Director and Principal
Miss Alison
Alison Louise Bailey | Managing Director
Alison began dancing at age 3. She started her training in Goulburn with Irene Gelfius School of Dance, as she lived in small town Braidwood. Many years later her family re-located to Canberra and she began dancing with the RSDA. Alison is trained in Classical Ballet, Broadway/Jazz, Modern Contemporary, Hip Hop, Tap and Musical Theatre. Alison began assistant teaching at the age of 15 and spent many days of the week helping at the dance studio. Alison completed her Certificate in Ballet Teaching Studies through the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) in 2006.
As a student she was involved in many Competitions, Festivals, Gala's and achieved great results in all her Examinations and Competitions.
Some of Alison's qualifications include;
R.A.D RTS (Royal Academy of Dance Registered Teachers Status)
R.A.D Certified Mentor
P.B.T Certified (Progressing Ballet Technique)
Acrobatic Arts Certified
In 2008 Dare to Dance Canberra Opened and as Principal, Director and Teacher Alison along with D2D has gone from strength to strength. Alison is incredibly passionate about teaching her love and loves all her students like they are her own children. She is nurturing and treats all students with love and respect. Some of Alison's students have even returned as Adults. Her ethos is about providing all children the opportunity to dance no matter what their skill level is. It's not just about "Winning" all of the time.
Alison runs D2D completely on her own and has since the age of 21. Alison is in charge of Administration, Staff, Advertising, Costuming, Planning as well as Teaching most of the timetable. Alison continues to develop skills and knowledge through many studies and courses, keeping up Continuing Professional Development. This ensures she is able to keep up with demanding industry. Alison tries to ensure she teaches all the students at some stage through their dance journey as she likes to know all of the students by name.
Dare to Dance Canberra has been voted as the top 3 dance studios for 4 years running through Three Best Rated (@ThreeBestRated.com.au)
All businesses face a rigorous 50 point inspection which includes everything from checking reviews, ratings, reputation, history, complaints, satisfaction, trust and cost to the general excellence.
Alison was a finalist for the 2021 Local Business Awards.
Dare to Dance Canberra was the Local Business Awards Winner for Outstanding Performing Arts 2021!
Dare to Dance Canberra was a finalist at the National Women's Business Champion Awards in 2022 and WON out of 29 National Dance Studios for Outstanding Performing Arts.
Alison was a Telstra Business Woman of the Year Awards finalist for 2014 and shortlisted under two categories. Young Business Woman and Entrepreneur.
Hannah
Hannah
Hannah's passion for dance ignited at the tender age of three when she joined the prestigious Dance to Dance Canberra (D2D) studio. From those early days, she became captivated by the rhythm, grace, and expression that dance offers. Over the years, Hannah has grown not just as a dancer but as a performer, showcasing her talent in a variety of styles.
Throughout her time at D2D, Hannah has taken on numerous lead roles in major productions, impressing audiences with her charisma and skill. Her dedication to her craft has also led her to excel in her ballet studies, where she has achieved remarkable marks in several ballet examinations. These accomplishments reflect not only her hard work but also her unwavering commitment to the art of dance.
Hannah's journey is a testament to her love for movement and performance, inspiring those around her. As she looks to the future, she hopes to continue sharing her passion for dance and inspiring others to pursue their dreams.
Lauren
Lauren Stevens
Lauren started her dance journey 28 years ago in Newcastle. She found she had such passion for Dance that she went on to study a degree in Dance Education at University.
Lauren now teaches dance, amongst other subjects at a local High School.
Lauren enjoys teaching all genres to children and adults of all ages.
Lauren is trained in RAD Classical Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Acro and Contemporary. She has also gained 100% in her Acrobatic Arts Module 1 Certification.
Lauren is a trusted member of D2D and has a wonderful positive approach towards her students. She goes above and beyond for her students and is loved by everyone.
Lauren joined D2D in 2022! Lauren teaches, Ballet, Tap, Musical Theatre and Acrobatics.
Lauren holds a current WWVP card and a first aid qualification.
Monique
Monique Swan
Monique started her dance journey at 4 years of age!
She started with Irish Dancing and at the age of 10, changed over to ballet, where she studied the RAD syllabus.
Monique competed in performance troupe through a variety of other styles such as Jazz, Hip Hop, Contemporary and Lyrical.
Monique has attended hip hop workshops with the likes of Will Tran and picked up some great skills.
Monique has been teaching dance for around 3 years.
Monique joined the D2D family late 2024 replacing a teacher who went on Maternity Leave.
Monique holds a current WWVP card and a first aid qualification.
Jessica
Jessica Charles
Jess began dancing at Dare to Dance Canberra at the age of 4 training in RAD classical ballet, lyrical, contemporary, jazz, tap and broadway/musical theatre. She has a passion for dance and dance teaching and has taught many styles and age groups. She is an associate of the Royal Academy of dance having completed RAD ballet exams up to Advanced 2 (with distinction). She has also completed The Dance Apprentice teaching certificate. She is our first student to have completed all her dance exams and move on to Teaching within the Studio!
She has competed as a soloist and in troupes across various styles and has won/placed at many local, interstate and national dance competitions. At Nationals (2023) she was awarded a scholarship to The San Diego Ballet’s Pre-Professional Summer Intensive Program (2024).
Jess has performed in many D2D productions and has played lead roles including the title roles of Cinderella (2018), Snow White (2021) and A Nightmare before Christmas (2020) and Joy in Inside Out (2022).
She has choreographed winning/placing solos and group routines (including a national champion winning routine) and choreographed for St Clare’s production of Legally Blonde (2022). She also adjudicated for an ANU dance competition (2023).
Jessica holds a current WWVP card and a first aid qualification.