TEACHING STAFF
At DanceXpress Academy we pride ourselves on highly qualified, dedicated and passionate teachers who have plenty of experience in the dance and entertainment business. Our teachers are friendly, approachable and experienced to provide the best training to our students.
All teachers require a " Working with Children Check " to become apart of DanceXpress Academy
Principal
Alisha Lovatt
Alisha has been dancing for 28 years and teaching for the past 16years. She began dancing at a local dance school in Rowville at the age of 6 where she trained in jazz, funk, tap, R.A.D ballet, contemporary and Pointe.
After finishing Year 12 she auditioned for the Dance Factory’s full time Performing course where she spent 2 years and completed her Diploma in Performing Arts. She trained in many more styles of dance that included hip hop, pas de deux, acrobatics, singing and drama. Alisha has been trained by some of Australia's best choreographers which include Kelly Aykers, Andrew Halsworth, Yvette Lee and Dulcie Lee.
In the her past she has worked professionally in the dance industry performing at corporate functions, fashion and hair shows for Target, Big W and Cotton On. She has also been a featured extra in numerous commercials and tv shows. In addition, she has performed in many cabaret shows at Crown Casino and throughout Melbourne. In 2009, Alisha was selected to perform as a 'Honey Bee' on the hit show the "Celebrity Singing Bee". She has also worked as an assistant to the magician Ben Murphy and performed alongside an Elvis impersonator throughout Melbourne.
Alisha loves to teach and be creative with her choreography. She is a passionate and dedicated dance teacher and believes dance is a beautiful way to express one’s self. Dancing has always been a part of her life, and she enjoys being able to pass on her love of dance to all her students, young and old.
Ruby Winters
Ruby has been dancing since the age of 7 and has trained in the styles of ballet, jazz, tap, contemporary, hip-hop and musical theatre. At age 18, she furthered her studies where she successfully auditioned and completed 2 years of study at Kelly Aykers Full Time Dance. It was here she obtained her Certificate IV in Dance Teaching and Management and began teaching. Ruby has taught for 8 years and specialises in Ballet, Jazz and contemporary training while having a great passion for technique and performance.
While studying Ruby also branched out into the industry and has since been performing professionally around Melbourne. Some of her work includes being Dance Captain for Carlton’s AFL dance squad, appearing in Paul Hogans 2018 movie ‘Dundee’ and Robbie Williams 2023 BioPic ‘Better Man’ movie as a dancer, corporate work at Crown and other venues in Melbourne and performing each weekend with dance company EDC as a samba entertainer.
Ruby has taught at DanceXpress for 8 years now and absolutely adores sharing her passion and knowledge to young aspiring dancers!
Erin Saunders
Erin has passionately dedicated 25 years to dancing and 15 years to teaching. She began dancing at a young age where she trained in jazz, contemporary, classical ballet, hip hop, tap, and acrobatics. She completed her Certificate IV and Diploma at the Dance Factory in Richmond where she trained full time for 2 years.
Erin proudly danced at the prestigious 2006 Commonwealth Games and the acclaimed 2007 & 2008 Melbourne Music Awards. She has taught at many elite dance schools and various primary schools throughout her years of teaching. Erin is an exceptional dance teacher who brings so much passion to her classes and, most importantly, knowledge. Erin has inspired countless students with her passion and knowledge, transforming their lives and helping them achieve their goals. Erin's exceptional teaching has earned her respect and admiration from both students and colleagues. She brings enthusiasm and expertise to every class she teaches.
Ebony Dossetter
Ebony has extensive experience in teaching many styles of dance to a variety of different ages and is dedicated to sharing her passion and creativity with her students. As a dancer herself, she has been part of many professional shows, and her remarkable achievements include competing at the prestigious Dance World Championships in Orlando, Florida. Ebony is also a qualified Acrobatics teacher with Acrobatic Arts, bringing a specialized skill set to our team.
We are thrilled to welcome Ebony, a knowledgeable, passionate, and dedicated professional, to DanceXpress this year. She is an exceptional dancer and will be a great addition to DanceXpress.
Kynan Black
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Kynan is a highly accomplished and passionate dance educator with extensive training in classical ballet and a broad range of performance styles. He holds a Diploma of Dance (Performing Arts) and a Certificate IV in Dance Teaching and Management,and completed his classical ballet training at The Australian Ballet School.
Throughout his training, Kynan has had the opportunity to work with some of the world’s most prestigious ballet institutions, including the Royal Ballet School, Paris Opera Ballet School, Bolshoi Ballet School, Vaganova Academy, Dutch National Ballet School, and Houston Ballet Academy.
Kynan brings a wealth of teaching experience, having taught ballet, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, and pas de deux across a wide range of studios throughout Melbourne. He has worked with students from as young as 4 years through to adults,and is experienced in teaching RAD Primary through to Grade 5, as well as delivering workshops and covering classes across multiple studios.
Kynan is known for his ability to build strong rapport with students while maintaining a positive, structured, and encouraging learning environment.
Kynan is deeply committed to nurturing not only technically strong dancers, but confident, respectful, and motivated individuals. He is excited to share his knowledge, passion, and love of dance with the DanceXpress Academy community.
Ethan Cooper
Ethan has been dancing since the age of 3, training across a wide range of styles including jazz, ballet, contemporary, hip hop, commercial, and tap. From the age of 10, Ethan competed extensively, developing strong athleticism, musicality, unison, and technical precision.
In 2020, Ethan was accepted into Patrick’s School of the Arts, where he completed a three-year Diploma of Musical Theatre. His full-time training has led to a professional career in both dance and musical theatre. Most recently, Ethan was cast in Soundworks Productions’ Songs for a New World in 2025.
Alongside performing, Ethan has been teaching for over five years, specialising in musical theatre, while also teaching a wide variety of dance styles. In 2025, he was awarded “Most Creative Choreography” at the Follow Your Dreams Solo Competition.
Ethan also works in Education Support at Yarra Road Primary School, where he has further developed his skills as an educator, supporting children with a wide range of learning difficulties and individual challenges.
As a teacher, Ethan is passionate about not only building strong dancers but also creating a space where students feel safe, accepted, and confident to grow as individuals. He believes authenticity is at the heart of a powerful performance, and that self-belief is the foundation of a healthy and successful learning environment.
Ethan is thrilled to be expanding his teaching journey with DanceXpress Academy and the surrounding community, and cannot wait to meet all of our dancers and families.
Isabella Corso
Isabella is a talented student who danced at DanceXpress for the last 10 years where she trained in jazz, classical ballet, acrobatics, and contemporary. In 2024, Isabella successfully auditioned for the prestigious elite/full-time dance school's pre-professional program at Todd Patrick's in South Yarra, where she received a place to continue her dance training there.
Isabella is taking some of our solo and duo competition students this year, and we are thrilled to welcome her as a new teacher. She has extensive knowledge and experience in competitions, having competed throughout her time at DanceXpress in many competitions. We are so proud of Isabella's accomplishments and thrilled to see her continue her journey with us.