Educating minds,
empowering dancers.

Written by Jessica Poulter

A high school made for dancers that fosters passion for dance and invigorates their secondary education.

If you could dream of your ideal schooling environment, it would be dancing around the clock, right? Transit Dance High School Academy is the secondary schooling alternative for exceptional dance artists from Year 9 to 12. Specialising in professional development for Contemporary Dance and the Performing Arts, Transit Dance has built the infrastructure of a school environment to ensure a bright academic future and a fast-tracked career in the Arts. 

Under the academic direction of Casey Davis and the creative direction of Jayden Hicks, this course is tailored to dance-minded students engaging in the crucial years of their education.

“We saw there were a lot of people wanting to drop their secondary education because they felt like they didn’t fit in the mainstream schooling system. Their career goals and what they wanted to do with themselves post education were pushed to the side and not acknowledged,” said Jayden Hicks. 

Transit’s primary focus was to ethically create a program that made space for young people and harnessed their passion with a well-rounded understanding of what a realistic career in the performing arts industry could look like. 

Transit Dance High School Academy’s course structure encompasses an equal focus between academics and movement. The daily schedule begins with a fitness warm up—cardio, yoga, Pilates—to awaken the body and mind, followed by a Technique class (Classical Ballet, Jazz and Contemporary foundations). In the middle of the day, students work on the academic component that aligns with the Victorian Education Curriculum. Lastly, students wind down with a creative workshop on improvisation, exploration or choreographic rehearsals. 

“Students get to rest and recover after a full school day rather than going home and doing another four hours of dance at their studio,” added Jayden Hicks.

The academic component of the course is delivered online by Virtual School Victoria, based in Coburg. The students learn in the one classroom at Transit but undertake subjects relating to their own education under the guidance of an online subject tutor. VSV provides a learning advisor to help give the students a pathway to academic success and acts as a bridge between the education portal and Transit Dance High School Academy. 

While striving for academic excellence is a priority, it is also about providing a sanctuary for students who can feel empowered to develop and excel without the social pressures that mainstream schooling can present. Foundational Transit Dance High School Academy student Grace Gemmel studied with the Academy for three years, receiving the VSV Academic Award for two consecutive years. Grace said she is thankful for the life-changing journey at Transit, which led to her studying acting at the prestigious WAAPA. 

“My time in the Transit Academy was life changing. I went from tolerating school to absolutely loving it, as Transit quickly became my second home. Every single day, I would wake up feeling incredibly excited as everyday held something new in store. The friendships I made and the lessons I learnt through dance, performances and school, are something I will always hold dear to me.”

The students are guided to stay engaged in their studies by academic director Casey Davis. She provides pastoral care for the students and acts as a role model for them, establishing connections to the students in meaningful ways.

“Casey is a dancer and performer herself and has enjoyed many successes in the industry prior to returning university to become a school teacher. I think, the students knowing that Casey was a dancer but had to rely on her education is an invigorating approach for them to realise that a career in the Arts is not just limited to dance performance,” Jayden explained. 

To apply or learn more about Transit Dance High School Academy, click here.