Our people
FELICITY JONES - PRINCIPAL
ARAD/RAD RTS Acrobatic Arts Certified Cert III Community Services (Children’s Services)
Alixa Flexibility Module 1 Certified
Felicity Jones started dancing at the age of 6 years, and has been teaching dance in Bathurst (and formerly in Sydney) for the past 23 years.
Felicity’s qualifications include being an Associate of the Royal Academy of Dance (awarded to students who reach the highest level in RAD examinations) and she was awarded a RAD Teacher’s Certificate in 2004. Felicity also holds a Certificate III in Community Services (Children’s Services).
Felicity has studied dance with some of Australia’s best-known dance teachers including Garth Welsh (described as ‘one of the best male dancers in the Australian Ballet’s 40 year history’), Kim Trynor (a former professional dancer with Deutsche Oper Am Rheine, Düsseldorf and The Australian Ballet Company) and Stanton Welch (Artistic Director of the Houston Ballet).
She studied full time for 18 months at Tanya Pearson’s Classical Coaching Academy and part time at The Conlan College, two of Australia’s most highly-respected dance schools.
Felicity has danced in major performance venues in Sydney, including the Opera House, Footbridge Theatre and Sydney Entertainment Centre. She also performed in the Sydney City Youth Ballet’s production of A Christmas Carol and City West Ballet’s production of Giselle.
Felicity has been teaching since 1998. She first started teaching at Bathurst School Of Performing Arts as a Student Teacher. After finishing school, she then furthered her teaching experience by gaining her Student Teachers Certificate, with Distinction, through the RAD, under Hilary Kaplan of Allegria, whilst she was training full-time at Tanya Pearson’s Classical Coaching Academy and teaching at The Conlan College, in Sydney.
Felicity moved back to Bathurst late 2001 and taught locally until the end of 2009, when she decided to open Promenade Dance School.
Her recent dance students have been accepted to advance their studies full time at well-known schools such as The Joffery Ballet School in New York, The Conlan College, Ev & Bow, Brent Street and The Village in Sydney, and the Marie Walton Mahon’s National College of Dance in Newcastle.
Felicity completed her Acrobatic Arts certification in January 2019 and Promenade became the official Ready Set Dance location in Bathurst and Oberon.
Received Alixa Flexibility Module 1 qualifications in 2020.
SARAH MARRIOTT
Sarah began dancing at the age of four at Colour City Dance in Orange and has continued her passion for dance ever since. In the last couple of years, Sarah has stepped into the teaching role to share her knowledge and passion with the next generation of young dancers.
As part of her dance training, Sarah studied full time at Fiona’s Studio of Dance, completing a Certificate IV in Dance and training extensively in Ballet, Jazz, Contemporary, Modern, Pas de deux and National Character. While studying full time, Sarah also performed with the Central Dance Company under the guidance of the Director, Patti Gleeson, in their production of the Nutcracker and a number of their contemporary works.
Most recently, Sarah completed her Certificate in Ballet Teaching Studies with the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) in 2018 and in January 2020 gained her Acrobatic Arts qualification.
Sarah loves to inspire and challenge her students to help them realise their full potential and share in their love of dance.
GEORGINA WILLS
Georgie began dancing at the young age of 1 and a half at La Belle School of Dance in Bathurst. In 2010 She enrolled with Felicity at Promenade Dance School where her technique and work ethic continued to grow.
Georgie is skilled in a number of styles, including ballet, tap, modern, contemporary, jazz, musical theatre, nation character, demi character and acrobatics. She competed in various Eisteddfods from the age of 3 and won a number of awards and scholarships including, The Cowra Eisteddfod Dance Scholarship twice, Bathurst Eisteddfod Local Scholarship, Orange Eisteddfod Tap Scholarship, Castle Hill Eisteddfod Ballet Scholarship twice, was nation champion in two styles of Tap at Showcase in 2015 and came 4th overall high score at 2016 Hollywood bound nationals.
Over the years Georgie has completed a number of ballet exams, with the last being Advanced 1 in 2018. She has also completed ATAD Tap exams, including her teachers certificate in Tap.
Georgie has also participated in various local musicals with the Carillon Theatre Society including Wizard of Oz, Beauty and the Beast and High School Musical.
Georgie has been a teacher at Promenade Dance School since 2014 teaching a number different styles. Georgie enjoys teaching the next generation of talented dancers and loves encouraging and challenging students to reach their goals.
MELISSA STEWART
Miss Melissa studied ballet through the Royal Academy of Dance from the age of three at the Cowra Ballet School and still continues to dance to this day! She competed in many competitions including the Bathurst Eisteddfod!
Melissa has lived in Sydney and the Hunter Valley the past 15 years and was teaching ballet and musical theatre at Sydney Broadway Chorus and Blue's School of Dance as well as choreographing musicals such as Phantom of the Opera, Beauty and the Beast and Addams Family.
Her passion for dance and musical theatre also saw her perform lead roles in musical theatre in Sydney such as Maria from the Sound of Music, Narrator in Joseph and the Technicolour Dreamcoat, Adelaide Adams in Calamity Jane, Anna in the King & I and Glinda in the Wizard of Oz.
Melissa now resides in Bathurst with her 2 year old daughter and will be teaching adult ballet and musical theatre. She is excited to be teaching for Miss Felicity as they used to dance together as little girls!
JORJA NICHOLLS
Jorja trained in Leeton from the age of 3yrs at Disalvatore Dance Academy before moving to Melbourne to train at the Melbourne City Youth Ballet and Projection Dance. She then trained full time with the Washington Ballet School. Jorja has studied in many styles of dance including Classical Ballet, Contemporary, Tap, Jazz and National Character.
BETHANY SARGEANT
Teacher
Miss Bethany has been dancing since she was 3 and has been dancing at Promenade Dance School for the last 11 years. As part of her training, she has competed at a number of eisteddfods around the western region since the age of 10 and most recently was awarded the Bathurst Local Scholarship in 2019.
Miss Bethany has also been involved in assistant teaching over the past couple of years and this year will be taking on a junior-teacher role.
LESLEY CARTER
Office Manager / Costume Department
Lesley has been a stalwart of the Promenade Dance School family since the very beginning twelve years ago when her daughter Felicity first opened the School. She keeps very busy carrying out numerous jobs behind the scenes looking after the running of the business on the financial side and also chief organiser of the many costumes needed for all the students for the End of Year Concert.
Lesley loves meeting the students and watching them grow from their first dance lesson to mature adult dancers who become such a credit to the School.