.

The latest news at JWDA in 2023

An extra good Good Friday performing at the Sydney Royal Easter Show. 

Congratulations to Anna who won the Grade 3 RAD Joan & Monica Halliday Awards. First place out of 106 competitors, what an achievement. 

The latest news at JWDA in 2022

That's a wrap on 2022. Reflection on Perfection end of year concert was a hit and a huge congratulations to our two Senior scholarship winners for 2022 Chelsea andAbbey. So deserving and such wonderful role models for our younger students.

We finished the year off cruising around Sydney Harbour at our annual white party Christmas celebration. 

Have a safe and happy new year. xx

The latest news at JWDA in 2021

The JW Academy will pride itself on delivering the highest form of education, whilst letting our students follow their dreams and passion for dance

Our Juniors, Teens and Seniors that were chosen to be a part of Marko Panzic's Dream Creative program this January had a wonderful week. Their end-of-program performance showed how much they learnt and it was great to have so many JWDA supporters in the audience. Congrats team.

2021 kicked off to a brilliant start with many of our soloists training hard to compete at many of the January competitions in Sydney and Adelaide. Congratulations to all the JWDA students who attend Follow Your Dreams, Showcase Nationals, Get the Beat Nationals, DanceLife Unite Nationals, Ooh La La and Adrenaline.  Some of the competition highlights below:

DANCELIFE UNITE NATIONALS - SYDNEY

Congratulations to MIA VAN HAARLEM who won the title of National Grand Champion in the Teen division

GET THE BEAT NATIONALS - SYDNEY

Congratulations to:

An extra special congratulations to Jade Williamson who was inducted into the GTB Hall of Fame with the highest score of the competition. Incredible work Jadey.

2020 JWDA Highlights

Our end of year concert went off with a bang and was (we think!) the best concert yet. The students were so excited to get back onto the stage after such a long break. Their enthusiasm, dedication and love of dance really shone this year on The Parade Theatre stage.

Biggest congratulations to our Pupils of the Year and Scholarship Winners for 2020. These students showed an outstanding commitment and dedication to dance.

We are proud to announce the 2020 Pupil of the Year winners:

Under 6: Ruby Tusa

Under 8: Rydah Taki

Under 10: Millie Smith

Under 12: Emily Kennedy

Under 14:  Chelsea Henderson

Under 16: Keeley Barnes

Senior: Maui Barilla

And the 2020 winners of the prestigious JWDA Scholarships goes to:

Junior Scholarship: Scarlett Hopkins

Senior Scholarship: Hope Evans

As a welcome back to the studio after isolation, JWDA revealed the fabulous new studio named "The Bunker." This is a room purpose built to create and record concept films, creative pieces and social content in. It is fully equipped with high end audio, lighting and vision equipment. Keep an eye on our instagram page for content filmed in here.

2020 was a challenging year indeed but JWDA kept spirits high and all our kids danced through the isolation period. With over 400 zoom classes running over term 2, we ensured our dancers stayed fit, in condition and their technique improved daily. To go with our online dance classes, we also had fun journal classes where we had live cooking, a lava lamp experiment and drama games. Thanks to everyone who came along everyday and kept the momentum going. It was fun, but so much nicer to be back in the studio!

2019 marks JWDA's ten year anniversary of our end of year production at the Parade Theatre, NIDA. This year did not disappoint. The performance from all of the students was a professional and stunning show. A big thank you to all the JWDA teachers and choreographers for the incredible routines you produced and to the students who worked so hard in making this our greatest show yet. 

Each year JWDA awards students in each age group the “Pupil of the Year” award for outstanding commitment and dedication to dance.

We are proud to announce the 2019 Pupil of the Year winners:

Under 6: Anna & Lacy MacGonigal

Under 8: Laila Newton

Under 10: Breanna Watkins

Under 12: Jessica Shanks

Under 14:  Ashlyn Mackenzie

Under 16: Amy Sultana

Senior: Tamiasan Rams

And the 2019 winners of the prestigious JWDA Scholarships goes to:

Junior Scholarship: Jorja McKnight

Intermediate Scholarship: Mia Van Haarlem

Senior Scholarship: Ivan Hoff

The week after we all arrived back from a huge Nationals in Caloundra, JWDA hit the eisteddfod stage again for the last comp of 2019. Kick Eisteddfod at Sutherland Entertainment Centre. And what a performance we gave! 33 routines performed and first and second place in all sections. We will be enjoying our lolly prizes for a long time coming.

Once again JWDA proves hard work pays off. In Caloundra at Get the Beat Nationals in 2019, all our soloists did incredible jobs with their routines. Congratulations to all who competed, your results were outstanding and JWDA teachers are all so proud of you all.

Biggest congratulations to our tiny pocket rocket twins LACYNDA and ANNALYSE MACGONIGAL, who came first and runner up in the Mini Division and to beautiful JORJA MCKNIGHT who was awarded Pre-Junior runner up. All three girls will represent JWDA at KAR Nationals in Las Vegas in 2020.

Our troupes did amazing as well in all sections. Little Red Riding Hood was awarded the u/6 NATIONAL CHAMPION AWARD, JWDA was awarded 2019 NATIONAL STUDIO OF THE YEAR and Miss Jo Williamson was awarded the 2019 CHOREOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR award. 

Congratulations to all of the dancers, you all did JWDA very proud and yet another fabulous Nationals event. See you in 2020!

Biggest Congratulations to TIANA KOSTOPOULOS who took out the Rising Star Award and the Australian Dance Festival, Dance Around the World. So proud of you Tiana. 

THAT’S A BDA WRAP!

Under 6's takes out HIGHEST PETITE SCORE.

JWDA takes out HIGHEST OVERALL POINT SCORE.

Exciting news that two of our talented students Zoe Zantey and Sara Petrovski have been cast in the upcoming Sydney season of School of Rock. Congratulations and we can't wait to see you.

A huge congratulations to our students who represented JWDA at Dance KAR Nationals in Las Vegas. Scarlett Hopkins, Jade Williamson and Mia Van Haarlem, you all danced exquisitely and our studio is so proud of you. Congratulations on this incredible achievement.  

It was an absolute honour to be asked by Get the Beat, to choreograph the Australian Mini team travelling to Las Vegas for the Dance KAR Nationals. I was so proud of my dancers, coming together from six different studios around Australia and only rehearsing three times. They took out National Elite Top 1st place in their division. They were awarded 2nd overall highest scoring act. Winners of the Staging Award and through to the Gala Night. Such an amazing achievement and such an amazing time we all had. 

While we were in Las Vegas, another one of our very talented students was in Italy representing JWDA at the World Dance Movement. Jorja McKnight, Showcase DOTY winner, had the time of her life participating in intense dance workshops with incredible choreographers and teachers. She is honoured to have been awarded two scholarships whilst being there to Peridance in New York and Borsa di Studio in Italy. We are so proud of you Jorja, you work so hard.

Get the Beat was our second comp of the season and we took out the top prizes in most styles and age groups and we were fortunate enough to be awarded the HIGEST OVERALL SCORE OF THE DAY for:

U6 JAZZ 

U8 JAZZ 

SENIOR CONTEMPORARY

We are so excited to be competing at Nationals in Caloundra later this year

In the April school holidays, JWDA hosted the first of their Dance Domination workshops. We welcomed incredible faculty Marko Panic, Katie Sanchez, Nicole Wells and Paris Cavanagh to the studio for a full day of dance workshops. It was a sell out and huge success - we look forward to putting more of these on in the future.

Biggest congratulations to Jade Williamson to be awarded Lab Assistant status with Dr. Lisa Ellis.  Jade is an official assistant at workshops all over Australia and can’t wait to meet many new faces. Well done Jadey.

Congrats to my student Jorja McKnight who won the Junior Dancer of the Year title at Showcase. Jorja will now head to Italy this year to represent JWDA in the World Dance Movement. Congrats also to my student Hope Evans who placed Top 4 in the Pre Teen division and Mia Van Haarlem who placed Top 3 in the Pre Teen division. Very proud.

Each year JWDA awards students in each age group the “Pupil of the Year” award for outstanding commitment and dedication to dance.

We are proud to announce the 2018 winners:

Under 6: Tarla Ross & Isla Fielder

Under 8: Olivia Westwood

Under 10: Lara Best

Under 12: Jemmelia Herron & Hope Evans

Under 14: Emily Kremmer

Under 16: Eloise Morgan

Senior: Abbey Drinnan

And the 2018 winners of the prestigious JWDA Scholarship goes to:

Junior: Sienna Ferguson

Intermediate: Elysse Collins

Senior: Lily Cochran

2018 JWDA HIGHLIGHTS

Last comp of the season at TUDC Finals and JWDA have been named the JUNIOR CHAMPIONS  with our 12/u lyrical - WAVES and JUNIOR RUNNER UP with 10/u jazz - EVERYBODY

What a way to finish a great year of competitions. Congratulations to all my troupes on an outstanding year.

JWDA welcomed Jordan Clark and Trevor Tordjman from Raw Motion Dance this holidays. Dancers attended from many different studios around Sydney for a fabulous day of contemporary, jazz, funk and hip hop classes. Can't wait to see you guys back in Australia for the Raw Motion Dance Convention in 2019.

Congrats to all my wonderful soloists and troupes in Caloundra at Get the Beat Nationals. You were all outstanding. 

WOW WOW WOW. What an incredible two days we had at TUDC in Wollongong. My Army has worked super hard and our results show that. Congratulations troupes, you were amazing.

1st & 2nd: U6 jazz

 

JWDA welcomed in the Spring season with two fantastic performances at the Cronulla Spring Fair over the weekend. Great performances were enjoyed by huge crowds from the U6's, the U8's and the U10's. Wonderful job girls.

JWDA competed at the Australian Dance Challenge at UNSW in late August and came away with fabulous results.

What a fabulous time our JWDA Army had at BDA Eisteddfod this weekend. So proud of all the hard work and many hours of rehearsals that our troupes put in.

Our results:

1st and 2nd : 6/u jazz
1st : 6/u lyrical 
1st : 6/u contemporary
1st and 2nd: 8/u jazz  
1st and 2nd : 8/u lyrical 
1st and 2nd : 8/u contemporary
1st and 2nd : 10/u jazz 
1st and 2nd : 10/u lyrical 
1st and 2nd : 10/u contemporary
2nd : 12/u jazz 
1st and 2nd : 12/u lyrical 
1st, 2nd and 3rd : 12/u contemporary
2nd and 3rd: 14/u jazz 
2nd: 14/u lyrical  
3rd : 14/u contemporary
1st: 16/u jazz  
2nd : 16/u lyrical 
2nd and 3rd: 16/u contemporary

Congratulations to our Nikitta Jancek, who has won two USA trips with NRG Dance Project and Rainbow Dance's People’s Choice Award to compete at Nationals in America next year . Amazing wins Nikitta.

We are so proud to announce that TWO of our students have been cast in the child ensemble of The Australian Opera's production of Evita, which opens at the Opera House in September. Biggest congratulations to Sara Petrovski and Zoe Zantey on this incredible achievement. Hundreds of kids auditioned for this amazing production staring Tina Arena. We can't wait to see you girls, what an experience you both will have.

JWDA student Hope Evans has had the best experience this holidays being a part of Bonnie Lythgoe's pantomime Sleeping Beauty at the State Theatre in Sydney. Hope was performing in the junior cast and loved every minute of it. Well done beautiful Hope.

We are so proud of our beautiful Alea O'Shea who joined Marko Panzic's Dream Team for the 2018 Maddie & Mackenzie Ziegler Tour of Australia and New Zealand. Alea danced her heart out at every show and won the hearts of many new fans. The JWDA Team came to see her in Sydney and she got a bigger cheer than the Ziegler Girls! Well done Chick.

Congratulations to our little 7 year old, Scarlett Hopkins who took out Miss Petite Runner Up at Dance KAR Anaheim, USA in the National Elite Title Division. The level of talent in this division was CRAZY! We are so proud of you Scarlett. Thank you to Get the Beat for this amazing opportunity.

Montana loved every minute of sweating it out at The World Dance Movement Italy, in the advanced workshops and attending several auditions. She thrived on the challenges set by some of Italy’s most prominent choreographers. They worked on routines throughout the week then performed each class piece at the outdoor gala night where all of the Australians were fortunate enough to also do their solo routine.

Monty was given 3 major awards at the presentation night; 20 classes to EDGE Performing Arts Centre in LA, PACE university scholarship to their Commercial Dance Intensive held in the NY campus and an AMDA scholarship to both their LA & NY Campus.

A very proud moment when one of the choreographers pulled her aside and said to her in broken English: “No matter where you stood in the class, my eyes always found you. You dance from your heart”. Congratulations beautiful Monty.

Our beautiful Nikitta has had fantastic time in Italy at The World Dance Movement,  learning from some of the best choreographers and teachers in the industry and performed the routines she learnt in class at the Gala Night as well as her solo. At the Gala Night presentation Nikitta was awarded with a return invite scholarship to WDM Italy 2019 from the amazing Joshua Pelatzky and awarded a full Intensive scholarship to Broadway Dance Centre New York in 2019 from Veronica Peparini. Such a stunning dancer Kitta, we are so proud of you.

After weeks and weeks of extra rehearsals, we received fabulous results at Get the Beat. Can't wait to compete in the finals in Caloundra later this year. 

   

Congratulations to our fabulous Dancer of the Year winners, Scarlett Hopkins, Nikitta Jancek and Monty Cominos, who were featured in the March/April 2018 edition of Dancetrain Magazine.

Also in this edition is our little Triple Threat Sara Petrovski, great interview in Dancetrain Magazine and congratulations on your outstanding achievements Sara.

JWDA had an Open Day on Sat Feb 3rd at the Caringbah studio. It was a great day and the kids had the best time participating in workshops run by Dr Lisa Ellis and the JWDA teachers.