About Our School
At Peninsula School of Dance we provide an environment that nurtures, challenges and inspires kids to be the best they can be.
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
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. 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
Welcome to our dance community. As the Director of Peninsula School of Dance I’m not interested in just churning out “the best” dancers, but I’m very passionate in helping kids reach their full potential. I believe that dance is a powerful tool that can be used to help build the capacity of our young people to be resilient, creative and empathetic adults.
As a Director, I am most proud of the kids that have struggled with confidence, faced learning challenges, suffered with anxiety, felt shy or even been bullied at school. I am proud of those kids more than anything, for getting in and having a go and being the best versions of themselves. Time and time again I have conversations with parents who tell me “dance is his/her happy place”. I am so proud of the nurturing culture at PSD and it is this in which I will continue to invest the most energy in.
You can read more about our Director here
Peninsula School of Dance
A Proud History
The Rosebud Ballet School was founded in 1961 by Miss Sandra Allan and stands today as one of the longest established Cecchetti schools in Victoria. The school commenced with 23 students and a Pianist at the Rosebud Memorial Hall and is still thriving in the same venue today.
Miss Allan’s tireless commitment to dance has inspired many students to progress onto careers in all aspects of the arts. Former students have progressed onto the Australian Ballet School and Company, Victorian College of the Arts, Queensland Ballet Company and Tasdance, and become Artistic Directors of regional companies, performed professionally in stage shows in both Australia and overseas and have become recognised professional teachers and noted choreographers.
The school’s students have performed in the Australian Ballet’s “Nutcracker” and the Queensland Ballet Company’s “Sleeping Beauty” and “Coppelia”, and have been Associates of the Australian Ballet School, as well as Junior and Senior Cecchetti Scholars, Victorian Scholarship and Choreographic Competition winners.
One of the long standing traditions of the school is the annual choreographic competition. This event provides students with the wonderful opportunity to create their own work as an individual or for a group of their class mates. Anything from classical solos, demi character pieces, duos and groups performing hip hop, the Annual Choreographic Competition is truly delightful for students and parents alike.
The Peninsula School of Dance is privileged to still have it’s founder Miss Sandra Allan as part of the teaching staff and students will continue to benefit from her passion and commitment teaching the art of 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.
