornings, Principal’s Tours, Experience Days for prospective Infants’ students and Auditions for entry into Years 5 – 11. For more information, visit mcdonald.nsw.edu.au

OPEN DAY
Wednesday 16 March 2022

INFANTS EXPERIENCE DAY
Friday 25 March 2022

AUDITION ON CAMPUS
Wednesday 5 May 2022

OPEN MORNING
Wednesday 25 May 2022

INFANTS EXPERIENCE DAY
Friday 27 May 2022

AUDITION ON CAMPUS
Wednesday 27 July 2022

INFANTS EXPERIENCE DAY
Friday 29 July 2022

OPEN DAY
Friday 19 August 2022

AUDITION ON CAMPUS
Thursday 13 October 2022

OPEN MORNING
Wednesday 19 October 2022

INFANTS EXPERIENCE DAY
Friday 28 October 2022

AUDITION ON CAMPUS
Thursday 10 November 2022

Welcome to Australia’s leading dance performance training centre and Newcastle’s premium dance school.

Australia’s leading, full time, dance performance training centre and Newcastle’s most premium dance school. The National College of Dance and the Junior Academy, (formally Marie Walton Mahon Dance Academy), have nurtured talented and passionate dancers in Newcastle for over forty years.

Our dance school and dance academy is a vibrant and active space where focused elite dancers cross paths with our junior dancers. Our talented and experienced teachers and our students (both adult and junior) dance with us for fun, health and pleasure. The Studio provides a range of dance classes, workshops and dance experiences in ballet, contemporary and jazz from intensive vocational and full time elite performance training through to adult dance classes, tiny tots, acrobatics, Pilates and yoga.

The National College of Dance and Junior Academy continues to grow and under the leadership of Brett Morgan, our team of highly experienced professional dance educators and choreographers continue to foster, train and mentor young dancers. This commitment to excellence is highlighted by the incredible results we achieve in our Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) ballet exams and eisteddfods through to the growing number of successful graduates who launch professional careers in dance from our Studio.

Newcastle Ballet Theatre
Founded in 2012, NBT’s studio has already had acceptances and placements in some of the most prestigious schools and companies in Australia and internationally. These Institutions include the Australian Ballet School, The Australian Conservatoire of Ballet, Queensland Ballet Pre-Professional Year, Queensland Ballet Jette Parker Program, Sydney Dance Company Pre-Professional Year, Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance, Alonzo King LINES Ballet, Classique Ballet de Paris, Joffery Ballet, The Australian Ballet, Queensland Ballet, Moulin Rouge, and more. NBT’s Full Time program is a well-rounded program with highly regarded faculty members. It is designed for the serious student wishing to pursue a career in dance. The course aims to increase, improve and refine technique, strength, knowledge and presentation. Academic studies can be continued through Distance Education or home schooling.

Non Certificate Course
Time: approx. 30hrs per week
Dancers wishing to pursue full time training without studying toward a Certificate, are welcome at NBT. As the course is ballet based, dancers who have already achieved a qualification at or above a Certificate IV, or who simply want to train in the studio, will benefit greatly from NBT’s well-regarded faculty and training methods. Whether pursuing a government accredited qualification, or simply wishing to improve technique, immersion in NBT’s training will strengthen and mature any dancer who commits to the work required.

All Nationally Accredited training courses are delivered under a Partnership Agreement with the ATOD RTO31624

CUA40113 Certificate IV in Dance – Delivery – Full Time. Entry by audition only.
Time: 1yr Full time – approx. 30hrs per week.
Aim: Designed as an introduction to the demands of the professional field for the advanced student, by deepening their knowledge, strength, and technique. Encompassing a wider range of subjects, and expanding knowledge of each, it is the ideal pathway for a Full Time student to increase the intensity of their training, with a focus on their future professional career.

CUA50113 Diploma of Dance (Elite Performance) – Delivery – Full Time. Entry by audition only.
Time: 1yr Full time – approx. 30hrs per week.
Aim: Provide excellent training for advanced level dancers who aspire to perform at a professional level. This course is for students seeking to enhance their technical proficiency, strengthen foundations and broaden their repertoire. Students will learn how to showcase their individual talents with an emphasis on choreography, improvisational, solo performance and ensemble techniques.
Core Subjects: Prepare for performances in a competitive environment, develop own sustainable professional practice, refine ballet technique, refine contemporary dance technique, incorporate anatomy and nutrition principles into skill development, refine ballet performance skills, refine performance technique.
Classes: Classical Ballet (Open Ballet and BC syllabus), Pointe, Repertoire, Pas de Deux, Contemporary, Choreography, Jazz, History of Dance, Boys Classes, Stretch, Pilate4s, Dance Appreciation.
Performance Opportunities for all courses: Our Full time students have the opportunity to perform in our annual, end of year, professional full length ballets as well as our Mid Year showcase.
Both productions, provide wonderful opportunities for stage experience. NBT’s past productions include Cinderella, Paquita, The Nutcracker, Swan Lake Act II, and The Sleeping Beauty. In addition Full Time students have the opportunity to compete in major Eisteddfods and Competitions.