Megan anchors
Cruise Ship contract

Written by Jessica Poulter

Melbourne born and raised Megan Schoonderbeek has landed a professional cruise ship contract with Saga’s Spirit of Adventure after completing Transit Dance’s full time Performing Arts course. 

Megan felt that a cruise ship contract was always on the horizon. With a passion for travel, it was the perfect pathway for her dance career to set sail. 

“I've always wanted to dance on a cruise ship—exploring gorgeous new places every day and performing on stage in the evening—it’s an absolute dream,” said Megan. 

The invitation-only audition comprised of three rounds—a technical jazz piece, a jive number, followed by a mixed-gender partnering sequence. Two days later, Megan discovered her audition had been successful. 

She packed her bags and flew to London for the long and intense rehearsal process, which involved learning seven shows in six weeks. Megan spent six to eight days in a row in rehearsals—nine hours per day with one day off. It was then time to bump into the ship’s theatre for technical plotting.

“The theatre was often in use throughout the day, so most of our install had to happen overnight when everyone was in bed, and there were many nights where we were rehearsing until three or four in the morning. All worth it for the final product,” she smiled. 

Her contract allows her to dance in five productions and two smaller-scale shows, which are performed in different locations around the ship.  The production shows include a Swing show, a Rock show (to the music of Queen), a Musical Theatre show (West Side Story, Mary Poppins etc), a best-of-British show featuring iconic UK artists and a Fantasy show that follows a storyline. She also performs in a Frank Sinatra show and an 80’s party bumper.  As a ballet enthusiast growing up, Megan heard that Transit Dance was the ideal setting for classically trained dancers. She was attracted to Transit for its personalised learning and smaller-school approach—capping class sizes at 25. She trained in the pre-professional Performing Arts pathway, focusing on an array of styles and skills to become a well-rounded artist. 

“The variety of classes and performances enabled me to become a much more versatile dancer and felt ready to tackle the industry. The faculty members at Transit were so open and supportive, offering world class training, advice and industry connections.”

Transit Dance was more than a training facility to Megan, it was her safe space to learn new skills and step into areas foreign to her. 

“I learnt that life begins outside your comfort zone. Fear held me back from a lot of things in life, not just dance opportunities. There were a lot of things I never imagined I could achieve before studying at Transit Dance, but training there pushed me out of that comfort zone so many times, which I am forever grateful for. It proved to me that I am capable of anything I set my mind to,” she said. 

Are you ready to dive into dance performance? Apply for Transit Dance’s Pre Professional Performing Arts course today.