Jasmine Gregory
Jasmine Gregory spends her weeks combining teaching primary school performing arts to teaching ballet at PSD. It’s a good thing she likes to be busy!
Jasmine’s very first ballet concert, 1997. She was a sugar plum in the Nutcracker.
What led you to your first ballet classes?
My friend Tessa’s aunty used to dance at Rosebud Ballet School with Sandra Allan so, when we started classes together at age six, it was the obvious place to go.
I’m 35 years old so this was in 1997, a time when Sandra only offered ballet and jazz. The rule was that you had to do ballet for a year before you could start jazz. This suited me because, though I’ve since done jazz classes and I love to teach jazz, ballet is my favourite. I love that ballet can be so energetic but also look so graceful and effortless. I get ballet and it gets me.
I’ve done contemporary on and off over the years but, when tap came in, I decided it was a bit too late to start. I did try hip hop for a year but I realised it’s not for me.
I love that ballet can be so energetic but also look so graceful and effortless.
Tell us about your childhood and adolescent years in dance.
I always looked forward to dance. I spent most of my Saturdays there as a child, along with my friends, Tessa and Kayla. Our parents took it in turns to supervise us in the breaks. As we got older, we started classes after school as well, which made getting ready a social event. Another of my dance friends, Alex, and I would often go home from school together to get ready for dance at one of our houses.
Concerts were our favourite time. I love being backstage so I just loved dress rehearsals, as you get all the fun of performing without the pressure of actually having an audience watching!
We used to do concerts at the Memorial Hall where, to get from one side of the stage to the other, you had to go under the stage! So you were under the stage, among all the random props that were stored there, while everyone was on top dancing. That was pretty noisy!
Another year, the changerooms were up a ladder above side-stage. We could watch what was happening on stage from up there and it was quite a challenge climbing down through the manhole while dressed in a tutu! The backstage areas at Frankston Arts Centre and then the George Jenkins Theatre are much better.
Jasmine backstage with friends, 1997
Jasmine with two of her dance friends Tessa and Kayla, 2002
“I love being backstage so I just loved dress rehearsals.”
When did you start teaching dance?
I started helping out while I was in my mid-teens and started formally assisting teachers around 2009, when I was 18. There was no Dance Step around then. I think this program is great and I would have loved it if it was available when I started assisting.
My first solo teaching classes happened in the lead up to the Covid years and, at the same time, I was doing some reception work on the desk. While I was always happy assisting, having my own class and being in charge of choreography was appealing.
Then Covid hit. At the start of lockdowns, before we started using Zoom, Mel and I would be together at the studio filming classes. She was the teacher and I was her assistant and demo student. We’d send the videos out for people to dance along to. When we switched to Zoom, we took barres home to set up our own mini-studios and teach from there.
I had to get an exemption from the restriction of only being able to travel within five kilometres of your home (being on the Peninsula meant that a lot of our 5km radius was ocean). Mel and I also had to make sure we left the studio in time to get home before the 9pm – 5am curfew when that was in place during some of 2021. After Covid restrictions were lifted, I started teaching more.
Jasmine is always an enthusiatic dancer and staff member during concert time! Photo days are always fun.
Jasmine at the barre during one of the many zoom classes PSD held throughout 2020/2021
You are also a primary school teacher! How do you manage to teach both school and dance?
I studied primary school teaching at the local campus of Monash University, which was perfect because I didn’t really have to leave the Peninsula! I then did a few years of CRT (casual relief teaching) at local schools before working in more permanent classroom teaching roles.
I’m now the Performing Arts teacher at St Joseph’s, a primary school in Sorrento that most people call St Joey’s. In 2024, I combined teaching performing arts with teaching a prep class and, in 2025, I switched my prep days for a reading intervention role.
My performing arts program is very dance based! I also include drama and music, though the big whole-school production we put on in mid 2025 was definitely very dance-based. I created a Rock Through the Ages theme, so there were lots of dancing dinosaurs, gladiators and Ancient Egyptians.
I’ve never actually been to a gym but it doesn’t look as much fun as dance.
Jasmine as “Lise” in La Fille Mal Gardee – 2017
Disneyland 2019 – Jasmine picture with Mel and friends just after the Dance the Magic parade!
PSD kids work so hard.
Because of my job, I don’t teach dance as much after school as I did a couple of years ago but, on the days I do come to dance after school, it’s so nice to be there. Teaching dance feels very different to school as the kids choose to be there. PSD kids work so hard.
Most of my dance teaching is on Saturdays. It’s a bit like another school day as, after teaching and doing my own class, I don’t get home until 4pm. I like to be busy!
I love teaching both ballet and jazz to both kids and adults. I love still doing my own classes, especially because there is such a mix of ages. There aren’t many recreational dance schools who would have adults, dancing to the standard we are.
I still do the Diploma class with Sandra and, even though I’ve already done the exam, I still do Advanced II with Mel. Doing ballet class is a great way to move your body. I’ve never actually been to a gym but it doesn’t look as much fun as dance so I’m happy to keep using dance as my exercise each week!.
“I’ve never actually been to a gym but it doesn’t look as much fun as dance.”
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What are your plans from here?
My plan is to just continue on dancing and teaching, as everything is working well at the moment. Despite teaching at school full-time, I don’t want to stop teaching dance.
What would you like to say on this occasion of the 65th anniversary of Peninsula School of Dance?
PSD is so many kids’ happy place and, for a lot of our kids, their dance friends are very special. I love that we strive for excellence but not at the cost of enjoyment.
This has been the case since I was a child. I recall Mum saying ‘have fun’ as Alex and I were heading into a Cecchetti Convention class and another parent looking at her like she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. For other dance schools, competition and winning is everything and I love that it’s not like that for us.
“I love that we strive for excellence but not at the cost of enjoyment.”
I’d like to thank Mel for creating such a fun, safe and welcoming place. It is such a pleasure to come and work for her. She makes everything so easy.
To both Mel and Sandra, I’d like to say thank you for your years of support, mentorship and friendship. And I look forward to many more years of dancing together!
Jasmine as the Sad Clown – 2018
Jasmine with Miss Sandra and Diploma Ballet class mates – 2018
Thank you, Jasmine, for taking time out of your busy life to share your years of dancing, teaching and performing!
Jasmine in her very first pair of pointe shoes – 2005
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.
Jasmine backstage with friends, 1997