TEACHERS

Willow J (Pussy Willow)

In 1999 when Willow was studying acting she was cast in the Aristophanes play Lysistrata and little did she know that she was partaking in great Burlesque history! This was the very first play written that portrayed women using this style of sexy and satirical art form which has come to be known as Burlesque. She than went on to complete her Advanced Diploma in Acting and graduated from the Centre for the Performing Arts (Adelaide) in 2001.

The following year her passion for acting, dancing and performing brought her to Victoria where she made her Melbourne performance debut at the Carlton Courthouse in the tango inspired production of
The Stitch. Since then Willow has had many different roles in television, film and theatre and has continued to study and practise different art forms including Butoh, Suzuki, Grotowski, Tango and yoga.

Willow’s desire to explore her femininity, be risqué, daring, bawdy and over the top lead her to a life of Burlesque where she can express her view of the world in a comical and entertaining fashion. She is a co-founder of the notorious Neo Burlesque Troupe Voodoo Trash Dolls where she created her sweet little French character Mechante Chatte (Malicious Pussy) and became famous for her wild washing machine antics – and other such mishaps!

Willow believes there is a bit of burlesque in everyone and enjoys teaching people how to dance, act and behave in the manner appropriate to that of bawdy, sexy, and sensual fun! Willow still continues to whip audiences into frenzies throughout Australia and loves to encourage her students to learn the skills to do the same!

www.myspace.com/mechante_chatte

www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qTYQtBZl9M

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Jacquie (aka Sparkarella)

With an absolute passion for dancing & expression, a Leo, with a natural ability to “show-off”, a love of being on stage and of dressing up – what else was Jacquie to do other than entertain!!

Jacquie first stepped on stage aged 5, and caught the performance bug that has stayed with her throughout her life. As a member of the Southern Ballet Junior Company being on stage was a natural part of growing up. Classically & contemporary trained under the directorship of Lorraine Peters for many years, she also was given the opportunity to dance with Limbs Dance Company.

On travelling to the UK, Jacquie became involved in circus arts & fused with abstract contemporary performance danced throughout England & Europe with Zoid Induction. Her repertoire here included huge costumes, hanging from cranes, rope-work, stilts, fire & power tools combined with expressive & twisted movement. Jacquie also performed roving, podium & dance works with ArtBeat London, and was featured in short films, adverts & photographic exhibitions.

On relocating to Melbourne at the end of 2001 Jacquie quickly became involved in the performance scene and founded acro-contemporary troupe Hektix. Soon after, she became co-founder & performer with the notorious “Queens of Neo-Burlesque” - Voodoo Trash Dolls. Within the Dolls, Sparkarella exploded out in a frenzy of sparks with her signature angle-grinding performance being born.

Through Polestars Australia Jacquie began teaching the exotic art of pole dancing. This led to adding to her performance repertoire. With her extensive dance, choreography & teaching experience she has created pole syllabus’ especially for Bottoms Up!, combining the strength & fitness aspects of pole with burlesque movements to craft a unique style of pole dancing for all levels.

Jacquie’s choreography experience extends to many different forms including pole, burlesque, contemporary movement, exotic dance. She has created many works for not only herself but other dancers/performers, including Voodoo Trash Dolls and now Bottoms Up!
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CLAIRE (Burlesque)

Claire has always had a little bit more to give and has been one to often reveal just a little too much…
Her origins resonate from the lil ol town of Adelaide where she began her theatrical débuts. Her first musical debut was in a church where she played Moses, now from God to Goddess she is one to embrace the quirks of life.
After extensive training at Flinders University (Bachelor of Arts/Drama) and Victorian College of the Arts, (VCA Music Theatre) she takes to the stage in Melbourne where she is regularly seen doing cunning cabaret at The Butterfly Club or getting her kit off at the nearest Burlesque Bar…

Her previous Dance experience covers genres such as- jazz ballet, hiphop, circus, urban funk, house, tap and Butoh and dance/figure/artistic Rollar Skating.

You may have seen her in such things as The Short and Sweet Cabaret Festival 2009 in the cabaret ‘Wrongtown’, which was runners up. Wrongtown also featured at the Adelaide Fringe festival 2010, and will be appearing later this year in The Melbourne Cabaret Festival. She has also done work on the popular television series, Mcleods Daughters, and regularly does various corporate works for The Entertainment Store.
With a strong music theatre background, Claire aspires to bring different elements to burlesque as she believes burlesque is not just a fancy dance… but a highly artistic performance medium that enables one to communicate ideas and stories. Claire believes it is important to love the skin your in! and to embrace yourself in order to be the best you can be!

Claire is very excited to be working with the bottoms up team and looks forward to further exploration with students and this fabulous genre called Burlesque!
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ADELE (Burlesque)

Adele graduated from the Victorian College of the Arts' Musical Theatre Course in 2007. Finding that musical theatre wasn't quite dark or edgy enough, she discovered Burlesque, and Bottoms Up! She has done a couple of short films, but finds the satirical and ever so slightly naughty world of Burlesque much more satisfactory. Adele dances regularly at the Burlesque Bar in Fitzroy under the guise of "Ruby Sunday" She will be making quite sure however that Ruby makes no appearances in the Bottoms Up! classroom, as her people skills leave something to be desired!
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LESLEY (Ballet & Pole)

Lesley began classical ballet in Scotland at the age of 3. At 7 she was awarded a scholarship to attend the Scottish Ballet School where she studied for 2 years. At 9 her family immigrated to Adelaide and at 14 entered full time training under the tutelage of Sheila Laing. After a short professional career in dance Lesley moved with her family to Kuala Lumpur and began working as a Model appearing in magazines, newspapers, catwalks Billboards and even a TV commercial for Erricson mobile phones. In 1997 she began training to become an R.A.D Ballet Teacher at the federal academy of Ballet in Kuala Lumpur. In 1998 she moved to Singapore and spent the next 3 years working as a Ballet teacher at The Australian international School and the Hollandse club. Under the tutelage of The Palais Dance studio she qualified as an RAD Teacher. Upon marrying her husband they moved to Scotland and she began working for the Edinburgh Dance Academy. In 2005 she returned to Australia and began Teaching Ballet in Melbourne. After the birth of her son she discovered pole and has been doing it for almost 2 years and quite frankly is completely addicted to it.
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ALEX (Pole)

Alex joins Bottoms Up! with a wealth of experience. She has been pole dancing for four years and teaching for just over three. Alex brings a circus aspect to her pole and enjoys aerial tricks the most, while her lifelong love of old hollywood movies influences her burlesque style.
Alex has performed at various band / burlesque & cabaret venues over the past three years, and has also trained the models for the Circa Nocturna Alternative Fashion parades for the past two years.
Currently Alex is training to become a pilates instructor.
Alex is constantly experimenting and fusing different genres of dance and styles of music to make her pole work unique & interesting.
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ALLY (Pole)
Ally learned her first pole spin over 12 years ago, which ignited a passionate love affair that maintains its fervour until this day.
Having discovered a passion for performing at an early age, Ally explored the dark and exciting world of exotic dance, where her pole abilities blossomed and flourished, as well as cultivating a latent talent for the art of striptease. She was awarded Best Pole Dancer at the Simply Naughty Competition in 2008.
Although she has since hung up her costumes and stilettos, Ally has an extensive performance history. Having graced stages nationwide for over 5 years doing countless numbers of feature shows, she demonstrated her flair for creating seamless character performances and exciting choreography blended with acrobatics, fire twirling and pole. Ally has trained in a variety of dance styles, including hip/hop, bellydance, ballet, afrofunk and dancehall, and brings this love of diversity into both performing and teaching.
These days when not teaching or learning new and exciting aerial tricks, Ally can be found working hard as her alter ego, the naturopath Alessandra Izzo, at the Rialto Towers in the heart of Melbourne’s CBD.

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TANI T (Stretch)

Istana Jakins aka Tani T, began training in ballet and tap and gymnastics at the age of 3. Prior to this her mother took her to the doctor as it was noticed her limbs weren't like other peoples, they had a tendency to bend in all sorts of directions. Ballet was suggested as a remedy due to the strengthening aspects. Tani studied ballet well into her teens, preferring classical for its discipline and prettiness. In her early 20's she ran away to the circus, to spend time with her family and performed aerial contortion, comedy contortion and played the drums very badly. After running back home she spent some time in the 'exotic dance' scene, it was rather trashy. She then had a hiatus of several years and one chilly day in June delivered a baby in 20 minutes and had a cup of tea. A year and half after the cuppa, Tani decided to throw herself into the heady glory of Irish dancing. Much more fun than any 'aerobic' or 'pump' class (what do they pump anyway?). She has stuck with Irish dancing for nearly four years and is loving every gruelling second. Tani is a huge fan of burlesque and pin up, playing dress ups and all forms of dance. Her dream is to dance like Kate Bush.

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SARAH D (Booty)

Sarah D has been teaching, performing and choreographing dance and performance for the past eleven years and holds a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Performance Studies.
Sarah works as an actor in theatre, film and television, including a guest role as a dance teacher on The Secret Life of Us.
She was a founding member of award winning dance troupe Monkey Brigade and has devised and performed several performance acts and shows with artists such as Katie Underwood, Miss Exotic World Julie Atlas Muz and Rich Fulcher from The Mighty Boosh.
Sarah spent one year in West Africa and one month in Havana, Cuba studying traditional music and dance then brought Afro Funk to Melbourne in 2004, fusing her knowledge of traditional dance with Hip Hop.
This style has now developed into Booty Dance, combining her wealth of sassy and sensual dance moves with the grounding & rhythmic sweat inducing styles from Africa, the birthplace of dance.
Sarah has an infectious energy for teaching and a natural passion for empowering people to shine through dance.

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EMILIO (Latin Dance & Zumba)

Emilio is the founder of Ela Rose Latin Dance Academy where he teaches Tango, Salsa, Cha Cha Cha, Zouk, Bacata, Lambada & Merengue. He has spent most of his life on stage performing in theatre productions and studied Voice at Victoria Music Theatre.

He is a Latin American Salsa Champion and Choreographer for stage & .
Along with his varied dance background Emilo works as a professional actor , MC & Voice Over, Impersonator, Percussionist and TV Presenter of Latin Dance on ‘Fusion Latina’ on Channel 31.
He is also a Registered Zumba Instructor.

Emilio has a Masters Degree in Nutrition and Dietetics, has studied Human Psychotherapy and has spent a number of years in the corporate world as a Nutrition Consultant.