Melinda is a qualified and registered teacher with the Federal Association of Teachers of Dancing, (FATD), and a holder of the FATD Advanced Teacher's Certificate, passing with Honours with Distinction in both tap and modern dance.
Melinda is a graduate of the University of NSW with a Bachelor of Applied Arts (Dance & Physical Education) and has been teaching professionally for the past 14 years in several schools around Sydney. She has held her current position of Principal for the past eleven years at the school's previous locations of Bundeena and Sutherland.
Melinda is also a Dance Physiotherapist with a 1st class Honours degree for her research on adolescent dance training and injury prevention. Melinda has presented this research at numerous International and Australian Conferences. She was the only NSW Physiotherapist selected to lecture at both the 2003 & 2004 International Association of Dance Medicine & Science (IADMS) Annual Conferences attended by world leaders in dance education, injury prevention as well as dance company directors in London and San Francisco respectively.
As a Physiotherapist and Pilates Instructor, Melinda works with many dance students from all over Sydney, including elite dancers such as Australian Ballet School students and international level acrobats. She currently works in her private practice, Southern Dance Clinic at Sutherland, which caters for dancers & acrobats. Melinda is also Co-Physiotherapist to The McDonald College of Performing Arts and Physiotherapist to the Australian and NSW Sports Acrobatics Teams. She has lectured on dance injuries for the University of Sydney Sports Phsiotherapy degree and is currently completing her PhD in Dance Physiotherapy part-time. Her thesis will continue to investigate the causes of injury in adolescent dancers and acrobats.
With 25 years of dance training, Melinda has performed in many events and has 21 years of competitive dance experience. Melinds has also choreographed items for the Metropolitan East Regional Dance Festival, including the opening item in 1995 as well as National Acrobatics Routines.
Melinda has attended the Australian Tertiary Dance Festival as a delegate for the University of NSW, in 1998 at the Queensland University of Technology and in 2000 at the University of Western Sydney where she studied dance with leading Australian dance artists and choreographers.
OTHER STAFF
PDA also employs guest teachers who are qualified FATD tap and modern teachers, professional jazz dancers and musical/physical theatre peformers throughout the year. Students thoroughly enjoy having these guests teacher and the opportunity to learn new things.
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