Short Course Attendee Spotlight: Simone Richardson

I knew Sydney Dance Company had a great reputation for a long time and so the name was familiar when I came across it online. I had recently moved back to Sydney from Canberra and was looking to gain skills through picking up a new hobby.

I work in the Community Services Sector and we had a demonstrator speak to us about how dance enabled him to get his life back together, to get excited about something and to better express himself.

I began looking into dance and was impressed with the variety of courses Sydney Dance Company offered – all at a Beginner Level. I began with an 8 week introductory short course to Contemporary dance. I’m so glad I attended that first class, it was the start of something I now really look forward to on a weekly basis.

I knew Sydney Dance Company had a great reputation for a long time and so the name was familiar when I came across it online. I had recently moved back to Sydney from Canberra and was looking to gain skills through picking up a new hobby.

I work in the Community Services Sector and we had a demonstrator speak to us about how dance enabled him to get his life back together, to get excited about something and to better express himself.

I began looking into dance and was impressed with the variety of courses Sydney Dance Company offered – all at a Beginner Level. I began with an 8 week introductory short course to Contemporary dance. I’m so glad I attended that first class, it was the start of something I now really look forward to on a weekly basis.

I’ve done at least four introduction to Ballet courses, an introduction to Contemporary dance, Hip Hop and am currently doing an introduction to Jazz Funk Hip Hop. In March I’ll be starting an introduction to Theatre Jazz short course with a friend I met in a Ballet short course. Oh and I loved introduction to Hip Hop so much I’ll be repeating that again shortly too! I honestly can’t flaw any of the instructors, they each make the space warm, vibrant and lively in their own way.

I think the continuity of the short courses are awesome for beginners! Often the lessons build on each other really well, week by week. If you aren’t sure what to expect the first class will always be an opportunity to learn something new while also being fairly doable. When you’ve attended and developed your skills over 4-8 weeks you really feel capable and ready for more!

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I work in the Community Services Sector currently in Individual Advocacy for people with disabilities. I love that dance provides a spirited outlet to channel any stress or emotions I feel from my work.

I’ve been pretty fortunate in the sense that I was able to experience some really meaningful interactions and had a lot of diverse tasks during COVID-19. Much like with dance, I wanted a job that felt purposeful and where I could put my heart and self into it. The opportunity to work with vulnerable people and see their progress as they work with you feels very rewarding

I’ve learnt dance starts with how you present yourself. It’s in your posture, it’s how you walk into a room, it’s how you communicate and use movement when interacting with others. People talk about dance as some kind of universal ‘language’ where anyone can feel the beat and move about – knowing it influences how you carry yourself really clicked for me.

GO FOR IT! You won’t regret it! Through the courses I’ve worked out Hip Hop/JFH are my style, my friends have loved Ballet/Contemporary. There’s something to suit everyone’s taste and every single instructor has been so approachable, warm and inclusive (not to mention their technical skills are absolutely impeccable!). It doesn’t matter if you are looking to gain confidence, meet new people or try something new I’ve always felt welcomed at Sydney Dance Company.