eNews, February 2011 February 25
The School is now on Facebook! | Farewell, Lucinda | Welcome, Dr Gene! | New! Health and Welfare Column
| Health and Welfare Day, amendment | Donors in the Spotlight: Laurie Cowled | Alumni News - Loredana
Sachelaru AKA Xonia
The School is now on Facebook!
The Australian Ballet School is now on Facebook; 'Like Us' and stay up to date with everything that's happening at the School .
www.facebook.com/TheAustralianBalletSchool
Farewell, Lucinda
The School sadly farewelled Lucinda Sharp at the end of January.
Here is an excerpt from Marilyn Rowe’s speech:
"Lucinda! Where do I start? Having known and loved her since we
were dancers in the Company, then working together as Director and
Ballet Mistress, respectively, with the Dancers Company, for a
number of years. There is no doubt we spent many funny and
interesting times together, touring when things were nowhere near as
comfortable as they are today.
When I knew Cindy had finished her Masters Degree in Clinical
Psychology after her diverse artistic career, I knew I had to have her
here, at this School and I managed to obtain funds from the then Arts
Minister, Peter McGauran to secure her employment. Mind you, she
could have gone anywhere else and earned a lot more money, but
she has stayed with us for 11 years, to help me fulfil part of my vision
and dream for this School: she has been instrumental in changing the
culture of dance training and has created one of the best health
teams in the world, internationally recognised as The Dream Team.
To be honest, I cannot imagine the School without Lucinda... I do
know that whatever Lucinda undertakes she will do with passion,
energy, intelligence, great expertise and humour."
Welcome, Dr Gene!
Gene Moyle completed her initial dance training in Brisbane with Mary Heath, Vivienne Sayers and at QUT Dance. Accepted into
The Australian Ballet School, she graduated in 1992 having danced with both The Australian Ballet Dancers’ Company and the
Queensland Ballet. Interested in the psychological side of dance and performance, she pursued further studies in psychology
completing University degrees including a Masters and Doctorate in Sport and Exercise Psychology.
Gene has been involved in the world of elite sport for over 11 years as the Sport Psychology Coordinator/Senior Advisor at the QLD
Academy of Sport, Squad Psychologist for two Olympic Winter Institute of Australia squads – Short Track Speed Skating and
Skeleton, Team Psychologist – Sliding Sports for the Australian Winter Olympic Team servicing them at the 2010 Winter Olympic
Games in Vancouver, National Network Provider for the Australian Institute of Sport, and has consulted a range of individuals
through her private practice, including elite performers and teams within the business, sport and dance sectors. Furthermore she
has been a regular contributor to a range of sport related magazines such as MOVE Sports Australia, Fitness Australia and Sport
Health.
Gene’s involvement in the performing arts has included being a Sessional Academic in Performance Psychology at QUT Creative
Industries since 2001, a Career Development Advisor for the SCOPE programme for professional performing artists since 2008, a
regular contributor to Dance Australia magazine since 2002, in addition to consulting, servicing and providing workshops to various
dance schools, dance associations, and individual dance students and professionals. Gene has presented at numerous performing
arts medicine, dance and psychology conferences and published journal articles both in Australia and overseas.
Gene is a member of the Australian Psychological Society’s (APS) College of Sport and Exercise Psychologists (CoSEP) - currently
fulfilling the role of Chair on the National Executive after serving four years as Secretary - the British Association of Sport and
Exercise Sciences (BASES), the International Association of Dance Medicine and Science (IADMS), the International Association
of Applied Psychology (IAAP), Ausdance, and a past member of the Performing Arts Medicine Association (PAMA) and
International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA).
In addition to her private practice and focus upon performance psychology, Gene has held various executive and senior
management roles within the private sector for national and international organisations. Most recently, she was the General
Manager/Senior Psychologist for VOICE – Psychologists & Allied Professionals, a psychology and allied health company operating
in Australia (QLD/VIC) and the UK.
New! Health and Welfare Column
Welcome to the first of the regular updates from the health team! In taking over as Head of Student Health and Welfare, it is
wonderful to see the extent of resources and support that are in place for the students at The Australian Ballet School. Many
institutions and training organisations across both the dance and sport sectors would be very envious of the specialised expertise
available to students, including the integrated manner in which the health team operates in conjunction with the artistic staff to
assist students reach their goals.
There are a couple of changes within the health team in 2011. Liz Hewitt (Exercise Physiologist) has taken on the role of
Strength and Conditioning Coordinator. Liz will assist in coordinating the Strength and Conditioning programmes across the School,
working closely with Bruce Hildebrand and Marc Cassidy, who run the male specific programmes. Additionally, a very big welcom e
to Marc Cassidy (ABS graduate and former dancer with The Australian Ballet), who has recently joined the health team after re-
training in Pilates instruction.
With Term 1 commencing and students returning from holidays or moving to Melbourne to commence their full-time vocational
training, the focus has been on supporting students with a graduated return to appropriate levels of fitness, working with the health
team in establishing and/or progressing with their artistic, technical, physical and mental goals, as well as assisting many of them
with the adjustment to being in new year levels with new teachers and classmates, and for some – living in a completely new city!
The health team looks forward to providing regular updates via this monthly column in eNews, in addition to a planned Health and
Welfare Day later in the year that will provide individuals with the opportunity to see firsthand what we do on a daily basis.
Until next month – have a fantastic February!
Dr. Gene Moyle ARAD MAPS
Head of Student Health & Welfare
Health and Welfare Day, amendment
The closing date for enrolments for Health and Welfare Day is 6 May, not 3 June as listed on the application. Early Bird enrolments
are accepted before 21 April.
For more information on all Up Close programmes, visit:
www.australianballetschool.com.au/content/upclose
Donors in the Spotlight: Laurie Cowled
Laurie Cowled from Queensland has been supporting The Australian Ballet School for several years and has been providing a
scholarship to several female students from regional Australia for the past few. She recently set up a very special fund so that this
support will continue well beyond her lifetime. Laurie recently told us why she was motivated to support the School:
“It all started with the tragedy of my husband’s death in February 2005. We had no children or living siblings. We’d decided long
before he died that whichever one of us was left would donate their estate to charity. There was no time to hesitate; I had to have a
new will immediately!
I could have just left my estate to X, Y & Z charities, and sat back and let it all happen when I died. But no! What I wanted to do was
to help young country women reach their full potential. To do something right away, so I could follow the fortunes of those I helped
while I was still here. I’m in my eighties so there was no time to lose!
I come from a farm near Bethungra in NSW. Bethungra is on the Olympic Way, halfway between Sydney and Melbourne, and about
25 km southwest of Cootamundra. As a country child I wanted to be a ballerina, an artist and an actor. No-one in Bethungra could
help me reach these goals. So my efforts now are devoted to helping other country girls reach their goals; whatever those goals
may be.
Firstly I set up the Cowled Foundation. The mission of the foundation is:
• To help gifted Indigenous girls reach their full potential;
• To foster the education of gifted but disadvantaged Australian girls from rural communities; and also
• To aid the education of country children in the performing arts, such as theatre, ballet and music.
I wanted to help someone become a world class ballerina, and this year my foundation is supporting three aspiring ballerinas - two
from regional Queensland and one from regional WA - to attend The Australian Ballet School in Melbourne.
I believe education is a fundamental right for everyone, whether or not the family can afford it, or if the person is living in the country
or the city.To see an enthusiastic young woman thrive in her chosen field of study, and to know I was able to give a helping hand is
thrilling. This has become my joyous addiction.”
Our thanks to this remarkable woman who has already set several young girls on the path to their dream. Your support is very
special.
Trish Roath
Head of Philanthropy
Alumni News - Loredana Sachelaru AKA Xonia
It’s hard to put into words how much The Australian Ballet
School has made me who I am today.
After eight years of training with the School, it became like my
second home; the teaching staff were my parents and the other
students my friends. Even though there was a high level of
respect and discipline in the studio, if I was in need of any help
(whether it was related to ballet or not) outside the studio, I
always felt comfortable approaching the staff, knowing their
arms were open wide to assist me. I must admit that when I
was first accepted into the School, I was scared of my
teachers. But as I grew older I began to understand that we’re
all human beings, we’re all the same, and that there was no
reason to feel afraid. At the end of the day everyone was there
for one another.
After graduating with my Certificate III in Dance, I left the
School to finish VCE - as I had chosen to sign a record deal
with an independent record label. I have to mention that when
making my decision whether to follow another career path with
singing, or to continue with the School, I received a lot of
understanding from everyone, and was not influenced at all. I
had the School support me through this process. It helped me
a lot, knowing that I wasn’t under any pressure, and knowing
that I wouldn’t let my teachers down – my teachers who had
worked so hard with me and who believed in me. And I would
like to take this opportunity to say thank you to everyone from
the bottom of my heart.
It’s been a long journey to get to where I am today. I have
worked very hard and taken the motivation, commitment and
drive I used in ballet with me to achieve what I have
accomplished to date. In 2005, when I signed a record deal in
Australia, I decided to further expand my dance abilities. I
studied various dance styles including jazz, funk, hip-hop,
modern, tap etc. When I had finished my full-time course I
travelled to the USA to study at the Hollywood Pop Academy,
and then travelled to New York to record with a well-known
producer.
Whilst I was in America I was invited to be in a judging panel
for one of Romania’s beauty pageants, Miss Diaspora. I
accepted the invitation and flew over in June 2008. I then
performed at the Callatis Festival in front of a live crowd of
20,000 - and from this I was offered a management deal. I
signed and without realizing I had suddenly re-located to the
capital of Romania, Bucharest, and taken on my performing
name of Xonia. In 2009 I released my first single, Someone To
Love You, and I was selected to represent Australia in the
second biggest singing competition in Europe after Eurovision,
The Golden Stag. Other participants in the past have included
Christina Aguilera and Natalie Imbruglia, and I shared the
stage with artists such as Anastasia and Pink. I caught the eye
of record company Universal Music and I signed with them at
the end of 2009.
In 2010 I released my first single and videoclip with Universal
Music, Take the Lead, which is an original song of mine. My
second single, My Beautiful One, was the hit song I had been
wishing for. After nine months, my single is still on the top 40
charts. My single reached number one and also entered in as
the number one most played videoclip. I was declared as the
most air played artist of 2010 with over 3.6 million listens. The
success was very overwhelming and now I can say that I have
tasted the music showbiz!!!
This year I have released my new single, Hold On, which is
already on the charts. Now I will be working on promoting the
single on TV and doing radio interviews, followed by filming the
videoclip.
I hope that last year was the beginning of the success I will
have this year, not only in Romania but in Europe. And maybe
one day all over the world!
Dance is a part of me and it will be forever. When I am on
stage I am able to be free, to move with the beat, to express
myself through movement rather than just my voice. Dance
gives me the performer in me.
Follow your heart and not your head.
Loredana Sachelaru
aka Xonia
The Australian Ballet School
2 Kavanagh Street Southbank VIC 3006
T +61 3 9669 2807
F +61 3 9686 1164
E ask@australianballetschool.com.au
W australianballetschool.com.au