EXTRA-CURRICULAR PROGRAM | DANCE 

The Nepean Extra-Curricular Dance program runs before school and during sport time. Auditioned students are encouraged to become part of one or more of the programs available as these offer opportunities to extend skills in areas of expertise.

Please see the list of the Nepean Dance Extra-Curricular programs currently on offer within Dance. They are listed with their
Name | Day and Time | Annual financial contribution. 

INDUSTRY PROJECTS 

We are excited to announce a new initiative in 2025. Students will have the opportunity to work with an Industry Professional to create a full dance work that will be performed at the end of each semester at Nepean CAPA High School. 

SEMESTER ONE INDUSTRY PROJECT | TUESDAY 3:00PM - 5:00PM | $200 per semester

Auditions: Tuesday 18 February 3:00pm - 5:00pm

Our Semester One Industry Professional is Alana Pointon. After moving from New Zealand to pursue a career in dance, Alana completed three years of full-time training at  ‘Ev&Bow Full-Time Dance Training Centre' in Sydney under the mentorship of Sarah Boulter and Lisa Bowmer. From here she has had the opportunity to work with and be guided by names such as Tim Samantha Hines, Holly Doyle, Tim Podesta and Davide Giovanni. Recently, Alana had the opportunity to be a part of the Melbourne season of ‘Forte’ with Tim Podesta Creative and the Sydney season of ‘Overture’ choreographed by Tegan Jeffrey-Rushton. Working with Podesta on ‘Forte’ allowed Alana to explore abstract narrative as well as reviving past repertoire in a personal way. ‘Overture’ lended itself to the exploration of theatrical storytelling and creating a more immersive experience for the viewer. Both works were site specific which Alana has a love and strong interest for. 

CONTEMPORARY DANCE COMPANIES

SENIOR DANCE COMPANY | WEDNESDAY 1:00PM - 2:35PM | $200 per year

Auditions: Wednesday 12 February 1:00pm - 2:35pm

 
Senior Dance Company will be run by Allie Gunton and will rehearse on Wednesday afternoon during sport time. Students will have the opportunity to take part in various festivals and showcases across the year. 

Allie Gunton is the Circus Arts and Dance teacher at Nepean Creative & Performing Arts High School. Since establishing the Circus Art program in 2012 she has choreographed circus works for Schools Spectacular, Southern Stars, Pulse and numerous corporate events. As a Dance teacher her dance works have been selected for State Dance Festival and been successful at competitions. Previous to working at Nepean she worked in the dance and circus industry choreographing works for Short + Sweet Dance Festival, Australia’s Got Talent, Australian Dance Festival, Carnival - A Circus Opera and corporate events. Additionally, she is a HSC Practical Marker. 

INTERMEDIATE DANCE COMPANY | WEDNESDAY 1:00PM - 2:35PM | $200 per year

 Auditions: Wednesday 12 February 1:00pm - 2:35pm

Intermediate Dance Company will be run by Rachel Berg and will rehearse on Wednesday afternoon during sport time. Students will have the opportunity to take part in various festivals and showcases across the year.  Rachel Berg is a Dance, VET Assistant Dance Teacher and Drama Teacher at Nepean Creative and Performing Arts High School. Rachel has been teaching dance for over 10 years and has worked across a range of styles. She has led students to perform in festivals across Western Sydney and major events like Callback and Schools Spectacular. Rachel has produced and choroegaphed school musicals, bringing energy and creativity to the stage.  Driven by a passion for dance education, Rachel is committed to creating and facilitating diverse dance programs that inspire young dancers. She is also a HSC Dance Practical Marker. 

JUNIOR DANCE COMPANY | WEDNESDAY 7:30am - 8:30am | $200 per year

Auditions: Wednesday 19 February 7:30am - 8:30am

 
Junior Dance Company will by run Rachel Berg and will be for students in Year 7 only. Students will have the opportunity to take part in various festivals and showcases across the year.  Rachel Berg is a Dance, VET Assistant Dance Teacher and Drama Teacher at Nepean Creative and Performing Arts High School. Rachel has been teaching dance for over 10 years and has worked across a range of styles. She has led students to perform in festivals across Western Sydney and major events like Callback and Schools Spectacular. Rachel has produced and choroegaphed school musicals, bringing energy and creativity to the stage.  Driven by a passion for dance education, Rachel is committed to creating and facilitating diverse dance programs that inspire young dancers. She is also a HSC Dance Practical Marker. 

LIGHTHOUSE DANCE COMPANY | MONDAY 7:30am - 8:55am | $200 per year

Auditions: Monday 24 February 7:30am - 8:55am

 
Lighthouse Dance Company will be for students in Year 11 and 12 only. This company will run whole year and will serve to continue to extend students dance technique, performance quality and choreographic skills to support the Stage 6 Dance course. Additionally, students will participate in the Lighthouse Dance Project workshops and performances in June. 

Allie Gunton is the Circus Arts and Dance teacher at Nepean Creative & Performing Arts High School. Since establishing the Circus Art program in 2012 she has choreographed circus works for Schools Spectacular, Southern Stars, Pulse Alive and numerous corporate events. As a Dance teacher her dance works have been selected for State Dance Festival and been successful at competitions. Previous to working at Nepean she worked in the dance and circus industry choreographing works for Short + Sweet Dance Festival, Australia’s Got Talent, Australian Dance Festival, Carnival - A Circus Opera and corporate events. Additionally, she is a HSC Practical Marker. 

OTHER DANCE STYLES

CLASSICAL BALLET COMPANY | THURSDAY 7:30am - 8:55am | $400 per year

Auditions: Thursday 20 February 7:30am - 8:55am

Run by Jessie Garbellini (A.R.A.D, C.B.T.S, R.T.S, B.Env. Sc) Jessie commenced ballet at the age of 11 and at the age of 16 began studying ballet full-time. Jessie was accepted into several national and international schools and in 2003, took up a place at the New Zealand School of Dance as a Classical Major. Due to injury she returned to Australia and completed her HSC receiving 94% for HSC dance and being selected for the “Callback” showcase.

Jessie has completed the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) Advanced 2 exam with distinction and gained the Associate of the Royal Academy of Dance (A.R.A.D) qualification. Jessie has been teaching for over 20 years - 17 of those as the owner and Principal of Glenbrook Ballet Theatre. Jessie has completed the RAD Certificate in Ballet Teaching Studies, and is a fully registered and qualified teacher and teaching mentor with the Royal Academy of Dance.

Many of her previous students have enjoyed success at local and international competitions and have been accepted into various prestigious ballet schools and companies, both overseas and in Australia. Jessie has also been invited to adjudicate various competitions and to teach company classes for the Melbourne City Ballet during their NSW tour. 

Jessie is excited to be joining the team at Nepean CAPA High School and is looking forward to nurturing the talents of the Ballet Company students in 2025. 

BABUGA DUNGARA (ABORIGINAL DANCE COMPANY) | WEDNESDAY 7:30am - 8:30am $400 per year

Auditions: Wednesday 19 February 7:30am - 8:30am

 
This company is for Indigenous students. Audition and Rehearsal times are dependent upon Expressions of Interest. The company will be run by Brock Rankmore. Brock is a performer, choreographer and teacher that started dancing at the age of 11 in Sydney. He has a Certificate III in Dance Teaching and an Advanced Diploma in Performing Arts from ED5 International. Brock has appeared in Dance Academy: The Movie as one of Christian’s dancers. He has also appeared on Channel 7 as a featured dancer in Schools Spectacular for Musical Theatre, Ballet, Contemporary/Lyrical as well as a Soloist for Indigenous Dancing & most recently in Carols in the Domain 2023. He has performed at the Government House Dinner, Australia Day Concert at the Opera House and Australia Day Opening Ceremony on NITV as part of the NSW Aboriginal Dance Company partnered with Bangarra. Brock has trained and performed under Loredo Malcolm as both a Dance Captain and Assistant for LOcREaDO Dance Company.

MUSICAL THEATRE COMPANY |  MONDAY 7:30am - 8:55am | $200 per year

Auditions: Monday 24 February 7:30am - 8:55am

The Musical Theatre Company will be run by Sascha Wykes. Sascha Wykes is a 2019 Brent Street Graduate and musical theatre performer. She began teaching dance in a local studio in Dubbo at 16, teaching tap, broadway jazz and musical theatre to begin with. Since beginning her professional career after completing her Diploma of Dance (Elite Performance), Sascha toured Australia in Shrek the Musical with Crossroass live. She has also toured with Echelon Productions, back up danced for ASAP Live in Sydney and played Rose in The Mitchell Old Company’s production of Dogfight. During the covid lockdown, Sascha took the opportunity to complete a Bachelor of Education (Secondary Arts) and has been working at Nepean Creative and Performing Arts in a teaching capacity. She helped to direct and choreograph the 2024 school musical and is looking forward to continuing to develop the dance program in 2025.

JAZZ DANCE COMPANY | TUESDAY 7:30am - 8:55am | $200 per year

Auditions: Tuesday 18 February 7:30am - 8:55am

Run by Jamie Austin. Students will have the opportunity to study Jazz and will take part in various festivals and showcases across the year. Jamie graduated from the Australian College of Physical Education in 2020 receiving a Bachelor of Education (Dance and PDHPE). She has been a part of the Nepean CAPA High School community since 2019. Jamie works along side the Performing Arts faculty to coordinate Nepean's comprehensive co-curricular program. She is trained in various styles of dance including Jazz, Lyrical, Contemporary, Acrobatic Arts and Cheerleading. Passionate about dance education, Jamie prides herself on delivering and facilitating diverse dance programs; providing opportunities for young dancers to develop their knowledge, skills and understanding of dance in a variety of contexts. 

     HIP HOP DANCE COMPANY | THURSDAY 7:30am - 8:55am | $400 per year

Auditions: Thursday 20 February 7:30am - 8:55am

Run by Veronica Napoli. Veronica is currently studying to be a high school teacher and has worked previously at Nepean CAPA as an external tutor. Veronica has grown up with a love for dance, training in all genres from the early age of 3. Having completed her Certificate IV in Dance at Ev and Bow Full time Training Centre and an Advanced Diploma in Performing Arts at ED5 International, Veronica has gotten the opportunity to work with and learn from many leading industry professionals over her years of training such as Sarah Boulter and William Forsythe to name a couple. Also being a registered teacher with the Australian Teachers of Dancing, Veronica holds a huge passion for teaching, holding 10 years of experience in teaching across many Sydney Dance and High Schools. Students taking part in Hip Hop will have the opportunity to take part in various festivals and showcases across the year. 

LYRICAL DANCE COMPANY | FRIDAY 7:30am - 8:55am | $200 per year

Auditions: Friday 21 February 7:30am - 8:55am

Run by Jamie Austin. Students will have the opportunity to study Lyrical dance and will take part in various festivals and showcases across the year. Jamie graduated from the Australian College of Physical Education in 2020 receiving a Bachelor of Education (Dance and PDHPE). She has been a part of the Nepean CAPA High School community since 2019. Jamie works along side the Performing Arts faculty to coordinate Nepean's comprehensive co-curricular program. She is trained in various styles of dance including Jazz, Lyrical, Contemporary, Acrobatic Arts and Cheerleading. Passionate about dance education, Jamie prides herself on delivering and facilitating diverse dance programs; providing opportunities for young dancers to develop their knowledge, skills and understanding of dance in a variety of contexts. 

TAP WORKSHOPS | TERMS 1 & 2 | DATES TBC

The Tap Workshops will be run by Nathan Sheens. Nathan has a wealth of experience within the entertainment industry with a career expanding over 35years.Students will have the opportunity to undertake 4 workshops with a performance at the end. Nathan is an original cast member of ‘Dein Perry's Tap Dogs’. Starred in the original cast of 'Shout' the musical Australian Tour starring “David Campbell”. Nathan was also a Cast member of ‘Mamma Mia’ at the Lyric Theatre Star City Casino Sydney (role of “EDDIE”).

He is an original cast member of ‘Billy Elliot’ the musical. Lead performer for the Australian Hit show ‘Steel City’ which played in Melbourne at the State theatre and Radio City Music Hall NYC. In the year 2000 Nathan was the assistant to Dein Perry for the Opening of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games choreographing over 1500 tap dances, and also performed with Kylie Minogue for the closing ceremony of the Olympics Games choreographed by William Forsythe.

Nathan had the honour of working with Steve Wonder for the Quincy Jones 25th Anniversary Concert, performed at The Prince of Wales Royal Gala Performance for his Royal Highness King Charles. He has done live performance for the Jerry Lewis Benefit Telethon Los Angeles , Opening of the Super Models Cafe New York City and has performed on both London’s West End and in New York City Union Square Theatre. He has performed on numerous occasions at our own iconic Sydney Opera House, and in all of Australia's major National Theatres.

Nathan has worked at Australia Zoo as a presenter and entertainer for the Erwin family. He has also worked at Australia's Wonderland, Warner Bros Movie World, Walt Disney World Tours in Australia & New Zealand and has worked for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines and also aboard the QE2 as a guest artist. Nathan has performed  within many corporate shows and launches throughout Australia and overseas as a male dancer and guest performer.

Film credits: Bootmen and Happy Feet 2

In the year 2020, Nathan was appointed tap trainer for the 10-year anniversary tour of Billy Elliot, and for the past 15 years continues to work for ED5 International in Sydney as a talent scout and teacher for their Full Time  Diploma course.

TUMBLING COMPANY | WEDNESDAY 2:45pm - 4:45pm | $400 per year

Auditions: Wednesday 19 February 2:45pm - 4:45pm

Run by Jamie Austin. Students will have the opportunity to study Tumbling and will take part in various showcases across the year. Jamie graduated from the Australian College of Physical Education in 2020 receiving a Bachelor of Education (Dance and PDHPE). She has been a part of the Nepean CAPA High School community since 2019. Jamie works along side the Performing Arts faculty to coordinate Nepean's comprehensive co-curricular program. She is trained in various styles of dance including Jazz, Lyrical, Contemporary, Acrobatic Arts and Cheerleading. Passionate about education, Jamie prides herself on delivering and facilitating diverse programs; providing opportunities for young performers to develop their knowledge, skills and understanding of dance in a variety of contexts. 

GROUP ACROBATICS COMPANY | FRIDAY 3:00pm - 5:00pm | $200 per year

 Auditions: Friday 21 February 3:00pm - 5:00pm

Run by Brandon Roy and Allie Gunton. Students will have the opportunity to study Group & Partner Acrobatics (lifts) and will take part in various showcases across the year.