Jorjia-Rose Styles | Coastal Dance
Jorjia-Rose has danced since age three, trained full-time at Lee Academy on the Central Coast, and at 22 has discovered that her real passion is not just performing but teaching at Coastal Dance Performing Arts. Watching students discover what dance can do for them reminds her exactly why she fell in love with it.
This cause is deeply personal. Jorjia-Rose has lost many family members to cancer, including her dad, and the chance to raise money and awareness while giving someone their very first stage experience is something she holds close to her heart every single time.
Makenzie Dobson | Extravadance Studios
Makenzie has been dancing for over 16 years and will freely admit she didn't love it at first. Good thing she stuck around. Now nine years into teaching at ExtravaDance Studios with a Cert IV in Dance Teaching and Management, she specialises in Acro, Jazz, Contemporary, and Lyrical, with a particular love for styles that let her tell stories through movement.
Now in her fifth year with Stars of the Hastings Dance for Cancer, Makenzie brings the same energy to this stage as she does to every class. She has had family touched by cancer, and this event is simply her way of doing something about it.
Ella Cassidy | Burlesqfit Academy
Ella has been dancing since age 10, studied Dance for her HSC, and in 2020 found her people when she joined Burlesqfit Academy as a student. For Ella, dance has always been more than performance; it is a way to move her body, express herself, and feel genuinely empowered. The high of being on stage? Absolutely electric.
When Ella was 12, her dad was diagnosed with stage 4 thyroid cancer. He fought a long, hard battle and has now been cancer free for almost 12 years. The Cancer Council was there for her whole family through every hospital visit, providing activities and support for Ella and her brother that she has never forgotten. Stars of the Hastings is her way of giving back.
Tahnee Paige | SoulFire Pole Dance
Once told she had two left feet and could fall over standing still, Tahnee discovered pole dancing a decade ago and never looked back. No dance background, no problem. Now she teaches multiple classes a week at Soulfire Pole Dance, watching students find themselves again through movement, one spin at a time. By day she works in pathology; by night she defies gravity.
Stars of the Hastings hits close to home for Tahnee, both through her work where she sees the impact of cancer every day, and through her own personal experiences with the disease. The atmosphere is electric, the cause is real, and this is her way of spinning something hard into something hopeful.
Danika Clarkson | Coastal Dance
Danika grew up in the studio, trained across eight styles from ballet to heels, and competed at the Sydney Eisteddfod McDonald's Dance of Champions. She completed her HSC Dance in 2021 with a Callback nomination and in 2022 took home the John Chapman Memorial Award for choreography, effort, and achievement. She now teaches, choreographs, and mentors at Coastal Dance Performing Arts, holding a Cert IV in Dance Teaching and Management.
Now in her third year with Stars of the Hastings, Danika keeps coming back because she believes dance creates real connection and comfort for people navigating life's hardest moments. For her, this event is about showing her students that dance can give back to the community in the most meaningful of ways.
Sarah Dietrich | BurlesqFit Academy
Sarah is head teacher at Burlesqfit Academy, a childhood performer who discovered the world of burlesque after moving to Port Macquarie and training alongside the Academy's owner Miss Mandy. She specialises in burlesque, heels, seduce, and more, and when she is not in the studio she is raising three boys and teaching early childhood education.
This is Sarah's seventh year at Stars of the Hastings, returning this year after welcoming her third son. Through this event she has made lifelong friends, shared her passion for dance with people who never thought they could, and raised money for a cause that means everything to this community. She will keep coming back for as long as she can.
Miranda Webster | La Viva Studios
Miranda grew up dancing in Port Macquarie, taught professionally in Sydney, and returned to the region she loves as head tap teacher at La Vive Studios, where she also runs adult classes across multiple styles. Now 30 and in her fifth year at LVS, she fits all of that around being mum to three kids and married to her high school sweetheart Tom.
Three and a half years ago Miranda was diagnosed with appendix cancer, an extremely rare disease that required major surgery. She has been in remission ever since. Performing at an event that raises funds for cancer research while doing something she loves is something Miranda genuinely calls a blessing.
Sophia Franzini | Bays All Stars
Sophia launched her first studio at 20 and grew it to 77 weekly classes and nine national championship titles. She founded Dance Unite Online during the pandemic to keep acrobatics training alive internationally, then acquired Bays All Stars in 2022. Now living in Port Macquarie, she also competes with FSA's Adult Cheer team and makes, by all reports, an exceptional lasagna.
After taking part in Stars of the North as a dance teacher in 2023, Sophia jumped at the chance to bring that same electric energy to her own backyard. She loves this community, she loves this cause, and she cannot wait to hit that stage.
Ebony Walters | ExtravaDance Studios
Ebony started dancing at age five at ExtravaDance Studios and competition dancing has been a huge part of her life ever since. Through teaching little ones and watching their confidence grow on stage, she discovered a passion for helping others that now extends well beyond the studio. It inspired her to pursue a Bachelor of Nursing with the goal of becoming a paediatric nurse.
For Ebony, being part of Stars of the Hastings is the perfect meeting point of everything she loves: dance, community, and making a real difference. She cannot wait to create something that engages and enlightens the audience while raising vital funds for individuals and families impacted by cancer.
Tegan Wright | Support Services For You
Tegan danced from age 8 to 20 with a love for jazz, cabaret, and musical theatre, before building a career in community services that led her to co-found Support Services For You, an NDIS-registered provider on the Mid North Coast. She runs monthly all-abilities Mental Health Walks, organises community donation drives, and is launching a Community Pantry, because helping people is simply what makes her tick.
After being diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma, Tegan took part in Stars of the Hastings in 2025 as a Star, raising an incredible $15,000 for the Cancer Council and visiting local schools to promote sun safety. She returns this year as a teacher, ready to give someone else the same joy and community she found on that stage.
Jamanda Eggert | Mackillop College Port Macquarie
Jamanda trained at La Vive Classique Academy of Dance before completing a Bachelor of Arts in Dance and a Graduate Diploma in Secondary Education at Queensland University of Technology. She has spent more than 25 years teaching dance in secondary schools across Queensland and New South Wales, and currently teaches at MacKillop College in Port Macquarie. For Jamanda, dance education goes beyond technique, helping young people build confidence, creativity, and joy through movement.
Being part of Stars of the Hastings is deeply meaningful to Jamanda. Cancer has touched many families and communities she cares about, and this event is her opportunity to raise awareness, bring people together, and support those affected. She feels privileged to be involved in an event that celebrates hope, resilience, and community.
Makayla Henson | ExtravaDance Studios
Makayla has been dancing from a very young age, training at ExtravaDance Studios since the day her aunty opened it. Jazz has always been her first love, though she has trained across many styles over the years. These days she spends most of her time at the studio, now teaching alongside her aunty as well as dancing. When she is not there, she is at home with her puppy.
Makayla has participated in Stars of the Hastings before and knows firsthand what makes it so special. Watching the whole community come together, supporting each other and raising money for such an important cause, never gets old. She loves being involved, she loves this community, and she is thrilled to be back.
Marina Trajkovich
Bio to come
