Elevating youth
through dance

Written by Sash Missell & Chris Curran

When it comes to dance, there’s no such thing as starting too early.

It’s just before 9am on a crisp Saturday morning, and fifty dancers aged 13 - 25 gather together in Transit Dance's Brunswick studios ready to share in something truly special. Some dancers have been up since 4am to make the journey from their homes in Regional Victoria to the studio, whilst others who live locally have just strolled down the road with their morning coffee. They all share the same passion for dance, and their excitement is contagious. This is the day they've been waiting for all week: their Saturday training in the Origins Elevate program.

Origins Elevate is one of Transit Dance’s latest offerings for young dancers. Inspired by their popular full-time Pre-Professional courses, this one-day-a-week youth program combines six hours of intensive training with a high level of genre specific mentoring aimed at helping students prepare for a career in dance.

“It’s essentially a stepping stone into full-time study.” said Course Coordinator Lachlan Hall. “We were inspired after seeing how successful our Pre-Professional courses were, and wanted to offer a similar experience for young dancers, but in a shorter amount of time and with a specific focus on preparing them for full-time". 

And it’s clear that the program has struck a chord with the dance community. Only in its second year, the program has grown exponentially, with many students travelling from all corners of the state to attend.

Origins Elevate student Chloe Taylor, who travels two hours from Ballarat each week, has her sights set on a career on the stage. “I’ve always wanted to be in musical theatre. That's my dream”. 

Currently studying year 12, Chloe has been with the program for 2 years now and sees great benefits of being involved with Elevate. “I feel like I have a much better understanding of what a career in the arts entails, and I've definitely developed confidence in my abilities as a dancer”.

She also points out how the weekly sessions help her prepare for auditions, with one-on-one coaching and feedback from the faculty and support from her fellow students who are on the same journey as her. “Having such a great community of support is one of the key things I love about Elevate. I knew in my first two weeks of studying here this would be my future home of dance.”

The program offers two main streams of training to choose from: Contemporary Dance and Performing Arts. Each stream is designed to provide the highest level of industry relevant training, whilst fostering their individual expression and creativity.

In the Contemporary Dance stream students learn the fundamentals of contemporary dance and movement creation, while also exploring a range of techniques including floor, tumbling and more. 

The Performing Arts stream gives students insight into musical theatre and commercial dance techniques as well as providing the highest level of jazz technique and performance training.

Each stream celebrates an exceptional lineup of core teachers and guest mentors who provide the students with both inspiration and instruction. 

“We are passionate about exposing the students to the best trainers from all corners of the industry,” noted Hall. “Just in the last six months, they have been mentored by the likes of Luke Alleva (Guys and Dolls), Josie Weise (Australasian Dance Collective), Sheridan Anderson (We Will Rock You), Samantha Hines (Australian Dance Theatre), Jillian Green (Strictly Ballroom - The Musical), Priscilla Stavrou (Funny Girl), Petros Treklis (Sydney Dance Company), John Reed (West Side Story), and Damian Meredith (DanceNorth) alongside our regular core faculty.”

But perhaps even more appealing than the high level of professional training is the program's commitment to providing students with a safe and supportive environment in which to express themselves artistically. Transit Dance has a long reputation within the dance industry for placing its students' welfare first, and Elevate is no different.

“Our core values of Courage, Kindness, Ambition, Artistry are embedded into the training,” said Hall. “They allow the students to have courageous hearts that will help them discover strength in their art form as they flourish and reach their highest potential, whilst displaying the utmost kindness for everyone in all aspects of our community at Transit Dance.”

So if you're a young dancer who's passionate, curious, and courageous—and you want nothing more than to make your career in dance—then check out what Origins Elevate has to offer.