​Julia established Enhance Dance & Pilates in 2019, to offer personalised Dance and Pilates coaching to students and teachers in  support of existing training programmes.  Coaching is available at a teacher's own studio, online via Zoom or at the Enhance Dance & Pilates studio at Lake Macquarie.  Julia also teaches freelance and as a guest teacher at ballet schools in Sydney, Central Coast and Newcastle, teaching students of all ages from junior to pre-professional level and adults, and supervising trainee teachers.

 

Julia graduated with the Diploma in Ballet Teaching of the Royal Ballet School Teachers’ Training Course, London, in 1977 and emigrated to New Zealand, dancing professionally for several years before focusing on her teaching career. Julia ran her own successful large dance school, the Auckland Ballet Academy, for many years, with students frequently progressing on to

pre-professional and tertiary dance courses and professional dancing and teaching careers in New Zealand and overseas. Julia also ran a youth performance company, Auckland Youth Ballet, during this period and directed many full-scale dance productions.

 

For the last 25 years, Julia has taught free-lance at many private dance studios, full-time dance programs and holiday seminars in New Zealand and Australia, teaching Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) Grade and Vocational and open classical classes, repertoire, character, Pilates, anatomy, dance history and Benesh Movement Notation. She has prepared numerous students for examinations and auditions for professional dance schools and tertiary institutions, trained dance teachers and devised new courses for dance performance and teaching programmes. She has also consistently choreographed for dance productions and competitions and has developed a range of specialised dance-related workshops.  Julia is a Registered Teacher and Life Member of the Royal Academy of Dance and has been a Tutor and Practical Teaching Supervisor for the RAD Faculty of Education since in 2004.  Julia was appointed as an Examiner for the Academy in 2015.

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Julia has trained extensively in Pilates Matwork and gained the Polestar Pilates Matwork Instructor Certificate in 2005 and Certificate IV in Pilates Matwork on moving to Australia in 2013.  Julia has taught Pilates Matwork classes and personal coaching for all ages and levels of experience for 15 years.  She has also developed a Pilates for Dancers programme, specifically designed to enhance dance technique and promote safe dance practice.

 

In 2008, Julia gained a Master of Creative Industries (Dance Teaching) and in 2013 completed a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education, specialising in Teaching and Learning.  In 2021 Julia completed a second Master's degree, a Master of Philosophy researching dancer wellness for adolescent students.  Julia has given presentations regarding her research and teaching strategies at the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science Regional Meetings, and at Royal Academy of Dance Conferences in Australia in 2016, 2018, 2020 and 2022.  Julia is a highly qualified and experienced Dance and Pilates teacher, who is passionate about promoting individual student progression and well-being, through a positive and supportive learning environment.