About Us
Welcome to Stepping Out Dance Factory! We look forward to sharing with you in the many joys and rewards of dance tuition. Stepping Out Dance Factory is committed to providing a safe, educational and recreational environment for all ages. We offer well supervised classes taught by highly qualified teachers in a friendly encouraging atmosphere. Stepping Out Dance Factory places an emphasis on catering to the individual needs of our students. We recognize that each child enrolled has a special place within our studio and plays an important part in the dynamics of our dance community. With studio locations in Dubbo, Trangie, Forbes and a brand new studio opening in Orange, Stepping Out Dance Factory is the Central West’s fastest growing dance network.
“Learning to walk set you free. Learning to dance gives you the greatest gift of all- the ability to express with your whole self the person you are and the person you want to be.”
Our aim is to inspire each child to discover their potential. Parents want the very best for their children and we strive to ensure that we deliver quality instruction and professional service.
Dancing School History
Stepping Out has been trading successfully for eight years. Commencing with 30 pupils in 1998, stepping Out now welcomes well over 400 happy students through their doors each week. Stepping Out Dance Factory is owned and operated by Leesa Berwick and Rikki Slack-Smith. Leesa and Rikki share not only a love for dance but a great love for teaching. They are both vibrant and energetic people who are committed to enabling country children to have access to city style and innovation. Stepping Out Dance Factory now employs a talented and enthusiastic team of staff who are dedicated to producing fantastic results.
Each year Stepping Out produces a fabulous production aimed at allowing each child to shine. Every year our annual productions have been sell-outs. Stepping Out’s students have starred in Alice in Wonderland, The Adventures of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, A Tribute to Stage and Screen, A Salute To Australia, There’s No Business Like Show business and Christmas Spectacular. Stepping Out students are prolific performers within the community and have performed at the Stargirls, Rhino Awards, Western Plains Zoo, Health Commission Launch, Multi-Cultural Events, Food & Wine Fiesta and many other community events. Students have access to amazing guest teachers. Each year we host a talented dance professional within our school so that our students can gain invaluable experience from some of the industry’s finest dance talents.
Faculty
Rikki Slack-Smith B.A Dip Ed(Director)
Rikki has taught dance for eighteen years and been principal of her studio for the last eight years. She is a qualified secondary teacher (English, Drama, Dance).Rikki has taught at The Jazz Factory (Sydney), Knox Grammar (Sydney), Dance Unlimited (Mudgee), TAFE (Communications and Tertiary Preparation) and St Johns College (Dubbo). Rikki has taught both Dance and Drama to HSC level. She has studied dance under Joyce Schneider, Sydney Dance Company, Halliday Dance Centre and David Atkins’ Dynamite Dance Studio. Rikki studied to Advanced with the RAD syllabus and choreographed for the Royal Academy of Dance Gala Concert in Canberra. Rikki has successfully entered students for examinations in both RAD (Royal Academy of Dance) and ADAP (Australian Dance Assessment Program) methodologies. Former pupils have been accepted into the Victorian College of the Arts, Brent St Performing Arts School, Australian Ballet School Interstate Program and are also dancing professionally in ballet companies, productions and cruise ships around the world. Rikki has also enjoyed working with intellectually disabled adults in the teaching of movement and expression as therapy. She is married to David and they have four children, Imogen, Ondine, Cale and Archer.
Leesa Berwick P.I.A, Diploma of Dance QUT (Director)
Leesa has taught dance for ten years and been principal of her own school for the last eight years. Leesa is the only fully qualified Pilates instructor west of the Blue Mountains and has enjoyed six months overseas dancing professionally and teaching. She was the only successful applicant out of a worldwide search for the position. Leesa was based in Kuala Lumpar and taught Pilates at an exclusive resort which catered for Asian celebrities and members of the Royal Family. Leesa also trained in Pilates method the Singapore Ballet Company and held nationally renowned workshops throughout Malaysia and Singapore. She danced and modeled whilst in Asia and has been invited back for short stints in 2004 and 2005 for examining and teaching. Leesa has choreographed for commercials, parades and nightclubs. She choreographed the Singapore MTV AWARDS in 2004. She is currently devising her own Tap syllabus and International Dance Workshops. Stepping Out had six students dancing in the International Dance Gala in Italy in 2002 under Leesa’s direction. Leesa has extensive experience in Hip Hop and has worked with disadvantaged teens in Youth Access Programs and devised workshops and training strategies for implementation of Dance in high schools and PD/H/PE programs. She is currently working with a group of intellectually and physically disabled adults in Dance as therapy. Leesa has also taught Elective Dance at high schools and is a popular guest teacher in the Central West.