Kim Reynolds

Director and Choreographer

NAPA Director and Choreographer, Kim, was a professional dancer who has performed in, choreographed and directed numerous local productions. Kim worked professionally in the industry for 10 years as a dancer and performer and made the transition to directing and choreographing after discovering a love of the “behind the scenes” work. She has an excellent reputation on the Gold Coast for her original choreography and directing style, which has won her numerous awards at the Gold Palm Theatre Awards. She has been awarded for her work in directing, choreography, costuming and technical achievements and has also had several productions be awarded Most Outstanding Production and has had 2 productions receive the coveted Gold Palm Award. In 2013 Kim was awarded the highest honour, The Platinum Palm Award for her outstanding contribution to the Gold Coast Theatre Community and for the development of youth in The Arts.

In 2018 Kim directed Rock of Ages and choreographed Spring Awakening and Tarzan for NAPA Ensemble’s premier season and has since gone on to direct and choreograph Be More Chill and Downtown: The Mod Musical. She is actively involved in the Gold Coast Theatre community and is passionate about providing quality training and experience in Musical Theatre for Gold Coast youth.

Kim oversees our NAPA Dance and Performance Team Program in addition to our Dance Soloists and Trinity Guildhall exams, and teaches our Broadway Bound Extension and Song & Dance / Musical Theatre Eisteddfod Teams.

KIM REYNOLDS
Dance Coordinator

Choreographer –
Broadway Bound Extension +
Dance teacher –
15’s & Opens Song & dance/
Musical Theatre Performance Teams,
College Dance Technique teacher

NAPA Director and Choreographer, Kim, was a professional dancer who has performed in, choreographed and directed numerous local productions. Kim worked professionally in the industry for 10 years as a dancer and performer working with the likes of Rhonda Burchmore, Kate Cebrano and Ian Stenlake. She has an excellent reputation on the Gold Coast for her original choreography and directing style, which has won her numerous awards at the GCA Theatre Awards. In 2013 Kim was awarded the highest honour, The Platinum Palm Award for her outstanding contribution to the Gold Coast Theatre Community. In 2018 she directed Rock of Ages and choreographed Spring Awakening and Tarzan for NAPA Ensemble’s premier season. Kim has a passion for all aspects of performing arts and can't wait to offer her students even more opportunities to develop their skills in 2020.

Kim oversees our NAPA Dance and Performance Team Program and teaches our Broadway Kids, Broadway Tweens, Broadway Bound Extension, and Song & Dance / Musical Theatre Eisteddfod Teams.

GRETA BRINSLEY
Acrobatic Specialist - Acrolink Program Creator

12’s & 15’s Acro Teams,
6’s, 8’s, 10’s, 12’s Performance Teams, 
Advanced Acro Technique,
Advanced Dance technique,
Mini Acro,
LEVEL 1, 2, 3 Acro Technique

Through a diverse career spanning almost her entire life, Greta has refined her skills as a vocalist, dancer, actress, acrobat, director, choreographer, adjudicator, examiner and as an educator, allowing the experiences through her own career to compliment her coaching.

Greta is excited to have released in 2020 her new acrobatic exam syllabus ACROLINK by Greta Brinsley presented by IDT (The International Dance Technique). This international syllabus will see Greta touring New Zealand, Australia, UK and Russia in 2020 for teacher/student training and examining.

With a Certificate IV in Dance and Performance, Advanced Diploma in Music Theatre, The Acrobatic Dance Association Teachers Certification and a Certificate IV in Dance Teaching and Management, Greta’s dedication to excellence has encouraged top achievements from her students and choreography both nationally and internationally for soloists, and various group categories. This has ensured Greta as an impressive and sought-after coach for acrobatics and dance, repeatedly and competitively setting the industry standard for her profession.

ALANA ANDREWS
Mini Program Coordinator

Mummy+Me, Mini TAP, MINI BALLET, MINI TECH, Junior/Intermediate Dance technique, Senior tap, GRADE 1 BALLET
College fitness AND BALLET instructor

Alana originally started out as a ballet dancer, completing an Associate Degree in Dance at QUT. She then trained under Queensland Ballet director, Harold Collins, then under the guidance of contemporary director Leigh Warren. Alana then auditioned and performed in many musicals nationally and locally. Eventually grounding her feet on the Gold Coast, Alana spent the next 10 years performing on the streets of Movie World. Relocating to Namibia with her husband for Mad Max 4 gave Alana the chance to explore new avenues, becoming personal trainer to producer Doug Mitchel and discovering a love for lifting weights. Alana now holds a world record in her weight class in powerlifting. But not one to stray away from the studio, Alana also taught ballet and technique classes there to German-speaking students! Alana now has a young daughter, is a show host at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary and is passionate about teaching young dancers to be the best they can be.

MANDY MORRISON
Tap Specialist

Open Tap Team, Advanced Tap technique, JUNIOR & INTERMEDIATE TAP TECHNIQUE

BROADWAY TWEENS CHOREOGRAPHER
College Tap instructor

Mandy began dancing at age 3 at The Dance Works in Brisbane. After finishing school she went on to study Music Theatre at the Australian Dance Performance Institute and gained an Advanced Diploma of Art (Music Theatre) and Certificate III in Fitness.

After this Mandy moved to Melbourne and significantly expanded her performance experience working on both the corporate and commercial scene, and extensively in children’s entertainment. She was a teacher at Elevator Studios and frequently subbed for various kids and professional classes. In 2015 Mandy was nominated for a Lyrebird award for Best Choreography for OCPAC's production of ’The Addam’s Family’.

A one year stint in Darwin saw Mandy become a core faculty member at Sam’s Dance Studio where she taught jazz, tap, hip hop, contemporary, acrobatics, music theatre and singing.

Upon her return to Queensland, Mandy began performing at Dreamworld as a show host, dancer and street performer where she continues to work to this day.

Mandy is currently studying a Cert IV in Training & Assessment and is thrilled to share her knowledge and passion for dance with her NAPA students!

TAHNEE PITCHERS
RAD Ballet Specialist

GRADE 1,2,3,4,5 RAD BALLET, INTERMEDIATE RAD BALLET, ADVANCED FOUNDATION RAD BALLET, ADVANCED 1 RAD BALLET, CASUAL BALLET

Tahnee began her vocational ballet training at Professional Ballet Coaching Academy Australia and during this time she was a finalist in several RAD Jacqueline Moreland Awards, a finalist in Sydney Eisteddfod’s Robert & Elizabeth Albert Scholarship and winner of the J.J. Richards Memorial Scholarship. She was so a part of Queensland Ballet’s Junior Program.

She then went on to complete her training at Canada’s National Ballet School in Toronto on a full tuition scholarship and is currently completing a Certificate in Dance Teaching (Ballet) with the Royal Academy of Dance.

Tahnee has been teaching at NAPA since 2018 and absolutely loves being a part of the team!

HANNAH STANTON
Dance Technique Specialist

BROADWAY BOUND,
PRE-SENIOR + SENIOR DANCE TECHNIQUE

Hannah has been performing professionally for over 10 years appearing in the National Tour of 'Dirty Dancing' understudying the lead role of 'Baby', as well as the Australian & New Zealand Tour of 'Matilda the Musical'. She has also performed for international artists such as Kylie Minogue and Ricky Martin as well as appearing on 'The Voice', 'Australia's Got Talent' and 'X Factor'. This year, Hannah is set to play the role of 'Anybodys' in the Austrian production of 'West Side Story'.

AMY DONNELLY
Dance Technique Specialist + Performance Trainer

NAPA COLLEGE

With a dynamic fusion of professional dance experience and a Bachelor of Physiotherapy degree with First Class Honours from Griffith University, Amy blends the artistry of dance with evidence-based practice to provide up to date and safe dance training. She is a dance physiotherapist at Inform Physio & Co, a dance teacher with over a decade of experience, an ex-personal trainer, and an ex-professional contemporary dancer. Amy takes pride in empowering dancers to understand their bodies in ways applicable to studio practice, stage performance and regular everyday life.

Amy’s dance journey began with ballet at the age of three, and spanned to all other genres. She completed ballet exams predominantly in the Vaganova style (Australian Conservatoire of Ballet) with Amanda Bollinger Dance Academy and participated in national and international eisteddfod solos and groups. After completing full-time tertiary contemporary training in Canada at the School of Contemporary Dancers, she had the privilege of performing in short professional contracts, including with Winnipeg’s Contemporary Dancers. During performing and training, she taught dance to all ages (tiny tots to adults) and transitioned into a role as a personal trainer. This experience ignited her passion for enhancing physical performance through cross training. As she delved into the possibilities of strength training for dance, the desire to expand her knowledge and contribute more to the world of dance led her naturally to become a dance physiotherapist. Amy is excited to bring science to the studio to help dancers meet their physical potential for performance.

AMANDA TAYLOR
Hip Hop Specialist

JUNIOR, INTERMEDIATE + SENIOR HIP HOP,
+ JUNIOR AND SENIOR EXTENSION GUEST TEACHER

Trained in all styles of dance, Amanda’s career as seen her travel the world performing in numerous corporate events, large stage shows, cruise ships, backing music artists, and the 2018 Commonwealth Games Handover Ceremony in Glasgow, Scotland. 

Moving into choreography, Amanda was the NRL Gold Coast’s Titans cheerleader coach 2016-2021, is the choreographer for major entertainment company Aerial Angels and has more recently choreographed the music video Die Young for Australian music artist Sheppard.

She is also the managing director of Gold Coast based talent agency, Chase Creations.

HOLLIE ANDREW
Acting Specialist

BROADWAY BOUND EXTENSION

After an acclaimed 15-year professional career with success across every genre, NAPA was thrilled to welcome Hollie to the NAPA team in 2017. With degrees from WAAPA (Music Theatre) and Flinders University (Drama) Hollie has appeared in, won awards and been nominated for her various roles including; FILM: Somersault, TV: Informer 3838, Double the Fist, Underbelly, Doubletake, Supernova (1&2) and Fat Tony, STAGE: Hair (The Production Co), The Last 5 Years (Echelon Productions), Snuggle Pot and Cuddlepie (Belvoir), The Sapphires (Company B/Black Swan), The Wog Boys (Australian National Tour) and The Rabbits (Opera Australia). As a cinematic triple threat (director/writer/actor), Hollie has completed two short films and is currently in the final stages of funding her first full-length feature film as Co-Director/Writer/Actor.

CILLA SCOTT
Acting Teacher/Director

BROADWAY BOUND, SENIOR TREAD THE BOARDS

Cilla has worked as a drama teacher, acting coach, lecturer, director and drummer on the Gold Coast for over 25 years. She has a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Theatre, A Graduate Diploma in Secondary Drama Education and an Associate Diploma through Trinity College, London. Cilla is the Head of Arts at St Andrews Lutheran College.

Cilla has been a Gold Palm Theatre Award Finalist for Best Director 7 times, winning the award for Godspell and Kelly. Her directorial credits include Grease, Sweet Charity, Jersey Boys, The Lion King Jr, Chicago: High School Edition, Kelly, Peter Pan, The Little Mermaid, Jesus Christ Superstar, Downtown, Dusty, Seussical, The Wiz, Little Shop of Horrors, Godspell, The Wedding Singer, Still Standing and Secret Bridesmaid’s Business.

Cilla established Golden Apple Theatrical Productions in 2012 and produced/directed Last Five Years and [title of show].

LAURA COOPER
Acting Teacher/Director

Broadway KIDS + BROADWAY TWEENS

Laura started dancing at age 11 at DLDC in Brisbane. After finishing school, she moved to Sydney where she completed her Diploma of Performing Arts at David Atkins Dynamite Studios. After graduating Laura worked professionally as a performer in the industry for over 15 years all over the world. She’s performed and choreographed for Warner Bros. Movie World, Universal Studios Osaka, Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network. Her credits include Australian Idol, Aria Music Awards, and the NRL Grand Final. After hanging up her dance shoes she moved into choreography and teaching. She most recently spent 8 years living in the United States working as a drama teacher producing, directing, and choreographing multiple musicals. She loves watching her students rise to the challenge and lives by the Oscar Wilde quote, “Be yourself, everyone else is taken.”

SUZANNE LEWIS
Musical Theatre Specialist

Musical Theatre + Assessor

Suzanne trained at prestigious Musical Theatre school in London from the age of 16. She then continued her training at Reading Theatre Arts in the UK where she gained her ISTD teaching qualifications in dance.  

As a professional dancer Suzanne worked internationally on cruise ships and in Cabaret. She also has a Certificate in Education from the University of Northampton UK and Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (TAE40116).  

Suzanne specialises in ballet, tap, jazz and Musical Theatre dance styles and  has also choreographed extensively in Musical Theatre and for fashion shows, corporate events, commercial videos and for Gay Pride. Suzanne has also owned and managed her own dance academy in the UK attended by students from the ages of 4 to 21 yrs.  

Suzanne designed, created and course led a successful two-year Musical Theatre course at a college in the UK for 23 years, where students gained nationally recognised qualifications. Many of the students from Suzanne’s course have and are currently enjoying careers working on cruise ships, T.V productions and performing professionally in shows on Londons west end.

Suzanne has a strong passion for teaching and ensuring the wellbeing of her students.

MATT PEARSON
Musical Director

BROADWAY BOUND

Multi-award winning vocal & music director (2012: Best Vocal Director - HAIRSPRAY, The Spotlight Theatrical Company; 2014 Best Vocal Director - SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET, The Spotlight Theatrical Company, 2021: Best Music Director - JERSEY BOYS - The Spotlight Theatrical Company)

Matt is a highly accomplished, and sought-after Conductor, Music Director, and Woodwind specialist. He has taught at a number of local primary and secondary schools, and served as a music specialist, teacher and Head of Youth Theatre for The Spotlight Theatrical Company from 2013 - 2021. Many of his former students have gone on to tertiary level study, and work professionally in the entertainment industry.

Matt toured nationally and internationally as Principal Baritone Saxophonist for the QLD Conservatorium Saxophone Orchestra, performing at the Australian Music Conventions in Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane, the 16th World Saxophone Congress in St. Andrews, Scotland, the Royal College of London, and at the International Seminar of Music Education in Thessaloniki, Greece.

Matt has served as a musician, and conductor for the Tweed PCYC Concert Band, The Hinterland Band, Gold Coast Philharmonic Orchestra, and The Gold Coast City Wind Orchestra, and as vocalist (Bass) for the Brisbane Chorale.

As a reed specialist, Vocal Director, Conductor, Music Director and Music Supervisor, Matt has worked for many production companies in South East Queensland. Most notably, Matt was Music Director for the Australian Premiere production of CURTAINS: THE MUSICAL COMEDY WHODUNNIT (The Spotlight Theatrical Company, 2010), the QLD Amateur Premiere of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (The Spotlight Theatrical Company, 2013), and NOT THE MESSIAH, HE'S A VERY NAUGHTY BOY (The Spotlight Theatrical Company, 2018 - featuring a 30 piece orchestra with live bagpipes). Matt also had the pleasure of serving as Music Director on the Australian premiere, and multiple subsequent productions of Jason Robert Brown's 13! A NEW MUSICAL (2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2020).

In 2022, Matt founded SONYQ EDGE PERFORMING ARTS to cater to the growing need for quality, and extensive training in all areas of the performing arts. In October, he staged Sonyq's inaugural production - ROCK OF AGES: HIGH SCHOOL EDITION. In 2023, his senior students will have the opportunity to attend the Australian Music Theatre Festival in Launceston, Tasmania.

JANE IRVINE
Acting Specialist

PRE-SENIOR TREAD THE BOARDS

Jane first tread the boards as a youngster in Australia’s oldest and most exquisite Theatre Royal in Hobart, Tasmania.

It was here as a regular performer in the Annual Christmas Pantomime that the magic of theatre ignited her passion to create and perform which continues today, many decades later.

Jane has worked extensively in every facet of the theatre, both in the professional and amateur spheres, as a director, actor, singer, dancer and more.

Jane built a strong reputation as a very creative director in many venues here on the coast and in Brisbane.  She began teaching young students at the Spotlight Theatre before opening her own business, Stagestuck Productions, producing annual musical theatre productions for young children for many years.

Jane works as an adjudicator, and a speech and drama specialist for the last two decades working on the Gold Coast and overseas in China and Vietnam. Currently, Jane is the Speech and Drama Specialist at Somerset College.

AMY ELKIN
Acting Specialist

Perf. Cert. ATCL BEd Drama

JUNIOR TREAD THE BOARDS

Amy has been teaching Drama, theatre acting and Speech and Drama on the Gold Coast for almost 25 years. A highly skilled acting instructor and curriculum designer who has taught in a number of schools and specialist performing arts programs, including being one of NAPA’s foundation teachers. As an experienced actor and director, Amy brings a wealth of experience in working with productions across all styles and forms of theatre. A number of her past students are appearing on stages and screens around Australia and the world. Amy is a specialist voice and speech teacher, as well as having been extensively trained in teaching and directing using physical theatre techniques. Amy has directly countless plays and musicals and is very excited to returning to NAPA’s teaching team this year.

LILY BOISVERT
Acting Specialist

SENIOR FILM + TV
ADVANCED SCREEN TEST / TECHNIQUE

In 2022, Lily left her home town in Western Australia and relocated to the Gold Coast in 2022 to place a proactive and greater focus on her craft in acting and directing. 

Lily began screen acting at the age of 9, and appeared in several WA advertisements and campaigns whilst establishing her place in the small industry of film and television in Western Australia. After a brief hiatus to focus on finishing school Lily’s recent acting credits include “In Our Walls” (Web Series), and award winning short film “The Good, The Bad and The Library”. With a degree in film and television, Lily spends a great deal of time behind the camera as well, with writing and directing her most recent short film “Searching For Daisies” and working on several Jaggi Entertainment feature films in 2023. In her early years Lily was also shortlisted for major productions such as Netflix’s Series of Unfortunate Events, ABC’s Frayed and Itch. 

Lily actively trains as an actor and along with her extensive work in self taping, accents and different techniques, has the capability to pass on her knowledge to the students at NAPA.

JULIA BURRELL
Acting Specialist

Junior Acting for Screen
INTERMEDIATE/Pre-SENIOR FILM + TV

Julia is a New Zealand actress and former dancer. She has more than 15 years experience in the dance industry, learning over 5 different dance disciplines and completing her NZAMD qualifications. She has competed and preformed across New Zealand, Australia and the USA.

Julia has also trained across various acting schools including NYFA, The Warehouse, Creating Artists and Acting Mastery for a total of four years. Her recent acting credits include films such as, In Bloom, My Heart Calls For You, Reservation, Chasing Daisies and Top Golf Commercial. Julia specialises in Auditioning technique's, US and RP Accents, Film & Television camera techniques and performance concepts. 

STEFFANIE GOWLAND
Singing Technique Specialist + Musical Director

BROADWAY KIDS, BROADWAY BOUND EXTENSION

B.Ed (Music Education)
AMEB Grade 8 - Singing

Starting early, Steffanie began performing on stage at age 4. She studied singing throughout her schooling years and completed her AMEB exams in classical voice. She now specialises in musical theatre and contemporary vocal styles. 

Steffanie has been teaching singing for over 15 years at a number of institution across the Gold Coast. She joined the NAPA team as a voice teacher in 2015 and has vocally directed many musicals for the Broadway Kids and Broadway Bound classes. 

Steffanie holds a Bachelor of Education with a specialisation in music and is currently a Year 12 teacher at Silkwood School at Robina. 

JACKIE TURNER
Singing Technique Specialist + Musical Director

Broadway Tweens,
private lesson instructor

Over the past 10 years, Jackie Turner has become one of the Gold Coast’s most highly sought after singing teachers. Having trained and performed in many varying styles of theatre and voice, Jackie prides herself on being a teacher with a speciality in cross training Music Theatre and Contemporary Commercial Music Vocal styles powered by her passion for versatile vocalists.

She graduated from the Queensland Academy for Creative Industries in 2013 where she furthered her studies in Theatre and Film. She also graduated from the University of Queensland where she received A Bachelor of Journalism and Bachelor of Arts Majoring in Drama.

Jackie’s favourite past time is doing as much continuing professional development as she can around Vocal Pedagogy. Forever a student of the art of teaching voice she is a proud VocaLab VET Alumni, qualified Vocal Health First Aider and real voice science nerd. 

With experience teaching anywhere from pre-prep to adults, Jackie feels comfortable teaching all ages, and is confident that her lessons will engage, excite and extend each individual student to reach their goals.

LINDA ELLIS

Diploma of Teaching (Majoring in Drama and Music)

Private singing teacher 

Linda began her classroom teaching career in country South Australia. During these years she studied voice with leading South Australian Singing Teachers and Acting for Stage and Screen with SA Casting.

What followed was a diverse 30 years of performing on stage, in film and tv commercials and documentaries. Some favourite musical theatre roles were ‘Maria’ in Sound of Music, ‘Baker’s Wife’ in Into the Woods and ‘Sarah’ in Guys and Dolls.

She began her singing teaching business over 20 years ago in Adelaide and now has students performing professionally around Australia. Linda was fortunate to teach Voice for 15 years at St Ignatius College before moving to the Gold Coast in 2021.

Linda has taught Year 12 SACE singing subjects and AMEB exam syllabus with excellent results. She teaches classical technique with a passionate lean towards musical theatre and believes in preparing students to be well rounded and confident performers.

In collaboration with her daughter, Lucy Ellis, Linda has co-produced some fabulous song and dance routines for dance competitions and has worked with dancers to utilise acting techniques to enhance their competition pieces. Together they have produced the Skills Dance Practice Guide and the Goals Dance Journal.

DAVID VALKS

Private singing teacher

David is a versatile vocal coach, performer, and director, boasting a rich background in professional and community theatre across London, Sydney, and the Gold Coast. With a passion for nurturing talent, he excels in teaching vocal technique and acting through song to individuals of all ages. David has graced numerous prestigious professional productions, in the West End and UK tours, showcasing his talent in renowned shows like 7 Brides for 7 Brothers, The Mikado, Joseph, and Pirates of Penzance among others. His training at Arts Educational London, coupled with certifications in various methodologies including BAST and Estill, reflects his commitment to continuous growth and excellence in his craft. David's directorial prowess shines in productions such as Gypsy and The Sound of Music (Spotlight Theatre), where he was lucky enough to work with many of the NAPA students. David’s goal is to assist students in building a relationship with their voice, uncovering the joy of singing, and tapping into their full potential.

MATTY CHADWICK

PRIVATE SINGING TEACHER

Matty Chadwick is a seasoned vocalist and vocal instructor with a Bachelor of Popular Music from QLD Conservatorium of Music. With over 20 years of professional performance experience, including Australian Idol Top 12, and 12 contracts as a lead performer at Universal Studios Japan, Matty brings a wealth of expertise to his teaching. He has toured internationally with kids shows such as Barbie: Live, and has received awards for his work as a Jazz vocalist and Jazz bar owner. As a recording artist, singer/songwriter, and producer, Matty's talents span various genres. He has performed as the lead vocalist at Warner Bros. MovieWorld and Pink Flamingo's ‘The Glitz’ Cabaret. Additionally, he is a recent alumni of Vocalab's 'Vocal Educator Toolkit' and has studied other renowned vocal techniques such as Seth Riggs' 'SLS,' Jamie Wigginton’s 'Vocal Edge,' and 'The Cheryl Porter method.' Specializing in Pop, Jazz, and Musical Theatre, Matty is available for vocal instruction on Wednesdays after 5:30pm and Saturdays from 9:00am.