Follow a Career on the rise

In August last year I wrote about a young Sunshine Coast singer, Jane Magao.

Check out this link for the latest in Jane's amazing career development.

http://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/story/2011/07/26/two-tenors-have-jane-magao-seeing-stars-singing/

Jane is a fantastic person and very dedicated to her art form. I wish her well for a fantastic future.

What to give the 'new' mum?

A very dear friend of mine just had a baby. This got me thinking about gift options.

I've come to be known, amongst my friends, for hand-made gifts and I don't want this special friend to feel that I haven't 'gone to trouble'.

Now this is all lovely and sweet, but how relevant or indeed how appreciated is a hand-produced item these days? I truly hope there is still a place for something lovingly created.

I thought that new mums are unlikely to want knitted bootees anymore, citing 'way too much washing' as the reason. So I asked myself what could I make for my friend that would be useful, beautiful and likely to stand up to the hard yards of baby land? My answer came in a few moments - monogrammed face washers with crocheted edges. I still have some of these (made by my mother) after many years of use.

What do you think new mums would like these days? Perhaps a trip to Target is the preferred option. I'm not sure, I need your advice.

We No Speak Americano ft. Cleary & Harding

If you are a tapper or Irish dancer you will appreciate this. Perhaps you will consider diversifying. Hahaha!! You gotta love it.

Latest Dance Experiences

In the last few weeks I’ve enjoyed two trips away to the Southern States to adjudicate dance competitions. The first was in Launceston where I was lucky enough to work in the 100 year old Princess Theatre. Housed in the theatre is a signed pair of Margot Fonteyn’s pointe shoes which, I must admit, made me feel very humble and excited to be in the spiritual presence of one of the world's most celebrated dancers.

The dancers of Launceston are wonderful. The group routines were spectacular, highlighting the dedication the dance teachers of the area devote to their work. I saw some kicking routines that would make the most robust athletes cringe. These dancers showed amazing ability and stamina in their capacity to make a strenuous workout look entertaining for an audience.

Next I went on to Wollongong Eisteddfod where the enormity of this competition required three adjudicators to manage it. I had a wonderful time, especially when it came to teaching the Jazz and Theatrical Scholarship. The young entrants where so delightful and deserving of the opportunity to dance for a prize of $1000. Only six made it through to the final and they courageously battled it out for the honour and prize. The winner was a beautiful dancer who showed off her versatility throughout the competition.

I’m always astounded by the hard work of the students and I hope to remain in a position to mentor and stimulate the minds of our youth. These people are the future and I feel very confidant that they are most capable of becoming fantastic adults and perhaps also inspiring performing artists.