About Us

Nicole Purcell (Principal)

Nicole started dancing at the age of five at Reps School of Dance - Mudgee, with Rachel Murdoch taking classes in ballet and tap. During her time there she completed various exams, receiving good marks. Nicole finished her final ballet exam in June 2007.

Michelle Leven continued to teach Nicole for her last seven years at dancing where she taught her all of her senior tap exams.

Nicole also competed in a wide range of local eisteddfods since the age of 7 receiving excellent placing's.

Since 2003 Nicole has been student teaching, conducting children through their exams, some of which receiving honours with distinction. Her students also competed in the Eisteddfods.

In 2007 Nicole took over the Gulgong Dance School and also attended the Ballet Australasia Limited Summer School in Sydney, where she learnt the new and updated tap syllabus. Nicole also attended the 2009's BAL Summer School where she learnt some new tips from the BAL examiners to bring back to Step Up.

Nicole is a member of Ballet Australasia Limited and looks forward to teaching their syllabus at Step Up Dance Academy.

Step Up's first year proved to be very successful with lots of new students and a highly praised end of year concert for their first year in business.

Nicole is currently studying the BAL's teaching certificate in 2010 which will make her a fully qualified BAL teacher, a course all BAL teachers are highly encouraged to undertake and will benefit all of the children at Step Up that will be taking BAL exams over the coming years.

She credits Rachel Murdoch and Michelle Leven as her inspiration to dance.

Kate Hensley (Guest Teacher)

Kate started dancing with Rachel Murdoch at the age of four. Taking classes in ballet and Jazz and competing in various local eisteddfods from the age of seven and completing a number of her ballet exams.

In 2005 Kate began teaching Jazz and Hip-Hop under the instruction of Michelle Leven.

Since taking over the Assistant Teacher at Step Up her jazz students have been very successful in all the eisteddfods they have participated in, performing Kate's own choreography they have all progressed to the open sections of the eisteddfod within their first year of solo's.

In 2010, Miss Kate moved to the Gold Coast, a decision all of Step Up is very sad about! We do look forward to her coming to visit and coming to teach the occaisonal class in 2010.

Elise Woods (Student Teacher)

Miss Elise started dancing at the age of 4 and has danced with Miss Nicole and Miss Kate for the last 6 years taking classes in Jazz, Hip Hop and Contemporary. She began student teaching in 2009 and choreographed routines for the eisteddfod students.

She was also awarded Most Promising Senior in 2007.

Elise is excited to be teaching a number of privates in 2010 with the Step Up students!

Orlander Ruming (Student Teacher)

Miss Landy began dancing at the age of 5 and has since continued on to complete almost all of her ballet grades, receiving high marks in every grade. Landy has also been taking classes in Contemporary since 2004.

In 2010 she will be learning her senior ballet grades with Miss Nicole. She is a very talented student who has had great success in learning her pointe work and in the local eisteddfods over the years. She was also rewarded Most Promising in 2008 and Step Up's Overall Trophy in 2009. We are very excited Miss Landy will be joining the teaching crew in 2010 to teach Junior Contemporary.

Gracyn Endacott (Student Teacher)

Miss Gracyn began dancing with Rachel Murdoch at the age of 4 and since developed into a fantastic tap dancer. Gracyn has been regularly helping Miss Nicole with the Tiny Tots, Beginners Tap and various solo's since the school opened in 2007.

Gracyn will be learning her senior tap grades this year and has received Honours in a number of her exams over the years, one of the highest marks that can be received.

Gracyn is very popular with the students and has a lot to teach the upcoming dancers at Step Up. She was also rewarded Most Improved Senior in 2008. Miss Gracyn will be teaching Beginners Tap and a number of privates in 2010.

Robyn Newton (Tap and Ballet Teacher)

Robyn studied ballet, tap, Highland, Irish and dramatic dance with Miss Pamela Shield in Sydney, from the age of 6.

She became interested in competitive Highland dancing at the rather late age of 21 and took lessons from well known Highland dance teacher, the late Mrs Dorothy Kerr B.E.M. In 7 years Robyn had become the Open Grand Australasian Highland Dance Champion and the Champion of Champions of Australia.
During those years she performed for a season in the UK on BBC TV in “The White Heather Club”, theatres in Scotland and as a soloist in a special display for the British Royal Family with World Highland Champion, the late Mr Bobby Watson and his dancers.

Upon returning to Australia she was privileged to teach with Pamela Shield who helped her to pass her Solo Danseuse Diploma examination in classical ballet as well as gain teaching qualifications. She was able to teach and dance semi professionally in Sydney as one of Mrs Kerr’s Highland dancers for many years. Mrs Kerr also encouraged her to sit for her Highland Adjudicators exam.

She eventually conducted her own school and went on take over Mrs Kerr’s position of General Secretary of Ballet Australasia and the Presidency of the National Dancing Association from 1998 to 2007.

Robyn moved to Gulgong in August 2007 and remains an active Scottish Official Board of Highland Dancing Judge, a Ballet Australasia and National Dancing Association examiner, a Director of the Board of Control of Ballet Australasia and President of the National Dancing Association of Australasia.