A look at the region’s brightest young talent on the horizon
Dance teachers in the Far North have nominated their up and coming performers in this year’s list of top young dancers to watch out for. Find out who’s made the list.
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From jazz, contemporary, tap and ballet to hip hop, lyrical and traditional dance forms, the Far North is home to a versatile pool of talent.
In this year’s list of top young dancers in FNQ, the spotlight shines bright on the region’s most promising young stars who have wowed audiences with their hard work, achievements, talent and dedication.
Lilee Chapple
Lilee Chapple’s love and appreciation for dance began when she was six, attending a single ballet and jazz class each week at Turning Pointe Dance Studios.
The 12-year-old landed her first lead role at the age of nine as Joan Banks – one of the Banks children – in a Mary Poppins production, which was also her first time performing live vocals.
Most recently she was the recipient of the 11 Years & Under Aggregate Award at the FNQ Tropical Dance Festival.
Lilee is gearing up for her Intermediate RAD Ballet and Silver Star Tap and Jazz syllabus examinations early next year.
Cayden Connors
Ten-year-old Cayden Connors trains an average of 15 hours a week in classical ballet, contemporary, tap, jazz, acrobatics and musical theatre at Turning Pointe Dance Studios, Bungalow.
He was awarded the Most Promising Dancer title at the Cairns & District Junior Eisteddfod in 2021.
Cayden was recently invited to study at the Queensland Ballet Academy in Brisbane and has been selected for the prestigious Intra/Interstate and International Training Program (ITP) with the Australian Ballet School next year.
Priscilla Brunet
Priscilla Brunet, 15, is an accomplished dancer with six solos and seven troupes to her credit who was recently deemed Most Promising Ballet Dancer and Senior Ballet Champion Winner at the Innisfail Eisteddfod.
“I am a naturally shy person but when I get on stage, I let go,” Priscilla said.
“It’s how I express myself and it makes me feel happy.”
A student at Turning Pointe Dance Studios, Priscilla was one of the participants at the 2022 Jacqueline Morland Awards in Brisbane and was selected as one of the top eight finalists.
She was invited to the Australian Ballet School Finals as a prospective student for full-time training and was also recently offered a spot at the esteemed Tanya Pearson Academy, a full-time ballet school in Sydney.
Ava-Louise Bowes
Ava-Louise Bowes, senior dancer and student teacher at Turning Pointe Dance Studios, started her dance journey at the tender age of four and was most recently recognised at the Cairns Eisteddfod as the Most Promising Ballet, Tap and Jazz dancer and also awarded the Song and Dance Championship.
2021 was a big year for Ava-Louise as she won the 2021 Ballet Championship in both Cairns and Townsville and in the same year also won the Townsville Tap Championship.
She also started as a cheerleader for the Cairns Taipans NBL team that year.
“From the age of four, dance has been part of my life, six days a week,” Ava-Louise said. “Magic happens for dancers and that opens up endless opportunities to a rewarding life filled with service, discipline, friendships and beauty. It will always be in my life.”
The 16-year-old will be performing in the Choral Society production of “Spamalot” early next year.
Ava Dunstone
Ava Dunstone, who is the current Get the Beat national champion in both Classical Ballet and Demi Character, started her competitive dance career at the age of eight.
During competition season, the 14-year-old, who is part of the Centre of Excellence Dance Program, trains between 15-30 hours per week at Turning Pointe Dance Studios.
She now competes as an Under 18 senior, ranking highly in both ballet and modern dance championships.
Shelby Giles
Fourteen-year-old Shelby Giles, who is a student at the Julia Macalpine Dance Studio, trains in numerous styles of dance and has also competed in solos, trios and group dances in many Eisteddfods across FNQ, such as Innisfail Eisteddfod, Cairns and District Junior Eisteddfod, and Townsville Eisteddfod.
Her love for dance started at the age of three and her biggest dream is to call dancing her job one day.
The Junior Modern Championship Winner received distinctions on her ballet, modern, and tap exams this year and was winner of the Most Outstanding Performer for All Ages at the Innisfail Eisteddfod 2022, among other titles.
Maya Coulthard
Maya Coulthard, winner of the Hudson Steer Showmanship Award in 2021, aspires for a future career on stage.
The fifteen-year-old has undertaken yearly examinations in ballet with the Royal Academy of Dance, as well as modern theatre and tap dancing examinations with the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing, consistently achieving distinctions in her exams.
A student at the Julia Macalpine Dance Studio, Maya recently took on lead roles in productions such as Escape to the Circus and Down the Rabbit Hole.
Mei Iwamura
Mei Iwamura, who started training in ballet at the age of four, was awarded the Most Promising Ballet Dancer by the Innisfail & District Ballet & Dance Society (IDBDS) in 2021.
Her repertoire includes modern, contemporary, commercial jazz/heels, and International Dance Technique (IDT) and she is a regular participant in both group and solo categories at regional competitions across Queensland.
In 2021, the 16-year-old – who is a student at the Julia Macalpine Dance Studio – performed the lead role of Alice in Alice in Wonderland at the school’s biennial concert.
Alyviah Yelland
Fourteen-year-old Alyviah Yelland is a student at the Julia Macalpine Dance Studio who began her journey as a dancer at the age of nine.
While her favourite genre is contemporary, she is also skilled in ballet, jazz, lyrical, tap, Aboriginal traditional and Aboriginal contemporary.
Her dream is to become a part of the Bangarra Dance Theatre.
She received a high distinction at her RAD Intermediate Ballet examination and has been commended and awarded highly at multiple dance competitions in Cairns including a second highest in Solo Performance at the Townsville Eisteddfod.
Mei Miyamoto
Sixteen-year-old Mei Miyamoto was four when she began dancing and has been training at the Julia Macalpine Dance Studio for the last nine years.
She has competed in troupe and solo performances in Innisfail, Townsville, and Gold Coast and was awarded in 2021 with Most Promising Tap Dancer at Cairns & District Junior Eisteddfod and the FNQ Tropical Dance Festival.
She has portrayed the lead role in two concerts and hopes to keep her passion for dance alive as she enters her last year of school next year.
“Working with people you love is one of the best things about being a dancer,” Mei said. “Especially in group dances, the team work. You can make great friendships.”
Matisse Bayldon
Matisse Bayldon is a student teacher at the June Vale Dancescapes, and is also contracted by two local schools to assist in choreography and tuition for their dance programs.
The seventeen-year-old has consistently won national titles in two of the biggest national dance competitions – Get The Beat and Evolution – over the last five years and is a nationally recognisable name in the acro circuit.
Matisse has also performed commercially for the Taipans Cheer Squad and KL Performance Industries over the last three years.
The talented performer was the Highest Scoring Teen Soloist at Evolution Nationals in 2022, winner of the Highest Aggregate and Sportsmanship Award at the FNQ Dance Festival 2022 and is the recipient of an acro scholarship with Acro Dance Australia.
“I started dancing because it was fun,” Matisse said.
“Dance has always allowed me to move creatively, enjoy myself and make so many lifelong friends. It has given me so much.”
Layla Fitzgerald
Fifteen-year-old Layla Fitzgerald, who has been dancing since the age of two, joined the June Vale Dancescapes in 2020.
She has routinely performed in end-of-year concerts and local Eisteddfods, including the Innisfail District Ballet & Dance Society Eisteddfod, Cairns Eisteddfod, Get the Beat and the Future Stars dance competition among others.
She performs a range of styles including ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, contemporary, heels and acro and hopes to focus more on solo performances in 2023.
Indianna Rose
Fourteen-year-old Indianna Rose is a versatile dancer, skilled in acro, lyrical, tap, contemporary, jazz and ballet.
She has received the Most Promising Dancer title at her school, the June Vale Dancescapes, three times and has participated at the prestigious Get the Beat competition on a national level.
“I have been dancing since I was about six years old,” Indianna said.
“I have done multiple amazing productions with the June Vale Dancescapes. Kimberley Vale is very inspirational to me, she is an amazing dancer, and definitely has taught me everything I know. Without her guidance, I wouldn’t be the dancer I am”.
Matilda Newman
Thirteen-year-old Matilda Newman made her debut as a solo and troupe performer at the age of seven, participating in various local dance competitions.
She has been awarded the June Vale Dancescapes’ Most Promising Dancer in her age group for the past four years and received a Distinction in her Grade 5 ballet exam this year.
Matilda also dances with the Centre of Excellence at Cairns State High School and was one among the top five highest scoring soloists for her age group in 2021.
She hopes to start as a studio teacher at the Dancescapes next year, helping younger members reach their dance goals.
Annabelle Lanceley
Twelve-year-old Annabelle Lanceley started dancing with the June Vale Dancescapes at the age of four and was on her way to competitions and Eisteddfods by the age of six.
She has received distinctions in her Grade 4 and 5 RAD Ballet exams.
She is skilled at jazz, lyrical, acro, contemporary, hip hop and ballet and has consecutively been the lead in the Dancescapes’ concert productions for the past two years.
Gia Smith
Six-year-old Gia Smith is a student at the Mareeba Academy of Dance and has already racked up an impressive list of achievements.
In 2021, she was a winner in the Under 5 category at Evo Elite by Evolution Cairns and an Under 5 Champion Dancer at the Townsville Dance Competition.
The little danseuse was also a National Championship Qualifier at JUMP Cairns, and an Under 5 National Qualifier at Get The Beat in Cairns.
Poppi Cook
Seven-year-old Poppi Cook from the Mareeba Academy of Dance won big at JUMP Cairns this year, earning the Judge’s Award and Rising Star award among other titles.
Poppi was also an Evo Elite winner at Evolution Cairns in 2021 and a National Qualifier at Get The Beat.
“Her dance school is a second home to her, a second family,” Poppi’s mother Jennifer Cook, said.
“She has been dancing with them since she was three. She loves the friendships that she has made and getting up on stage is the highlight of her year.”
Lacey Taylor
Lacey Taylor is a student at the Mareeba Academy of Dance and a member of the Prima Youth Classical Academy affiliate programme.
The eight-year-old was a National Championship qualifier at JUMP, a Gold Coast Showcase qualifier at Innisfail Eisteddfod and has been accepted into the Brisbane City Youth Ballet’s performance of the Nutcracker in 2023.
“I love everything about dancing,” Lacey said.
“I love the friends I make and I love my teachers. It makes my heart happy.”
Azahlia Sweeper
Nine-year-old Azahlia Sweeper, a student at the Mareeba Academy of Dance, was the recipient of the Judges Choice Encouragement Award at the Innisfail Eisteddfod 2022.
Earlier this year, she was deemed one of the top 10 Highest Scorers Under 8 at Evolution Cairns and was also one of the Evo Elite winners in her age group.
Azahlia was also a National Finals Championship qualifier and Shining Star at JUMP Cairns.
Aire Tyler
Nine-year-old Aire Tyler is a student at the Mareeba Academy of Dance who was accepted into the Brisbane City Youth Ballet’s Performance of Alice in Wonderland 2022.
She is a member of the Prima Youth Classical Academy affiliate programme.
Her achievements include an Under 9 Evo Elite win at Evolution Cairns and an Under 9 Nationals qualifier spot at Get The Beat, Cairns.
Zea Moisel
Sixteen-year-old Zea Moisel, who is currently studying a Certificate IV in Dance Teaching and Management, has been dancing since she was six.
Earlier this year, she won first place at the Innisfail Eisteddfod in the Hip Hop Solo category and brought home another first place at the Cairns Eisteddfod for Lyrical Duo.
A student at the Bodies in Motion Dance School in Mossman, Zea holds a Silver Level Ready Set Dance teaching accreditation and is also a talented singer, providing guest vocals at the Douglas Shire Christmas Carols 2022.
Emilie Pedemay
Emilie Pedemay trains at Bodies in Motion Dance School and has been a dancer for nine years. The 14-year-old has a bronze level Ready Set Dance teaching accreditation under her belt and has many awards to her credit.
In this year’s Lyrical Duo category, Emilie placed first at the Cairns Eistedfodd.
She also won third place in both Contemporary Solo and Jazz Solo at the Innisfail Eistedfodd.
Brianna Meadows
Brianna Meadows, 10, has been a dancer for seven years studying jazz, ballet, tap, song & dance, hip hop, and contemporary at Bodies in Motion Dance School.
She was cast as lead in the school’s 2021 end-of-year production and received Honours with Distinction (100%) at her Level 5 Hip Hop Exam.
Earlier this year, she placed second in the Hip Hop Solo category at the Innisfail Eisteddfod.
Abigail Muller
Abigail Muller, 13, is a student at Bodies in Motion Dance School and was cast as lead in her school’s end-of-the-year production this year.
She was the recipient of the 2021 Encouragement Award in the Under 13 category at Cairns Eisteddfod and earlier this year, won second place in Jazz Trio at the FNQ Tropical Dance Festival and third place in the same category at the Cairns Eisteddfod.
Eliza Eggins
Sixteen-year-old Eliza Eggins trains at Bodies in Motion Dance School in jazz, tap, contemporary, ballet, hip hop, song and dance and commercial jazz.
She also takes private vocal lessons and was a guest vocalist at the Douglas Shire Christmas Carols 2022 and last year, a guest performer at the Lord Mayor’s Christmas Gala in Brisbane.
Earlier this year, she was awarded overall Highest Scoring Soloist for Musical Theatre Solo at Evolution Nationals.
She also placed first at both Cairns Eisteddfod 2022 and FNQ Tropical Dance Festival 2022 in Musical Theatre Solo.
Madison Stansby
16-year-old Madison Stansby has been a student of In2Dance in Atherton since she was six years old.
One of her biggest achievements was qualifying and competing in the ATOD Queensland State Jazz Scholarships in Brisbane this year. She placed third in the state and went on to qualify and enter into the ATOD Australasian Jazz Scholarships.
Madison was also was awarded the Patsy Fry Memorial Trophy for the most impressive solo dance performance at Cairns Eisteddfod.
She hopes to continue dance studies as she completes year 12 and will also be travelling next year to the Gold Coast to compete at the prestigious Evolution national dance competition.
Tarris Thiedecke
17-year-old Tarris Thiedecke has also been a student at In2Dance since the age of six, with a passion for classical ballet.
In 2022, he attained a Distinction in his RAD Advanced 1 Classical Ballet exam and a 99% in his Glenn Wood Level 10 Tap exam, while completing his year 12 schooling.
“There’s a lot of hours that goes into it and it doesn’t give you time for much else but its so worth it,” Tarris said.
He plans to take a gap year in 2023, to work locally and further his dance training with ambitions to study dance full-time in the future.
Special Mentions
Gianna Ferraro, Jaclyn France & Bronte Kochi of In2Dance were the joint recipients of the 2022 In2Dance Encouragement Trophies, which are awarded by the In2Dance school at their annual end-of-the-year concert for sportsmanship and attitude besides improvement and consistency.
Alexis Onaindia, Belle Gallagher, Tara Borg, Kate Onaindia, Abigail Westerhuis, Tayla O’Brien, Zoe Borgelt, Maya Jensen, Drew Wilkinson and Amira Braun of Graham Academy of Dance Innisfail’s senior acro team who, with their “perfect flips and advanced aerial skills”, competed and won their event at the Bend The Air competition in Brisbane.
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