Dance Matters Podcast

Shannon grew up in the Central Queensland town of Gladstone which is where her love of dance began. At the age of 15 she moved to Brisbane where she studied ballet full time at Queensland Dance School of Excellence before completing a Diploma of Performing Arts at ED5 International in Sydney. She has since obtained a diploma in Professional Pilates Instruction through PITC. A versatile performer, Shannon has had the privilege of working with many of Australia’s leading choreographers including Kelley Abbey, The Squared Division, William Forsythe, Keith Hawley, Matt Lee, Leanne Cherny, Marko Panzic, Jason Coleman, Sarah Boulter and Stephen Baynes. Stage credits include Fame the Musical (Australian tour), Grease the Musical (Australian tour), previous Opera Australia productions including La Traviata and Carmen on Sydney Harbour, Le Gand Cirque, Ben Veitch’s production of Blood, Swart and Dance and the Shorter, Sweeter Dance tour.Shannon has made regular television appearances on The X Factor, The Voice, Australian Idol, Australia’s Next Top Model and more. She has worked with both Australian and International artists including Ricky Martin, Jessica Mauboy, Ricki Lee, Red Foo and Sneaky Sound System. She has also appeared in films and music videos and performed at countless events including the Glasgow Commonwealth Games Closing Ceremony.Since the birth of her two gorgeous children, Shannon has begun to focus more on the choreographic and creative side of the industry. She has choreographed for a number of award ceremonies and events.Crystalized Costumes Adrenaline Dance Competition Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

 At the age of 15 Shannon Burns moved to Brisbane where she studied ballet full time at Queensland Dance School of Excellence before completing a Diploma of Performing Arts at ED5 International in Sydney. A versatile performer, Shannon has had the privilege of working with many of Australia’s leading choreographers including Kelley Abbey, The Squared Division, William Forsythe, Keith Hawley, Matt Lee, Leanne Cherny, Marko Panzic, Jason Coleman, Sarah Boulter and Stephen Baynes. Stage credits include Fame the Musical (Australian tour), Grease the Musical (Australian tour), previous Opera Australia productions including La Traviata and Carmen on Sydney Harbour, Le Gand Cirque, Ben Veitch’s production of Blood, Swart and Dance and the Shorter, Sweeter Dance tour.Join Charlie as she asks the hard questions in this performer profile.Find out all the things you have always wanted to know about your favourite performers, but never had the chance to ask.https://www.shanburns.com.au/

Zoe Ioannou grew up immersed in the world of dance. It seems that dance was in her blood with her Nan, Aunt and mum all working as professional ballerinas. Originally Zoe’s goal was to follow in their footsteps but at the age of 12 she discovered her vocal talent. From that day on her trajectory changed. Zoe found a passion for musical theatre and jazz. She appeared in her first amateur theatre role at the age of 11 when she was cast in Les Mis. Zoe then landed her first professional job working on the set of Dance Academy. This was followed up with her first professional stage role in Annie at the age of 12.  After graduating from school Zoe went on to attend NIDA to achieve her Diploma of Musical Theatre. Following that she successfully landed a role in Opera Australia’s Westside Story.Since the world of theatre has been resurrected post Covid, Zoe has gone on to land roles in Nine and Hairspray. http://zoeioannou.com.au/Crystalized Costumes Adrenaline Dance Competition Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Zoe Ioannou grew up immersed in the world of dance. It seems that dance was in her blood with her Nan, Aunt and mum all working as professional ballerinas. Originally Zoe’s goal was to follow in their footsteps but at the age of 12 she discovered her vocal talent. She found a passion for musical theatre and jazz. She appeared in her first amateur theatre role at the age of 11 when she was cast in Les Miserables. Zoe then landed her first professional job working on the set of Dance Academy. This was followed up with her first professional stage role in Annie at the age of 12.  After graduating from school Zoe went on to attend NIDA to achieve her Diploma of Musical Theatre. Following that she successfully landed a role in Opera Australia’s Westside Story.Join Charlie as she asks the hard questions in this performer profile.Find out all the things you have always wanted to know about your favourite performers, but never had the chance to ask.

Liana Blackburn is a professional dancer and long-time health and wellness enthusiast. Her versatility is what makes her such a valuable teacher, choreographer, and dancer.  She has been honored to dance with so many incredibly inspiring individuals including Britney Spears, Nick Jonas, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Jason Derulo, Talyor Swift, Ricky Martin, and Kylie Minogue She has also worked on shows such as Glee, Dancing with the Stars, The Voice, Cirque Du Soleil, X-factor and many more. She also performed with Selena Gomez on her REVIVIAL World Tour as a dancer and Dance Captain. Liana has taken her passion and enthusiasm for helping others to create an online dance program called BODY LANGUAGE.  She is passionately dedicated to inspiring and coaching others to navigate their own paths toward health and wellbeing. You can follow her journey and find learn more at Daily Dancer Diet.

Liana Blackburn is a professional dancer and long-time health and wellness enthusiast. Her versatility is what makes her such a valuable teacher, choreographer, and dancer.  She has been honored to dance with so many incredibly inspiring individuals including Britney Spears, Nick Jonas, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Jason Derulo, Talyor Swift, Ricky Martin, and Kylie Minogue Join Charlie as she asks the hard questions in this performer profile.Find out all the things you have always wanted to know about your favourite performers, but never had the chance to ask.Crystalized Costumes Adrenaline Dance Competition Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Luca Dinardo is a musical theatre performer, dance captain and choreographer. She grew up training at Patrick Studios and completed her full time training there. Luca was drawn to the world of musical theatre and her professional credits include; Bring It On – The Musical,  Billy Elliot ,NINE, RENT , Kiss of the Spider , West Side Story  and Hamilton.Luca’s career has also seen her assist some of Australia’s finest choreographers, including Andrew Hallsworth, Kelley Abbey, Michael Ralph and Marko Panzic and international choreographers Travis Wall, Stacey Tookey & Al Blackstone.Join us as we explore the highs and lows of Luca’s career. We discuss the struggles she faced to make a name for herself in the industry and to overcome self doubt. We also talk about how she has overcome setbacks.A truly inspiring conversation.

Luca Dinardo is a musical theatre performer, dance captain and choreographer. She grew up training at Patrick Studios and completed her full time training there. Luca was drawn to the world of musical theatre and her professional credits include; Bring It On – The Musical,  Billy Elliot ,NINE, RENT , Kiss of the Spider , West Side Story  and Hamilton.Join Charlie as she asks the hard questions in this performer profile.Find out all the things you have always wanted to know about your favourite performers, but never had the chance to ask.

Soraya Zapata’s love for dancing started when she began taking classes at Sher's Studio of Modern Dance at the young age of 3. She continued her training at WHSPA (Wollongong High School of the Performing Arts) as a dance student. During her time there Soraya was thrilled to be given the role of a featured dancer Schools Spectacular.She was also company member of The Forge Tap Project and is a member of ‘Girls on Tap’. In January 2018, Soraya was honoured to obtain a position in the Dream Creative Oz and was given the opportunity to perform along with the Dream Dance Company at the Australian Dance Festival. In 2019, whilst completing her CERT IV in dance at Village Nation Soraya was given the opportunity to be a featured Dancer in Guy Sebastian’s hit single ‘Choir.Soraya was successful in gaining a contract with Royal Carribean cruise line as a dancer and left for Miami in December 2019 unfortunately due to COVID19 had to returned home earlier than planned. She loved performing and misses it but is enjoying being back at home auditioning for roles and teaching. Crystalized Costumes Adrenaline Dance Competition Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Soraya Zapata’s love for dancing started when she began taking classes at Sher's Studio of Modern Dance at the young age of 3. She was a company member of The Forge Tap Project and is a member of ‘Girls on Tap’. In 2019, whilst completing her CERT IV in dance at Village Nation Soraya was given the opportunity to be a featured Dancer in Guy Sebastian’s hit single ‘Choir.Soraya was successful in gaining a contract with Royal Carribean cruise line as a dancer and left for Miami in December 2019 unfortunately due to COVID19 had to returned home earlier than planned. She loved performing and misses it but is enjoying being back at home auditioning for roles and teaching. Join Charlie as she asks the hard questions in this performer profile.Find out all the things you have always wanted to know about your favourite performers, but never had the chance to ask.