Two talented performers part of a Sutherland Shire entertaining educational program are set to star in Nickelodeon’s new dance series, Ready, Set, Dance.
Joining the cast of the show on Nick Jr, are duo Ethan and Freya, who are part of the new series where the kids are all triple threats with dancing, acting and most of them, singing.
The up-tempo dance program was created for preschoolers, and encourages children to jump and jive along to the music all while building confidence, co-ordination and creativity through physical play.
The idea is underpinned by a core educational curriculum designed to use dance a holistic learning tool to effectively integrate various domains of development within preschoolers including physical sensory, language, cognitive, social and emotional skills.
Known as ‘Moonwalk Boy’ at school, Ethan, 15, of Menai, has been dancing since he was five years of age. He has performed at the Sydney Opera House in The King and I and Macbeth, and as a young Simba in The Lion King at the Capitol Theatre.
Alongside him is Sutherland’s Freya, 16, who has overcome obstacles to pursue her love of dancing. Having been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of eight, Freya has never let her condition stop her from doing what she loves.
She represented Australia at the 2015 Hip Hop International World Championship in the US and has performed on Studio 10, and danced with Nickelodeon for past television series.
Freya wants to become either a music producer or a professional in the medical/health industry. In her spare time, she plays the guitar, keyboard and ukulele.
The program directors, Priscilla Severino, Glenda Yee, Jade Barnes, Belinda Agostino and Natalie Ettingshausen and also from Sutherland Shire.
Ms Barnes, of Burraneer, is the owner of Planetdance, Menai. Ms Ettingshausen, also of Burraneer, is the owner of Ettingshausens.
Ms Agostino and Ms Severino are the owners of All Starz Performing Arts, Peakhurst.
The preschool dance educators and dance studio owners joined forces in 2014 to create the innovative class-based dance program specifically for preschoolers.
The group identified a gap in the market when their own kids hit their preschool years and the ladies looked for ways to accommodate them in classes within their dance studio classes.
The program which, launched in 2015, is currently licensed to more than 180 dance schools around Australia and New Zealand.
Dance schools in rural regions including the small mining town of Urangan and Cowra also saw immediate business growth with the program.
