ACADEMY BALLET TEACHING FACULTY

Academy Ballet is proud to introduce our lifelong teachers, all who are truly invested in your child’s individual ballet journey.

We mean it when we say your child’s first teacher will likely see them through to graduation. Our teachers invest in every child’s development – both emotionally, technically and socially. Some of our teachers were either taught by Miss Sinead as former students, or taught her themselves.

We are so fortunate to have the most highly accomplished Australian Ballerina, Vicki Attard, on our faculty, since retiring over 20 years ago.

Sinead is the Director and owner of Academy Ballet. She has been teaching for over 20 years and is continually amazed by the journey that working with young people takes her on.

At the age of 4 Sinead did her first class at Academy Ballet with Mrs Kuner, the Founding Director of Academy Ballet. Since that very first class all she has ever wanted to do is teach ballet & run Academy Ballet.

Sinead holds a Bachelor of Arts (Sociology & History), a Certificate in Ballet Teaching Studies and a Certificate in Training and Assessment. As well as owning AB, Sinead is a mother to Ash, stepmother to Domi & Dion, wife to Lawrence and, generally, one happy woman.

Genevieve, Academy Ballet’s Assistant Principal, has always had a passion and love of ballet completing all RAD examinations with High Distinctions. and receiving a full academic & ballet scholarship to the McDonald College of Performing Arts.

She then received a full scholarship to study a Pre-Professional year at the
prestigious Joffrey ballet school in New York. After Dancing with Ballet Austin and ballet neo NYC, Genevieve returned home to discover a passion just as strong in teaching and has been a dedicated ballet teacher now for the past five years.

Vicki joined The Australian Ballet in 1985 & rose to the rank of Principal Artiste in 1993, she joined Sydney Dance Company for its 1989 season & re-joined The Australian Ballet in 1990 where she danced until she retired in 1999. After her retirement from a 15year dancing career she studied her Graduate Diploma in Dance Instruction. Vicki has re-staged Madame Butterfly all over the world, a role which was created for her by Stanton Welch AM.

Vicki has taught at many major institutions over the past 20 years & has produced her own unique pointe programs, entitled ‘My Beginner Pointe’ and ‘My Pointe’.

In 2016 Vicki was appointed Interim Director of the Houston Ballet Academy by its Company Director Mr. Stanton Welch AM. She maintained the position for 2 and a half years where she oversaw 1,000+ students, 7 full time faculty members as well as co-managing the second company HBII. Vicki continues to teach within Australia and abroad.

James is a real life ‘Billy Elliot’… Studying at The Royal Ballet School in London, he graduated into the Royal Ballet Company where he performed for Queen Elizabeth on her 60th Birthday at The Royal Opera House. Further contracts with The National Ballet of Portugal, The National Ballet of Canada, and Sydney Dance Company allowed James to work with many of the world’s most renowned dancers and choreographers.

He currently teaches regularly at Academy Ballet, Sydney Dance Company, Brent Street and The North Shore Dance Academy, as well as being a sought-after freelance teacher, choreographer and adjudicator both in Australia and overseas.

Gretel trained at Academy Ballet in our full-time program where she received Distinctions in her Advanced RAD Exams, was a finalist at the prestigious McDonalds Scholarship and competed in many eisteddfods as a soloist and in groups.

She knew from when she started at Academy Ballet that dance was going to be a part of her life forever. She was accepted at The English National Ballet School in 2010 and studied abroad for many years receiving a Diploma in Professional Dance from Trinity College London. Gretel returned to Australia and is currently studying PR and Advertising at University of New South Wales as well as teaching ballet and character.

Josie grew up in Sydney where she began dancing at the age of 4. She received Distinctions in all her RAD examinations and was an extraordinary performer in local and national ballet eisteddfods.

At 14 years old she was accepted into The Australia Ballet School, then at 16, the prestigious Royal Ballet School in London. Upon graduation she received a contract to dance with The English National Ballet Company.

But Australia was calling and Josie saw out her career at Queensland Ballet. She is now teaching (and sometimes dancing with Opera Australia) in Sydney. She aims to empower students by nurturing their creativity and inspiring a lifelong love of dance.

Sascha has been a part of Academy Ballet since she was 3 years old. Her skill set has been developed and enriched through the attentive teaching she received at Academy Ballet.

Sascha’s diverse knowledge in Pilates, yoga, and functional training ensures that her students receive a holistic education. In the penultimate year of her Psychology and Neuroscience degree, Sascha understands the importance of a nurturing environment to optimise a child’s success in later life.

It is Sascha’s ultimate priority to ensure each student reaches their full potential through appreciating their strengths, enhancing confidence and promoting positive self-esteem.

A directing graduate of Victorian College of the Arts, Lara is a director, dramaturg and teaching artist. Her directing credits: Fly, Falling Petals, The Removalists, Il Signor Bruschino (Lyric Opera of Melbourne), Echo in our Walls (Outback Theatre for Young People), Fewer Emergencies, Sprout: A Radio Play, Tiger Country(Little Spoon Co.), Still, Pigeon (Bondi Feast Festival), The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, The Importance of Being Ernest, The Gipsy Dancer, Wolf Lullaby, Cabaret and Bombshells.

Lara has worked with such companies as Outback Theatre for Young People, Playwriting Australia, Griffin Theatre, Melbourne Theatre Company and Malthouse Theatre, to name a few. Lara is a two time Green Room Award nominee for Best Direction in Opera.

Alice trained in classical ballet at Academy Ballet before moving to the UK to pursue contemporary dance and choreography.

Her choreographies have been shown at festivals and galleries in the UK, Spain, Italy, Germany, Canada and Australia. She has performed for other artists, from contemporary dance to performance art, including at Tate Modern, Delfina Foundation, Hauser & Wirth and Tanzcompagnie Gießen. Alice is also an academic in dance studies and received a Masters of Fine Art from Laban as a Leverhulme scholarship recipient. While back in Sydney, Alice is teaching and continuing her artistic work with residencies and forums.

Ben started dancing at the age of 7. After graduating high school he went on to complete full time training at Ev and Bow.

He then travelled to New York City and trained at the Broadway Dance Centre for 3 months.
He has worked with many companies both commercial and contemporary, including Opera Australia, Shaun Parker Company, Una Palabra and The Dream Dance Company. Ben has worked for artists including Guy Sebastian, & companies including Yamaha, Sydney Trains & Water Aid. Ben continues to work professionally in the industry as well as teach at many leading dance schools across Sydney.
Ben spent 2019 touring with Hugh Jackman before returning to teach this year.

Maddy came to Academy Ballet in 2013 as a bright, exuberant and hardworking student. Since then she has become an invaluable member of our community.

Maddy is inspirational both on the stage and in the studio for her peers, her teachers and the younger students at AB. She personifies the empowered young adult we hope all AB students will grow to be. As an Assistant Teacher Maddy shows compassion, strength and warmth, her beautiful smile and strong by kind demeanour is appreciated by students and parents.

Alla Orlievsky was born 1948 in Saint Petersburg, Russia. She completed her degree at The Conservatorium of Music in Russia before emigrating to Australia.

Since arriving in Australia in 1978 she has held various positions as a ballet accompanist, including with The Australian Ballet, Sydney Dance Company and various international ballet schools. She is immensely proud to be associated with Academy Ballet for the last
18 years.

Liv is an extremely passionate and driven teacher whose love for dancing and dance teaching is extensive. From 2019-2021, Liv undertook training in BCCAP where she was trained under the valuable guidance and mentorship of Bec Condino.

In 2021, Liv attained her Certificate IV at Ettingshausens Pro and she is now pursuing her Diploma of Dance at Brent Street.

With Liv’s firm belief in dedication, hard work and love of dance, it’s her mission to share this passion with her students in a rewarding and nurturing environment. Liv thrives off seeing growth and improvement in young artists she works with as she shares her love for dancing, teaching and choreography.