22/08/2026
Happy 4th Birthday, ADE 🤍
Four years of Academy of Dance Excellence!
I was 25 when the opportunity came up to purchase a dance studio from a retiring teacher, and had just turned 26 when I officially took over. Now at 30, it’s pretty special to look back at everything that has happened since.
I had wanted to create something of my own for classical dancers, but the Gold Coast certainly wasn’t short of dance studios. I never wanted to build a school by actively drawing students away from places where they were already happy and training.
So when a long-standing teacher decided to retire and the opportunity arose to take over her studio and care for the students who already called it home, it felt like one of those rare moments where the timing was simply right.
I knew it would be a huge amount of work and it has been. Four years of teaching, planning, competitions, exams, concerts, costumes, emails, renovations, new programs, problem-solving and constantly looking for ways to make ADE better.
What I probably couldn’t have predicted was just how much it would grow and evolve along the way.
I’m incredibly grateful to the families who put their trust in me in those very early days, and to every dancer and family who has found us since.
And a huge thank you to our incredible faculty. ADE would not be what it is today without the knowledge, experience and genuine care they bring to our dancers every week.
There is still so much I want to do, but I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve built over these first four years and even more excited about where it’s heading.
Happy 4th Birthday, ADE. 🤍✨
Very grateful that 25-year-old me recognised an opportunity worth taking.