Workshop - International Youth Dance

IYDC 2024 WORKSHOP - SINGAPORE

“Step into the mesmerizing world of the IYDC Singapore 2024 Gala Performance, a vibrant showcase of dedication and talent across multiple dance disciplines. This year’s highlights include a graceful Ballet piece by our Level 2 participants, a powerful Contemporary routine by Level 3, and an engaging Musical Theatre performance from Level 1 dancers. The event culminates in a dynamic Jazz finale, featuring a collaboration of all levels. Choreographed by our distinguished IYDC faculty, these pieces were perfected within intensive workshop sessions, spanning over just 2 sessions per genre, demonstrating the remarkable capabilities and spirit of our young dancers. This video captures their extraordinary journey and the palpable energy of the IYDC, offering a glimpse into the dedication and creativity that fuel this annual celebration. Experience the unity of effort and artistry in this unforgettable showcase.”

Workshop Objective

Enrolment

Workshop Categories

Workshop Attendance

Application Procedure

Workshop Objective

Enrolment

Workshop Categories

Workshop Attendance

Application Procedure

Workshop Faculty

We are pleased to announce our current workshop faculty members and excited to share that more esteemed faculty will be joining the event. Stay tuned for more updates!

Gareth Belling

Gareth Belling is a choreographer, teacher and workshop facilitator. He danced with Queensland Ballet from 2002 to 2012, and performed as a freelance artist until 2019, most recently with Collusion in his ballets DESIRELINES in Guangzhou, and Turbine at Shanghai Dance Festival.

He is Resident Choreographer of Collusion Music and Dance Ensemble, having collaborated with this exciting group of chamber musicians on three evening-length works, and many shorter ballets since 2005. He has also created works for Queensland Ballet, Expressions Dance Company (now ADC), Ochre Contemporary Dance Company, Dancebourne Arts, Queensland University of Technology and WAAPA, and restaged his ballets on Queensland Ballet Academy. Along with Collusion, he was shortlisted for a 2016 Australian Dance Award for their chamber ballet DESIRELINES.

Gareth has received fellowships and grants from the Australia Council, Arts Queensland, Australia-China Council, was mentored by Nils Christe (JUMP Mentorship) and selected for the Swiss International Coaching Project for Choreographers (SiWiC).

He holds a Master of Fine Arts (Dance) from Queensland University of Technology, and is currently undertaking a PhD at the University of Queensland, researching arts funding and Australian dance history.

Gareth has taught ballet and contemporary dance at vocational studios and tertiary institutions since 2010. He is currently a faculty member at Melbourne Academy of the Arts specialising in contemporary dance.

Kristen Hockley

Kristen Hockley has loved to dance ever since she put on her first pair of ballet shoes at the age of four. During her final years of high school, she discovered a strong passion for musical theatre, teaching and choreography and has since turned that passion into her career.

Throughout her training, she performed in representative troupes, underwent RAD Ballet and Glen Wood Tap exams, and performed in the USA and Gold Coast, Australia.

Kristen’s performance credits include featured dancer roles in Priscilla to Moulin Rouge, Folies Bergere and Grease Fever with Davin Griffith-Jones Productions, roles in Beauty and the Beast, High School Musical, Aladdin and Lion King with City Kids Theatre, Footloose with Loud Theatre Company and Wizard of Oz with Spot On Productions.

Currently, Kristen is the Dance Development Officer for Sports Tots, a program she has developed, providing dance education to early learning centres. She also teaches multiple classes in a variety of genres at The McDonald College and The McDonald College After Hours program. Along with this, she is the assistant choreographer for City Kids Theatre and has worked on productions of Legally Blonde, Little Mermaid, Beauty and The Beast and Frozen. Kristen co-choreographed Miranda Musical Society’s production of Beautiful, The Carole King Musical, and was the choreographer of Jersey Boys and Shrek for Engadine Musical Society.

In January, she was honoured to be on the faculty for International Summer School 2024, where she taught workshops in Jazz, Musical Theatre and Lyrical to aspiring dancers from across the globe.

Kristen is thrilled to be a part of this amazing dance event and is very grateful to have travelled from Sydney, Australia to be involved in this experience.

Jasmin Wong

Jasmin Wong was born in Hong Kong, and graduated at the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts, majoring in Contemporary Dance. Independent Choreographer and dance artist. Previously a dancer for Y-Space (Hong Kong).

During her time on the BFA (Hons) programme, she was awarded a Grantham scholarship and also went on an Shanghai Exchange Tour funded by Hong Kong Foundation for arts and culture. She was selected to perform in various school productions including Savage Symphony、Echoing Woods by Christine Gouzelis and Here & beneath the surface of there by John Utans. Other outside performing experiences include CCDC’s WuDaoQingNian program; Sky of Nepal Arts Project by Bobbie Chen and Hero @ Eb Major by Ong Yong Lock for LCSD Community Cultural Ambassador and Unlock Dancing Plaza.

She received a CCDC scholarship to participate in the Beijing Dance Festival in 2014, 2015 and 2017. Jasmin also has an interest in choreography and her work Among Them was presented in CCDC's My Own Dance program and the series of Are you thinking what I am thinking? was presented in HKAPA and Eside’s Imagination boom 3.

Jasmin has been dedicated to dance teaching in recent years. She has taught Contemporary, Jazz, Creative Dance in primary and secondary, as well as dance schools. Jasmin obtained her Teaching Certificate of Commonwealth Society of Teachers of Dancing (CSTD) in 2022.

Monica Lu

Monica Lu brings her unique expertise to the International Youth Dance Competition as the official Bloch Pointe shoe fitter for the IYDC events. Her role is pivotal, ensuring that dancers are equipped with perfectly fitted pointe shoes, a critical component for optimal performance and safety in ballet.

Monica's background is deeply rooted in dance, highlighted by her status as a registered teacher with the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD), where she also holds a Certificate in Ballet Teaching Studies. This connection underscores her comprehensive understanding of ballet's physical demands and the importance of properly fitted footwear.

Her affiliation with the Commonwealth Society of Teachers of Dancing and her position as a senior member and registered teacher of the Progressing Ballet Technique showcase her wide-ranging expertise in dance education and conditioning. These roles complement her specialized skill in pointe shoe fitting, ensuring that dancers receive support tailored to their unique needs.

Monica's academic achievements include graduating from the Nanyang Academy of Dance (Singapore) and pursuing further studies at the Graduate School of Education of Harvard University. These educational pursuits have broadened her perspective on dance education and management, enriching her contributions to the dance community.

Her creative contributions to dance are also noteworthy, with a diploma in Choreographic Mastery from Vadim Pisarev's School and her involvement in award-winning performances, such as the dance "Ego Women," which won the first Asian Youth Dance Gold Award.

Monica's commitment to professional development has led her to participate in exchanges and further studies at esteemed institutions like the American Ballet Theatre and Japan International Ballet Academy. These experiences have expanded her knowledge and professional network, enhancing her expertise as a pointe shoe fitter.

In addition to her practical roles, Monica influences ballet education through her work on the editorial board and as a teacher training instructor for several ballet syllabi under China’s Ministry of Culture. Her involvement in these capacities ensures that ballet education and syllabus development meet high standards, benefiting the future of dance education in China.

Monica Lu's unique role as the official Bloch Pointe shoe fitter at the International Youth Dance Competition in Singapore and Bangkok highlights her specialized skills and dedication to the dance community. Her comprehensive background in dance education, performance, and administration, combined with her specific expertise in pointe shoe fitting, makes her a valuable asset to the event, ensuring that participants are well-supported in their performances.

Questions & answers