Our Teachers
Elysia Carroll
Teaching: jazz, tap, ballet, exam
Elysia has attended PDA for twenty years and completed her degree with a major in Dance and Drama at the University of Ballarat Arts Academy. She has completed all major exams in jazz, tap and ballet and was awarded a Supreme Pass for her Gwen Mackey Gold Cross Tapping Award exam in 2009.
Recently, Ely performed in Sweet Charity as Frenchy, Working and Nine. She has also written her own cabaret under the direction of Tracey Bourne and James Simpson, entitled Agent Goldstinger.
Dancing and teaching are her passions and she is very excited to be able to combine both of these at Parkwood.
Bridget Sutton
Teaching: jazz, tap, exam
Bridget Sutton has been a student of Parkwood Dance Academy for eighteen years. She has completed the highest CSTD Tap Performance Exam, Jazz exams to Grade 6 and a CSTD Teaching Certificate for Tap. Bridget joined PDA’s teaching staff in 2013, having completed many years of Class Assistance.
Bridget is a corporate lawyer specialising in public and private mergers and acquisitions, private equity and equity capital market transactions.
Cynthia Teh
Teaching: ballet, exam, solo choreography
Cynthia Teh was ballet-trained from a young age by Cynthia Too (RAD Examiner) in Malaysia before achieving her Teaching Diploma at the College of Royal Academy of Dance in London. In 1997, she returned to Malaysia as a Registered RAD Teacher. Apart from teaching ballet, Cynthia’s passion for dance has involved her in choreography work with numerous television productions, as well as being a commercial performer in the early part of her career for over eight years in Malaysia and other parts of the world. Cynthia moved from Malaysia to Australia in 2009, where she continues her career as a RAD teacher.
Kathryn Boysen
Teaching: Special needs, jazz, tap, exam, contemporary, ballet
Kathryn started dancing at PDA as a student in 1996. Since then, she has successfully completed the syllabus for CSTD Modern Jazz and Tap and several teaching certificates. She has also completed the RAD Graded Examination levels including Advanced 1 Vocational Exam. She was an Assistant teacher with Parkwood before commencing teaching classes in 2008.
Kathryn has experience teaching at many local dance schools and many different levels. She also works with our Special Needs students.
As a performer in Parkwoods Dance Crew she has performed in the AFC opening ceremony, VAMFF Finale and is also a member of the Melbourne Tap Group that perform regularly throughout Melbourne including the Australian Tap Festival.
Kathryn has also studied and gained a Biomedical Science Degree majoring in Cellular Molecular Biology with Distinction. In 2016 she will be studying for her Masters of Teaching (Primary and Secondary) and will complete her ADi Certificate IV in Dance Teaching and Management.
Tamara Moritz
Teaching: tap, jazz, ballet, exam
Tamara began dancing at the age of 5 and has been dancing at Parkwood Dance Academy since 1999. She has completed the highest exams in the CSTD Jazz, Tap and Theatrical syllabi and successfully passed the RAD Advanced 1 Ballet exam. In 2015 Tamara also gained her CSTD Tap Teaching Diploma.
Tamara has had experience teaching jazz, tap and ballet to junior levels as well as adult beginners classes and a stretch and strengthen program for senior students. Outside of Parkwood, she has had a variety of teaching and dance experiences including choreographing the local secondary college’s school musical, performing in the 2015 Asian Cup Opening Ceremony, attending the Global Dance Convention in 2014 and 2015 and participating in workshops run by the CSTD and Australian Ballet.
Tamara has also obtained her Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Honours) from the University of Melbourne and works as a physiotherapist in a public hospital. She is currently undertaking two research projects and is planning to pursue her interest in physiotherapy for dancers in the future.
Kylie Digby
Teaching: tap, exam, solo choreography
Kylie Digby has been involved in the dance industry for the past 30 years. She began as a tiny four-year-old, stomping the halls at Domeneys Parkwood Dance Academy studying all styles and has taught there for over fifteen years. She has gained major examination standards in many forms of dance, specialising in Tap.
In 2006, Kylie gained her CSTD Tap Diploma.
She is well respected by her peers for bringing out the best of her students and regularly enters them in exams with outstanding results. Kylie also volunteers her time with local community based theatre companies and has choreographed many shows including Pirates of Penzance and Gondoliers (Babirra), 42nd Street, Guys and Dolls, Kiss Me Kate, Gypsy and Variety Shows.
Aside from teaching at PDA, she works in full time accounts and administration.
Sarahjane Norton-Smith
Jacinta Murphy
Reg R.A.D. CBTS
Teaching: Ballet, Contemporary
Jacinta Murphy trained under Dianne Parrington at the Victorian Ballet School, Fitzroy.
She completed her Royal Academy of Dance examinations from Grade 4 to Grade 8 with Honours & vocational examinations to Advanced 1.
In 2008 after spending two years performing with the Young Dancers’ Company under Nicole Ryan, Sue Hayes and Laurel Martyn, Jacinta was accepted into the Victorian College of the Arts Bachelor of Dance.
Jacinta worked professionally as a fashion model, actor and commercial dancer between 2002-2010. In 2009 Jacinta received a performers contract with Disneyland Tokyo.
In 2013 Jacinta completed the two year Certificate in Ballet Teaching Studies with the Royal Academy of Dance. Jacinta has maintained a strong commitment to professional development and has since then completed over ten R.A.D. CPD training courses. She has also been invited to teach guest workshops in ballet in both China and Myanmar.
Caroline Ellis
VCA – Bachelor of Fine Arts (Dance) Honours.
Teaching: Ballet, Contemporary
Originally from rural New South Wales, Caroline received her early dance training at Murray Youth Ballet, Albury and the McDonald College, Sydney. She completed a BFA (Dance) at the Victorian College of the Arts in 2018 continuing her study with Honours in 2019. During this time Caroline has worked with choreographers including Sandra Parker, Siobhan McKenna, Gideon Obarzanek, Lina Limosani and Lee Searle. She has studied the R.A.D. syllabus, completing the Advanced 1 and Grade 8 exams.
Constantly seeking to diversify her skills and practice, Caroline has completed intensives and workshops in contemporary and classical dance, Contact Improvisation and Stage Combat, including dancing in Europe and Asia. Caroline has been teaching and choreographing for students from ages 3 to adult in a range of dance styles including contemporary, ballet, and music theatre since 2014, and enjoys sharing her love of dance with her students.