Teachers

Elly Jones

Elly started her first dance school in England 46 years ago and is currently in her 22nd year of teaching here in Perth.

When emigrating to Australia in 2000 she had all the good intentions to be a full time Mum but couldn’t shake the feeling that she needed to teach dance, so after 18 months Desiree Dance Academy was born.

Elly is experienced in teaching all genres of dance except Hiphop and currently holds her teachers qualifications under the British M.A.S.D. Syllabus.

In her dance school in England her students participated in taking annual dance examinations, but decided when starting Desiree Dance Academy in Australia that she wanted a stress free and non competitive environment to help nurture each dancer and help them express their individuality.

Elly has followed her dream for 46 years and has finally achieved her goal and is now teaching out of a 2 storey purpose built dance studio.

Eleanor Jones

Eleanor started dancing at the age of 2.5yrs old under the careful guidance of her mother Elly.

She has always been around dance and started teaching her own classes at 14yrs old and is currently going into her 17th year of teaching.

She is now the principal teacher at Desiree Dance Academy and teaches all styles of dance, specializing in Acrobatics. She holds her teachers qualifications in Zumba, Zumbatomic for Kids and Acrobatic Arts Module 1 + 2.

She enjoys regularly going over to England to teach acrobatic workshops to many dance schools in the Midlands area.

She has followed in her mothers footsteps believing that all children deserve a chance to learn to dance and be treated equally no matter their age, status or ability.

Brooke Olive – Farrell

When her eldest daughter was identified as 2e, (Twice Exceptional), Brooke’s career in journalism and publishing suddenly shifted dramatically into advocacy, group programs and guiding educators. To better support her daughter’s evolving needs, Brooke undertook further qualifications in Counseling, Movement Therapy, Yoga, Cognitive Remapping, Play Therapy and Case Management. Her child focused sessions work on individual and group goals with a foundation in respectful therapeutic relationships.

Sharni Cresswell

Sharni began her dance training at Dance in Perspective at the age of 3 and will be celebrating her 20th year of dancing in 2024. She has trained in Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Hip Hop, Lyrical & Contemporary.

She has completed all levels of her Royal Academy of Dance (R.A.D) Ballet examinations along with her C.S.T.D Modern Jazz and Theatrical examinations.

Sharni began assistant teaching at the age of 12 and began running a class at 17. She has also gained her C.S.T.D Modern Jazz Teaching Certificate in 2019 now teaching and choreographing all ages and levels for multiple studios and schools across Perth.

Sharni joined Desiree in 2020 and now teachers our Senior Hip Hop, Jazz and Lyrical classes on Monday nights. She has a passion for dancing and believes everyone should strive to do their very best when stepping into the classroom.

Outside of dance Sharni holds a Bachelor of Biomedical Science majoring in Microbiology and Immunology. She currently works in the WA Health Department.

Phoebe Durham

Phoebe began dancing at age 2 with Desiree Dance Academy as a tiny tot where her love for dance blossomed, the studio becoming her second home.

Over her time at Desiree Dance Academy, she has danced nationally and competed in various prestigious competitions, as well as completing workshops in WA and QLD based dance companies. Phoebe played a leading role in the community guiding a dance group to perform in productions and open nights.

She began student teaching in 2020, and slowly progressed to a teaching role, teaching a wide range of genres. Her goal is to continue to learn and grow as a teacher, creating a fun environment for children and to pass her knowledge and love for dance onto upcoming young dancers.