Our Teachers

At 5th Element Dance we have qualified, passionate and dedicated teachers, who aim to instill the love of dance into every student. Our goal is to give our dancers the motivation to come to class, to work hard to achieve higher levels and to help them have the confidence and self-esteem to let their creativity flow freely.

Amanda Bayford-Clark

Principal

Amanda has been teaching dance for over 30 years and is a Registered Teacher of the Royal Academy of Dance. She holds a BA Hons Higher Diploma in Dance Education. Amanda is passionate about developing the love of dance and theatre in children and feels strongly about the benefits of dance for all ages.

Charlie-Jean Clark

CJ did her training at 5th Element Dance and then went on to complete a Certificate III in Dance and an ATOD Diploma of Dance while participating in the pre-professional classical program at Queensland College of Dance. She was awarded and attended scholarship at the Joffrey Ballet School in New York City, USA. She holds her Royal Academy of Dance Advanced 2 Certificate (97%) and is a Certified Royal Academy of Dance and Certified Ready Set Dance teacher and is studying towards a Dance Cirque qualification. CJ has worked closely with Graeme Murphy AO (former owner of Sydney Dance Company and internatial choreographer) and Simon Kuban (international choreographer). After winning a scholarship as a finalist at the Jacqueline Morland Awards, she attended courses at Sydney Dance Company and the Australiasian Dance Collective. She was also a proud attendee of the prestigious Queensland Ballet Academy Associate Program and a member of the innovative Merge Dance Theatre. CJ is excited to bring youth and excitement to 5th Element Dance students, hoping to challenge them, find their creativity and extend them to be the best they can be.

Tara-Lee Clark

Tara has been training in dance from a young age and was a part of the pre-professional classical program at Queensland College of Dance. As a finalist she was awarded Audience Choice Award at the Jacqueline Morland Awards. She holds her Royal Academy of Dance Advanced 2 Certificate and has completed many Glenn Wood Tap examinations. She was also a proud member of Merge Dance Theatre for 6 years. Tara is currently studying a Certificate of Dance Teaching with the Royal Academy of Dance and is excited and passionate about instilling the love of dance within the students of 5th Element Dance.

Sammi Douglas

Sammi has a Diploma in Musical Theatre and Commercial dance as well as her Teachers Certificate in CSTD Modern Jazz. Sammi continues to work professionally in the dance industry, currently performing at the Pink Flamingo. She has performed in contracts for Norwegian and Princess Cruise Lines and some of her notable work has been performing with Kelly Rowland, The Veronicas and Julia Morris as well as on SYTYCD and The Logies. Sammi is also qualified in Pilates and Nutrition and brings this knowledge to her students.

Mina Aanat

Mina is a passionate Musical Theatre artist who, for the past 17 years has been trained in a range of dance styles including Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Hip Hop, Pointe, Contemporary, Lyrical and Musical Theatre. Most recently Mina has gone on to complete her CTSD Jazz Teaching Certificate as well as her Certificate 3 in dance through Empowerdance. Whilst attending a range of different dance schools around the northside of Brisbane, she has also undertaken many RAD and Comdance (C.S.T.D) exams.
Straight out of high school, Mina found herself studying a full-time musical theatre, where she learnt a range of imperative industry skills including musical theory, audition prep, acting techniques and much more. Last year Mina was fortunate enough to appear in the new uprising Sports Starz YouTube Series as Eddie. Throughout the years, she has been in a range of productions including Chicago (June), High School Musical 2 (Gabriella), Wizard of Oz (Dorthy), Hairspray (Little Inez) and many more.
Mina has always had an incredible amount of love for dance and always feels so fortunate when she is able to pass her knowledge onto others.

Kate Gresham

Kate has been dancing since she was seven years old and has been training at 5th Element Dance for nine years.
She holds her Royal Academy of Dance advanced two certificate and has completed multiple CSTD exams. Kate is a certified READY SET DANCE teacher and is currently studying a certificate in Dance teaching with the Royal Academy of Dance. She also has a background in musical theatre holding a certificate II in performing arts and has been involved in over 25 musicals performing roles such as Cinderella, aerial and many more.

Ciarna O'Keeffe

Ciarna has danced at 5th Element Dance since she was 3 years old. She had completed her Advanced 2 RAD exam with a distinction. Ciarna is currently training for a Ready Set Dance qualification and Dance Cirque qualification. I enjoy working with all my students, helping them achieve their goals and seeing the joy on their faces when they succeed.

Abbie Barnard

Abbie has been dancing at 5th Element Dance for 11 years and has danced many styles during this time. She completed her RAD Advanced Two exam last year. Abbie is currently completing her Dance Cirque qualifications and enjoys working with students of all ages. She is excited to learn and grow with everyone and watch as they succeed and excel outside of their comfort zones.

Contact Us

Our friendly and helpful administration staff are available to assist you with any enquiries you may have. You can contact us via email or phone, or in person at our 5th Element Dance office, or send us a message through our contact form.

Office Hours: Mon – Fri 3:15pm – 5:45pm
(Please note our office is closed during school holidays and public holidays.)

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