Meet Melanie Gard
THE POWERHOUSE BEHIND THE MAGIC SINCE 2006
Melanie Gard needs no introduction but let’s do it anyway! After being invited by Sandra Allan to take over the Rosebud Ballet School in 2005, Mel has taken the school, now renamed Peninsula School of Dance, to new heights.
“Hearing music playing in all the studios and seeing students laughing… that’s when I knew this is what I’m meant to be doing.”
Tell us about the day Sandra approached you about the school.
I had been living in Mornington and doing some teaching for Sandra for a couple of years. One day, in 2005, Sandra rang to ask whether she could drop in for a cup of coffee. As her son and daughter-in-law lived around the corner, this wasn’t unusual so I thought nothing of it.
But she sat down and said straight out: “I still want to teach but I don’t want to run the business anymore, would you be interested in buying the school?”
Melanie Gard with Sandra Allan, founder of the school, backstage at the 2019 annual performance.
My jaw was on the floor! I think because my lifelong ballet teacher, Miss Lorraine Blackbourn, was so immersed in her school, I assumed this was the same for Sandra.
At that time, I was not thinking about running my own business. I had a really good job working in the disability sector. I had worked my way up and had a company car and accrued long service leave so I was comfortable, especially as I already had one baby and was thinking about a second.
Yet, straightaway, I felt a ping of excitement. I thought: “Actually, this is something I would like to do.” I knew this was an amazing opportunity. Rob, my husband and business partner, was completely on board from the beginning and we both saw the school as an opportunity to create a business and lifestyle that would work for our growing family.
“I don’t recommend taking over a business and having a baby in the same week!”
You took over the school during 2006?
I officially took over the school on 1 July 2006 but there was a gradual handover, with the school running as usual for the rest of that year. That was ideal for me because, within a few days of Sandra making her offer, I found I was pregnant and my due date was 2 July 2006! I don’t recommend taking over a business and having a baby in the same week but we do these crazy things when our children are young.
From 2007, I began introducing new classes and started to rebrand. But the transition was gradual and it was amazing to have Sandra still teaching her classes.
Those early years were hard. I look back now and see I was stressed on another level but I did what I had to do and loved knowing I had an amazing opportunity to take a successful dance school and build it further.
I found my feet after the first couple of years. I watched myself grow into the school at the same pace that my son grew; first the baby years, then the toddler years, then taking off.
Miss Mel cuts out fabric for costumes in the early days of running the school at Rosebud Memorial Hall in 2007.
“I was a shy, awkward and gangly child.”
Take us back to ‘before Rosebud’, to your early years of dance.
Mum sent me to ballet when I was five. I was tall for my age — though I’m now amazed to find that many of PSD’s seniors are taller than me — and mum wanted me to be proud of my height and have good posture. She’d done some dancing in her youth – interestingly, with one of my later examiners, Carole Oliver – so she took me to a hall in Auckland, New Zealand where we wore little white tunic dresses for class.
Melanie Gard (right) poses with her dance friend before performing as tightrope walkers for her dance school’s 1994 concert
I didn’t cope well with our move back to Australia, I lost all my confidence. Luckily, when we moved to East Ivanhoe in Melbourne when I was eight, our next door neighbour introduced us to the Heidelberg & District Ballet School, run by Lorraine Blackbourn, who everyone calls Miss B.
I was a shy, awkward and gangly child. I enjoyed my once a week ballet class but was always nervous, feeling like a fish out of water after all the change.
The teachers were really kind and, over time, I befriended people who are still my best friends. That’s when I got into the groove of it and started wanting to be at the dance school as much as possible. Saturdays were my favourite day of the week because school was over and I was down at the ballet school hanging out with those friends.
I loved every aspect of it. The concerts were always incredible and professionally run. I was fortunate to grow up at a time that the Heidelberg Dance Ensemble was associated with the school, so there was access to professional dancers.
Unlike others who knew they would have danced no matter what, if I ended up in a different ballet school than Miss B’s— who I know was ahead of her time — I might not have stuck with dance. I attribute my love for dance to the values of her school and that’s how I run my school now.
Mel surrounded by some of her longtime dance friends before a performance in the 90s.
Mel dancing in her school’s annual performance in 1992.
When did you start teaching?
I remember the day Miss B asked me to help with the babies. I was so keen as I loved the little kids. I’d been waiting for this day and had been a bit strategic by asking mum to drop me off earlier than my class time in case help was needed.
“One of my core values is the idea that ‘we rise by lifting others’.”
I started by assisting another teacher but, one day she was rushed to hospital so Miss B said I’d have to take the class on my own. Can you believe that it was Parents Day? I must have done ok because Miss B gave me more classes and I started working towards my Associate teaching qualification.
Teaching suits me because I like being in control of things. To be bossy, as my sister would say! This comes from a genuine place of wanting to inspire and empower others. One of my personal core values is that ‘we rise by lifting others’. Focussing my energy on other people and giving them the support and skills to thrive is what drives me.
I don’t need to be front and centre but I love providing a platform for others to be front and centre. This was the ‘ping’ of excitement that I felt when Miss B asked me to start teaching and when Sandra offered me her school.
A young Miss Mel in 1996 in her early days of teaching.
Miss Mel watches her class of young dancers on stage at the Southern Peninsula Arts Centre as part of the annual Petites Concert in 2019. Photo by Jane Steel.
What drives you?
I love having the history and sense of connection that has come from taking on a business with a now 60 year history. I have lots of students whose aunty, mum or cousin learned from Sandra.
I’ve always loved connecting with the community. I brought this from my previous work; an innate understanding of the importance of nurturing community. One aspect of creating community was to make PSD a place where I’d be happy for my kids to be a part of and to grow and thrive within. It’s been a joy to have all three of my children – Olivia, Austin and Ruby – dance at PSD and now to see Olivia as a senior student and a junior teacher.
“Seeing PSD kids in the Disneyland parade was one of my happiest days!”
Fun is another driver for me. I’m happy to do hard work but I want to make sure there will be fun. How much fun was the Disneyland trip in 2019? Seeing those kids in the parade was one of my happiest days.
I’ve also loved looking for young people who have the same little spark I had and invite them to help with the babies, knowing they would be my future teachers.
Melanie with the touring group of PSD students in Los Angeles on their USA trip to Disneyland in 2019.
“Setting up the new studio was stressful but it’s been such a successful move.”
What have been some highlights from your 15 years with the school?
As the school started to grow, a highlight was when the first students enrolled because of me. That was lovely to see resulting from new branding and communication to let people know about us. I started with one pre-school class and then I had four and, pre-Covid, PSD had over 20 per week! Adding hip hop and tap attracted more students still.
As everything started to build, Rob and I realised that we couldn’t say using the same community venues for classes. To cut a long story short, we found our current building behind Bunnings and the first day I walked up the little path, I felt an amazing energy.
“My greatest accomplishments are things that I can’t splash on Facebook.”
Miss Mel smiles with her students.
The students of Peninsula School of Dance at the end of the 2019 annual performance at George Jenkins Theatre in Frankston.
Setting up the new studio was stressful and a massive amount of work for Rob especially, but it’s been such a successful move. I remember a moment where I stopped on the stairs walking down from the mezzanine. Hearing music playing in all the studios and seeing students laughing while having their lunch together was such positive energy.
That’s when I knew this is what I’m meant to be doing. It’s these moments when kids have the chance to be happy that are important. I evolved my business values to look at the ‘why’ behind what we do; giving young people opportunities to develop friendships, confidence, resilience. We’re part of the village that is around a family as they’re raising children.
That’s what I had. I was always envious of kids who had friends who they’d been to kinder with and high school can be a not-very-fun place, but I was so happy at dance. Now we are creating that place for others. Rob and I are so happy we have created a safe supportive place for kids, our own kids included.
My greatest accomplishments are things that I can’t splash on Facebook, they’re the times I’ve worked with a family through some tough issues, when dance has helped get kids through difficult times and when we’ve been a home for kids who are a bit left of centre.
I feel so privileged to be a dance teacher. We’re the only educators who get to see a child go from their very early years right through their primary and high schools then onto having babies and coming back.
What are your hopes and plans?
It’s an honour to be in the position of being the custodian of this amazing school. Sandra had such foresight. She could see new things like the internet and GST and was like “I’m out.”
After 15 years, like Sandra, I’m happy to now be in a position with my team where I can pick and choose. I’ve built in supports to allow me to focus on the parts of the business I love.
Most of all, I still love teaching. Miss B always said it kept her young and I agree. When one of my students is having a hard time, I think “I’ll see you through this.” I want to continue to evolve the school by creating new and different opportunities.
“When one of my students is having a hard time, I think ‘I’ll see you through this.'”
I’m now able to work on passion projects as well as focus on the school. I’m on the Arts and Cultural Advisory panel of our local council in order to ensure young people and performing are top of mind. My aim is to get a performing arts centre on the peninsula. I am also on the Board of Women in Business Mornington Peninsula, another passion project!
I’m also the Vice President of the newly formed Dance Arts Alliance. During COVID, it was clear that this industry did not have clear representation. The lockdown roadmap showed us that our business structure and the fact that we provide a service that is the intersection of arts, education and recreation, we are severely overlooked in government policy, despite being one of the most popular activity for girls.
I want my legacy to be the community. PSD is bigger than me and it doesn’t need me at the helm forever. Others can – and are – stepping into those roles and upholding the values. One of my greatest joys is to walk into a class and see a teacher passing on their love of dance and community spirit. That’s when I know I’ve done my job.
I feel honoured that I can continue traditions that Sandra created and lay down foundations for the future. I hope the school will be here for another sixty years at least!
What a powerful look at your past, present and possible future. Thank you Mel.
Story by Vivienne Pearson
Vivienne is a freelance writer who writes feature stories for newspapers and magazines, as well as engaging content for business and causes.
Mel and one of her studio owner friends, Jane Grech, at the 2019 Exchange Conference – presenting a live version of their podcast ‘At The Barre with Jane & Mel’.
Miss Mel dances beside her student Francesca Grande in a special photoshoot at the Rosebud studio. Photo by Sharlene Harvey.