TEACHERS
Avril
Meet the fabulous Avril our Heels, Tap and Jazz technique teacher. Avril grew up on the Mornington Peninsula, and has been singing and dancing since she was 5 years old. She has trained extensively in Melbourne before embarking on her professional career in touring children’s entertainment, cabarets, festivals and musical theatre productions, as well as television and corporate events both here and overseas. Avril is a certified personal trainer and is also trained in Barre and has been a dedicated teacher for the last 15 years. If you enjoy getting sweaty, having a laugh and feeling uplifted, She looks forward to seeing you in class!
Tomoko
A dancer at heart.
Body seems to know how.
Soul seems to know when.
Breathe in, breathe out.
I wish to touch other souls just for a few minutes through music and motion.
Tomoko was teaching dance in HK before relocating with her family to Australia just before lockdown. Showcases and competition opportunities provided students to grow technically but more so the passion to dance.
Technical training in gymnastics and ballet has allowed her to move in dynamic ranges, her specialty being the sharp but fluid contemporary. Choreography is one of her strong suits, finessing each beat in a music. Tomoko is also a Barre, Zumba and Pilates Instructor which gives her sound knowledge of movement and injury prevention.
If you are in need of a dance release, I’ll be waiting for you in class!
Courtney
Hello! My name is Courtney and I am a pole and aerial instructor here at Artistic Pointe.
I started pole sport 10 years ago with a friend for fun, I loved it and found my passion for movement. I continued to explore other forms of dance and circus arts including ballet, contortion, aerial hoop, silks and tumbling.
I love researching how the body moves and applying this knowledge to aerial and dance skills to continuously improve my understanding how effective training methods suit different people and their natural movement patterns.
I am passionate about teaching every single trick in detail to ensure your technique is correct, safe and strong!
Outside of the studio I work full time in sales and enjoy wakeboarding, surfing and snowboarding.
Jamie
Jamie has been in the pole and aerial industry for over 13 years and performing her whole life. Her career has taken her across Australia coaching and performing. Jamie has performed at various Melbourne institutions The Forum Theatre, Marvel Stadium and The Palais Theatre. Her skill set includes aerial hoop, silks, pole, fire breathing and twirling, acrobatics, contortion and exotic dance.
With technical training as a gymnast, Jamie took to aerials naturally, finding a particular love for pole dancing. She had a natural affinity to the versatility pole offered; from dynamic gymnastics based flips and tricks to its slinky, sensual origins.
When she's not in the spotlight, she enjoys taking a backstage role; choreographing and coaching students for competitions, as well as backstage and event management. Jamie's favourite part of her job is sharing the confidence pole and dance gave her with all her students.
Lesley
As a talented Professional dancer, Lesley toured across Asia and also worked as a model appearing on cat walks, magazine and television.
She loved so much her experience in Asia, that she moved there and successfully auditioned for the Teaching Certificate program at the internationally renowned Royal Academy of Dance (RAD).
After three years she was awarded her registered teacher status and went on to teach at The Palais Dance Studio, The Australian International School and The Hollandse Club.
She moved back to her native Scotland, and taught for the Edinburgh Dance Academy out of many of their different studios.
Lesley’s gift for dance was spotted early, after she began classical ballet at the age of 3 in Scotland and at seven, she won a scholarship with the prestigious Scottish Ballet in Glasgow.
Lesley went into full-time training. She studied classical ballet, pas de deux, pointe, repertoire, contemporary, jazz and tap.
After almost fifteen years Dancing choreographing and teaching abroad, she returned to Australia, had a son and began teaching in Melbourne where she discovered Pole dancing.
Lesley was amazed by the hardcore strength and beauty of the pole and the incredible fitness benefits it had to offer. She trained, taught and performed for 8 years and in 2014 Artistic pointe Studio was born.
Lesley teaches RAD Ballet, Pole, Stretch & Flex, Progressing Ballet Technique and works privately with ballet and pole students in a one on one environment in person and on line. She is also an accredited Fly Gym instructor, a yoga instructor, yoga Trapeze instructor and Aerial hoop instructor. Lesley has over 45 years dance and performance experience and over 25 years teaching experience. She is the owner and founder of Artistic Pointe Studios.
After 7 years in the Macedon Ranges Artistic Pointe studio has relocated to sunny Mornington to bring their unique style of Dance fitness classes and community to the Peninsula.
Nikki
Niki is a passionate meditation facilitator whose love of music and movement has lead her into the world of conscious dance. As a mother of three children and business owner, Niki discovered that for her busy world, spiritual dedication mixed with a bit of mischief and fun kept her life joyful and energetic. Niki loves to share this wisdom through Womens Circle and Hearts Alight Dance.
"My mission is to awaken the wild in others through radical honesty. Honest words and honest movement. When we come to the dance floor with an open heart and loose ourselves in letting go, we make space for our greatest desires to arise. We can hear them in the quiet mind non-linear movement invites and we FEEL them in the body. When we dance we release stagnant energies that have built up over our life time of experiences and that makes way for fresh inspiration in life."
8/16 Carbine Way,
Mornington VIC 3931