90th Birthday Roadshow – South Australia

Jason’s work as a choreographer has included shows for Australian television such as So You Think You Can Dance, Dance Academy, and You Are the One, as well as music artists The Veronicas, Nick Broadhurst, Emma Louise, Fractures, and Brad Cox.

2012-2013 Mr. Winters created a completely original Diploma of Dance in Elite Performance for Brent Street Studios, Sydney. As Director of this year long accredited course Jason introduced a wholistic way of educating that included equal parts Yoga, Dance, Theory, Choreography, Performance, & Mentoring. Today, this program is used in many Full Time Educational programs throughout Australia, & The Jason Winters Contemporary Syllabus is recognised by the Queensland board of education as an official certificate of education in Contemporary Dance. This was followed by the launch of another first in Australia with his ground breaking Youth Contemporary Dance program ‘The Movement’.

Currently as one of the most sought after teachers & adjudicators, Mr. Winters faculty positions have included The Joffrey School, Broadway Dance Centre, STEPS on Broadway, Amsterdam Dance Centre, The American Dance Awards, Sydney Dance Company, The Australian Dance Festival, DanceLife Unite, Get the Beat Asia, The West Coast Dance Festival, The Brisbane Eisteddfod, & Tasmanian Dance Expo.

2022 sees the 10yr anniversary of Mr. Winters original comprehensive Contemporary Syllabus, the first of its kind in the world, sold exclusively through COMDANCE Australia, & CSTD International.

Following a 25yr love of Yoga, and Jason’s a passion for education, Mr. Winters became a certified Hatha Yoga instructor at The Practice in Canggu, Indonesia with both a 200hr & 300hr advanced teacher training certification.

Mr. Winters is currently director of TheWintersExperience for the Full Time training program at The Next Step Performing Arts Professional in Sydney, AU.

Completing her B.A. Dance studies at the prestigious W.A. Academy of Performing Arts, Penelope began honing her skills soon after graduation, initially with Contemporary dance company Bare Bones Dance Collective and later 3_Deep Dance Collective, Fresh Fools crew and Clubhouse L.A. A well-travelled and worldly Dancer, Penelope has continued to push outwards both interstate and overseas within Europe, the UK, Asia & America to skills build, teach and perform with some of the best in the business.

With over years professional experience within the Australian and international entertainment industry, Penelope has worked with artists and companies including: Sean Paul, Nelly, Mya, Deni Hines, DVBBS, Andre Fuentes, Yanis Marshall, Gary Stewart and Australian Dance Theatre, Philippine Allstars, Sony, UNICEF, the KFC T20 Big Bash League, AFL, the Boys & Girls Club of America, Tiff Manuell and the Mercedes Benz Adelaide Fashion Festival, Vogue Australia, Benefit Cosmetics as well as rising Australian music stars Leea Nanos, Ava Senaratne, JAAL and FLYBOY JACK.

In addition to her ongoing performance and events work, Penelope has over 10 years dance teaching experience as well as expertise as a judge and adjudicator to a variety of state, national and international dance competitions, a Certificate IV in Pilates and most recently completed the Progressing Ballet Technique Level 1 instructor certification program and her Certificate IV in Training & Assessment. In 2021 Penelope was selected to be one of the pioneer participants of the Contemporary Asian Australian Performance Artist Lab (S.A.) run in conjunction with OzAsia Festival.

A self-proclaimed “dance student for life”, Penelope has built for herself strong foundations in Street Dance amongst other dance genres and proudly counts among her own expert teachers: Tyrone Proctor, Viktor Manuel, Kumari Suraj (Waacking), Archie Ninja, Dashaun Wesley, Mercury Extravaganza (Vogue); Suga Pop, Mr Wiggles, Poppin’ Pete (Popping), Anthony Thomas, Tony GoGo and the GoGo Brothers (Locking); Buddha Stretch, Henry Link, Brooklyn Terry, Ill Kozby (Hip Hop & Afro-centric dance history); Ken Swift, Storm, Poe One (Breaking); Marjory Smarth, Brian Green, Ejoe Wilson, Caleaf Sellers, Ray Basa (House).

Inspired to share similar experiences, Penelope has been instrumental in creating unique, quality dance experiences and numerous learning opportunities for others at every level of the dance industry, through her earlier dance companies, freelance arts educator roles and now as Founder and Director of The Soul Council. Continuing her role as a community leader Penelope, has introduced and established several now hugely popular dance styles to Adelaide including Lyrical, Heels, Waacking/whacking & House.

Penelope has earned recognition as a dancer, choreographer, teacher and also as a community leader hosting a multitude of Street Dance & Choreography workshops with visiting international guest choreographers and providing awards and scholarships to participants of these events.

Aimed at creating improved and direct access to international expertise for South Australian dancers, Penelope has worked with a long list of talent behind the talent, including Michael Schwandt, Byron Carter (Mary J. Blige), Eddie Morales, Marc Marvelous, Liz Le Grande (Usher), Ave Bernstein (Britney Spears), Jabari Odom & Myke Dee (Miley Cyrus), Anthony Carr, Michael Vargas, Anthony Villar (Justin Beiber), Chase Benz, Kat Rendic (Jennifer Lopez), Saquon Keys (Fergie), Kumari Suraj, Lashaun Price, Mike Gamble, Bboy Johnny Yayo, Bboy Flo Master, Michael ‘Duo’ Terrell, Whyley Yoshimura (Janet Jackson), Ryan Carr (Zboyz WHHI crew), Melinda ‘Justis’ Randall and Alex Larson.

Described recently by internationally renowned Hip Hop dance icon Bboy PoeOne, Penelope is “a confident, passionate, hungry and dignified dancer and teacher determined to realise her goals… Penelope applies what she learns, and she shares it. She is a researcher and a dance historian who is ‘on-point’ and who sacrifices a lot not just for herself but for others…Penelope is a very valuable asset to the dance scene not just for her knowledge and skills but because she is supportive. Penelope brings an energy that inspires others to believe that they too can reach their goals.”

Sarah Bakker is a dancer, singer and actor who has featured in many of the world’s most spectacular musicals across Australian, Broadway and London’s West End theatres. Born and raised in Brisbane, Sarah trained at The Dance Works, The Queensland Dance School of Excellence and The Young Conservatorium of Music and made her stage debut as young Cosette in Les Misérables.

Sarah’s early theatre credits include The Phantom of the Opera, originally in the Corps De Ballet in Singapore and then also as understudy Christine Daae in the Australian National tour. She played the role of Annie in Chicago and understudy Roxie Hart (Gordon Frost Organisation) and joined the Australian tour of Mary Poppins (Disney Theatricals) as part of the ensemble and alternate for the role of Mary Poppins. Sarah then moved to New York and continued understudying and playing Mary Poppins in the Broadway production. While there, she also reprised her role of Christine Understudy/Ensemble in The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway.

Sarah’s UK credits include Evita at the Ljublijana Festival in Slovenija (Brownowski and Tarento Productions), the role of Young Heidi in Follies in Concert at the renowned Royal Albert Hall in London and the original cast of Mrs Henderson Presents as Ensemble/ Dance Captain and understudy Peggy, which transferred to the Noel Coward Theatre in London’s West End. Further West End performances were highlighted in An American in Paris (Dominion Theatre) as ensemble and understudy to the role of Milo Davenport and the new production of Chess at the London Coliseum featuring in the Ensemble and understudying the role of Svetlana. Most recently Sarah was Dance Captain and performed in the ensemble of The Phantom of the Opera with Opera Australia/ HOSH open air theatre.