Sue Cunnell

Dance has been a joyous and integral part of my life since the age of 5. I began my training at the Yvonne Flett School of Dance, continued with Beverley Smeets and then The Contemporary Dance Centre as a student teacher at their Thornlie branch, performed as a Ruth Osborne Dancer and also choreographed for local shows and corporate functions.

Over the years I have studied four major syllabi; CSTD, RAD, ATOD and CDA  (Contemporary Dance Association) in the genres of Ballet, Jazz, Tap and Contemporary. After finishing Year 12, I accepted a 2 year Certificate in Modern Dance full time course at the Centre for Performing Arts and moved to Adelaide, South Australia to complete.

On returning to Perth I began my teaching career. Firstly at Dance Venture (Willetton) as the Jazz & Tap Teacher for 16 years and also the Beverley Margaret School of a Dance (Rockingham) for 14 years. During this time I was employed as a Dance Specialist for the Department of Education W.A spanning 18 years while raising my 3 beautiful daughters that also were involved in the Arts.

My dream came true when in 2003, together with Katherine Friend, we opened The Stage Key Company starting with only a small group of dancers and singers and our motto being “If you can walk you can dance, if you can talk you can sing”.
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I have had the pleasure of being the choreographer for 2 theatre productions, “Annie” in 2014  and “Beauty & the Beast” in 2015 both for The Koorliny Arts Centre but most of all I have loved choreographing and teaching many hundreds of items for students in dance competitions and concerts.

In 2018, I became the sole business owner of The Stage Key Company and am extremely proud to have a team of talented teachers and a studio full of happy students and families.

Kate Hewson

I began dancing at the age of 4, at the Gail Chipper School of Dance, then later trained at the Debra McCulloch Dance Academy. I completed my CSTD Theatrical exams, Classical Ballet to Sub-elementary and Tap to Advanced Gold. I achieved my Teachers’ Diploma in 2008 and also hold Affiliate Membership with ATOD.I have enjoyed many performance, competition and workshop opportunities, including a tour in the USA where we performed at Disneyland and took a Musical Theatre workshop with Disney Performing Arts.

I have taught at Stage Key for more than 10 years, and enjoy helping each student progress at their own pace to achieve their personal best. It is always a pleasure to teach Stage Key students and watch them grow from year to year.When I’m not at the studio, I’m mum to my gorgeous son Oliver and teach Year 3 two days a week.

Zoe Trapski

I started my dancing career at Debra McCulloch Dance Academy when I was 3 years old where I trained in the CSTD syllabus including Tap, Jazz, and Ballet. At the age of nine, I attended workshops in Los Angeles and performed in Disneyland. It was a wonderful experience! 

WhenI was 12 years old, after the closure of the Debra McCulloch Dance Academy, I moved to Melissa Jade Academy of Dance, and I am still there currently.

I continued my training in the CSTD syllabus and in 2022, completed my Teachers Certificate in the Modern Jazz.

When I was 15, I was given a second opportunity to perform in Disneyland and Los Angeles.

Throughout my dancing career, I have volunteered to assist in teaching young performers. As well as my love for dancing, I am also studying Occupational Therapy at Curtin University. 

I am so excited and grateful to be joining the Stage Key Company in 2023 and I look forward to sharing my knowledge with the Stage Key students!  

Maya Callaghan

Dance has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember. I found a love for ballet at a young age, completing RAD examinations. I quickly found a love of teaching and I have been teaching at Cygnets Dance under the mentorship ofJenny Trafford for the past 5 years.

I am passionate about helping each dancer improve in both ability and confidence, constantly seeking to further my own skills and plan on completing my Certificate of Ballet Teachers Studies through RAD. I am also currently studying a Bachelor of Biomedical Science at the University of Western Australia.

In my time at Stage Key, I hope to not only provide training catered to each student but to also help students find a love and appreciation of ballet.

Ashley Temple

I began dancing at the age of 3 at the Elke Wilkens School of Dance. To further my dancing aspirations I moved to The Stage Key Company in my early teens.Having completed all of my CSTD Theatrical Exams, Classical Ballet to Elementary & all of my CSTD Tapping Medals, I then became a Qualified Teacher with the CSTD (Commonwealth Society of Teachers of Dance) in 2012.  The following year I began teaching at Stage Key. 

I also taught Tap at Sicuso Dance Studio in Bibra Lake for a period of 5 years. I still also attend classes at Stage Key and enjoy performing in competitions and concerts. Apart from my love of dance I am also a qualified Special Needs Teacher with the Education Department.  After 6 years in Early Childhood, I am excited to be taking on the challenge of Year 5/6 in 2019. Teaching children is my passion and I love nurturing their individuality and watching them grow.

Taylor Whitchurch

I have been involved in dance since I was two years of age in all dance genres. I began pursuing a dance career when I joined The Graduate College of the Arts at 10 years of age. This is where I attended my first Ballet and Contemporary classes. I continued my student dance training at John Curtin College of the Arts in 2011 before moving to Adelaide in January 2012 to commence my professional dance training at Adelaide College of the Arts, SA.

During my teenage years I trained in RAD Syllabus and completed Certificates 2 & 3 in Performing Arts though WAPPA. I also was involved in Perth City Ballet Performances from 2008-2010, including their Educational program, touring schools and educating children about dance under the Be Active program.  I also was a member of Steps Youth Dance Company in 2011.

During my training at the Adelaide College of the Arts, I was lucky enough to work with many choreographers such as Lisa Griffiths- Chance 2013, Xiaoxiong Zhang - Glow of Dawn 2013, Leigh Warren - Satyagraha, Phillip Glass Trilogy, State Opera 2014, Peter Sheedy – Entropy 2015, Jo Stone- Untitled 2015, Scotty Ewen- Humanities 2015. I also worked with The Mill run by Erin Fowler and Amber Cronin for various performances.

On completing my Bachelor of Performing Arts in Dance in 2015, I moved back to Perth and commenced teaching at The Stage Key Dance Company.  I believe that working with such diverse teachers and choreographers has made me a more accomplished and versatile teacher and dancer.

Dancing and choreography is in my veins and teaching is a passion that motivates me to  inspires my students.

Brooke Bufton

I started dancing at the age of 4 with Sharon Thompson School of Dance, where I did my CSTD exams in jazz, tap, ballet and acrobatics. I have also studied RAD ballet with Renate at Dance Venture and have competed in both RAD and CSTD competitions.

From 2001/05 I attended John Curtin College of the Arts where I studied contemporary, lyrical and ballet. Also in 2005 I performed in a production of Oklahoma at the Quarry Amphitheatre as a singer and dancer.

In 2003 I joined the Tivoli club of WA as a dancer, where I still perform and choreograph the jazz dancers. I've also had the privilege to direct several shows through Tivoli.

In 2018 I moved to Geraldton and was fortunate enough to be asked to teach at Kerry's Batavia Coast Dance Centre, where I enjoyed teaching my students Hip Hop, lyrical, contemporary, jazz and tap.

I look forward to joining the teachers and students of Stage Key Company in 2020.

Hayley Cumming

I have enjoyed dancing from a young age, training in Perth and on the Sunshine Coast in arrange of styles including ballet, contemporary, jazz and tap. Upon completing my WACE examinations, I quickly discovered my passion for dance teaching,receiving the opportunity to teach at secondary schools and in regional locations.

I am currently studying my Certificate in Ballet Teaching Studies (CBTS) through The Royal Academy of Dance. Additionally, I'm completing a Bachelor of Science at Murdoch University and have received the opportunity to complete an Honours degree the following year. I also hold my Progressing Ballet Technique (PBT) Certification.

I hope to continue educating and inspiring students through quality training and an emphasis on each student’s individual dance journey!

Chloe Palliser

I’ve been dancing for over 20 years! It all began when mum put me in classes at age 3, training under the incredible Marko Panzic. I’ve studied various styles over the years including tap, jazz, ballet, hip hop, contemporary and Calisthenics. I have completed my ATOD Elementary Jazz exam and competed in many competitions including solos, duos, trio and groups. I also joined dance groups in high school and completed my year 12 Dance WACE exam.

I have a passion for performing arts, which I have continued in my studies at university by undergoing a Bachelor of Arts Theatre Arts major. I have gained a job as a theatre tech and work around the performing arts scene in Perth both professionally with my job and through performances in community theatre and Fringe World Festival.With the broad spectrum of my talents, you can catch me both on and off stage doing the things I love the most.

I want my students to aspire to believe and achieve their dreams, but also to learn new things and have fun in every class!

Lauralee Faith (Vocal Teacher)

With a family background richly steeped in Perth Music history, I was always destined to pursue and excel in the arts, becoming an accomplished dancer before turning to the family business of making music.

I have been a Professional Vocalist in the Perth scene for over 10 years. WAM Award Winner in 2022, I’ve worked with some of Australia’s finest musicians, performing a vast array of repertoire’s, covering many genres. From Blues & Jazz to Pop & Rock- I’ve been fortunate to have been a part of some wonderful projects, such as the WA Museum Boola Bardip Opening Celebration films, with David Milroy (Australian Playwright & former Artistic Director of Yirra Yaakin Theatre) and Lucky Oceans (2 x Grammy Award winner); the opening of Perth Festival; RTRFM’s Winter Blues Fest 2021; Yirra Yaakin’s 2022 Event Launch; Bridgetown Blues and shows at great venues such as Kidogo Arthouse, Duke of George, Ellington Jazz Club, Freo Social, The Art Gallery of WA & The Heath Ledger Theatre.

I absolutely love sharing my knowledge and performance experience with my students. I do my best to personalise lessons to suit the varying needs of each student, whether it be in private or group lesson. My aim is to assist others with exploring music and their own talents that lie within, while tuning into “the feel” of music and how it affects us and our audience. As I often say, nothing spectacular happens when we stay in our comfort zone!