About Our School
At Peninsula School of Dance, our mission is to cultivate a dynamic and inclusive dance community that empowers individuals to realise their full potential.
We commit to fostering excellence, nurturing leadership, and instilling lifelong skills within a supportive environment. Our core values of Fun & Engaging, Inclusive, Community, Excellence, and Leadership, are embedded in everything we do. Our goal is to inspire resilient, creative, and empathetic individuals who carry the enriching and transformative experiences of dance into all aspects of their lives.
Many studies have demonstrated the positive impact an activity like dance can have on a young person’s academic performance and personal feelings of self-concept and life satisfaction. Dance is a visual, physical, creative and emotional art form from which students derive many benefits including:
- Confidence, persistence and resilience
- Improved emotional and physical health
- Improved posture and deportment
- Body awareness and coordination
- Confidence to be creative and innovative
At Peninsula School of Dance we pride ourselves on providing an environment that helps kids to stay busy, and boosts their emotional engagement, social connections and sense of self-worth.
Melanie Gard
Message from our Director
“As the Director of Peninsula School of Dance, I am deeply invested in nurturing a dance community that goes beyond producing exceptional dancers. Dance, for us, is a powerful tool that builds resilience, creativity, and empathy in our young people. I take pride in the nurturing culture at PSD, where every child, regardless of challenges or struggles, can find their ‘happy place’ in dance.
Our commitment to our core values, and creating an environment that empowers the next generation of dancers, performing artists and dance educators is a testament to our dedication to excellence, inclusivity, community, and leadership. Join us in this journey, where dance is not just a series of steps but a transformative experience that shapes confident, resilient, and creative individuals. Welcome to our dance family!”
You can read more about our Director here
Peninsula School of Dance
Our History
Celebrating Over 60 Years of Dance on the Mornington Peninsula
Peninsula School of Dance has a proud and enduring legacy in classical ballet and performing arts education. Our story began in 1961 when Miss Sandra Allan OAM founded the Rosebud Ballet School. What started as a single class of 23 students and a pianist at the Rosebud Memorial Hall quickly grew into one of the most respected Cecchetti ballet schools in Victoria. Miss Allan’s unwavering commitment to excellence and her passion for nurturing young dancers created a foundation that still shapes our school today.
Now operating from our purpose-built studios in Merino Street, Rosebud, Peninsula School of Dance continues to embody the values established by Miss Allan, offering students not just dance training, but a supportive community where they can grow in confidence, discipline, and creativity.
This significant transformation of the school has been guided by Melanie Gard, a passionate Cecchetti-qualified educator and visionary arts leader, who took over in 2006. Under her leadership, PSD has evolved into a vibrant, multi-campus performing arts school, known for both technical excellence and exceptional student care. Melanie’s vision has expanded the school’s programs, strengthened our community ties, and introduced exciting new opportunities for performance, leadership, and personal growth. Her dedication to creating a dynamic and nurturing environment has been instrumental in shaping PSD into the thriving, future-focused dance school it is today.
Our students have gone on to pursue professional careers in dance, theatre, and teaching, with alumni training and performing with the Australian Ballet School, Queensland Ballet, Victorian College of the Arts, NZ Dance Company, Tasdance, and on stages across Europe, New Zealand, and the United States. Many have also built successful careers in contemporary, commercial, and corporate performance, appearing with companies such as Scimm Dance Company and performing for international artists like Katy Perry. Beyond performance, our alumni have forged diverse careers in teaching, choreography, and the broader arts sector, becoming respected leaders, creatives, and educators in Australia and abroad. These achievements reflect our deep commitment to excellence and the belief that dance education builds life skills—confidence, discipline, creativity, and resilience, that extend far beyond the studio.
Frankston Joins the PSD Family
In 2025, PSD proudly welcomed the community of Caballero Classical Ballet in Frankston into its growing family. Founded and led by Beth Caballero, Caballero Classical Ballet has been recognised for its excellence in Cecchetti ballet training, its nurturing environment, and a deep commitment to student growth and creativity.
Now operating as Peninsula School of Dance – Frankston Studio, this new campus builds on Caballero’s strong foundation while aligning with PSD’s broader curriculum, leadership opportunities, and performance pathways. Importantly, we are committed to honouring Caballero’s legacy, keeping much-loved staff in place and ensuring a smooth, supported transition for every student and family.
As a regional leader in dance education, Melanie continues to guide both studios with the same heartfelt mission: to transform lives through dance.
Child Safety
Peninsula School of Dance has a sound set of policies and procedures relating to child safety in place, in line with the Victorian Government’s Child Safety Standards and our unique position as a YPAD accredited studio.
We are deeply committed to making sure that our students are safe, happy and empowered. Our Child Safety policies and procedures can be easily accessed here on our website.
Professional Associations
Peninsula School of Dance is an active and registered member of a number of peak bodies including but not limited to: Cecchetti Ballet Australia (CBA), Australian Teachers of Dance (ATOD), Ausdance and the Dance Arts Alliance.
Qualified Staff
All staff have Working with Children Checks, Level 2 First Aid, relevant teaching qualifications, receive mentoring, supervision and participate in regular professional development and training.
Testimonials
Here’s a selection of the lovely feedback that we continually receive from Peninsula School of Dance families:
Our Teaching Faculty
YPAD Certification status
In 2019 Peninsula School of Dance earned YPAD Certification status.
Organizations in the dance industry who willfully become YPAD Certified subscribe to a higher standard of integrity and accountability through education using evidence based research over opinion regarding best practices with youth in dance.
To achieve the YPAD Certification status, the faculty/staff at Peninsula School Of Dance completed the following requirements:
Online Certification
that covers modules on emotional and physical healthy and sexual safety of youth in performing arts
Emergency Plan implementation
Background checks
or every employee
CPR certification
for all core staff who could be supervising children
All staff signed and agreed
to standards ensuring safety for children in social media, abuse observation and reporting, bullying, physical health and injury, age appropriate artistic choices and more
Youth Protection Advocates in Dance is dedicated to building empowered dance communities and keeping youth happy, healthy and safe in all dance environments. To find out more please visit www.ypad4change.org.