Stephanie Perry
Stephanie is the definition of Stars of Nowra, she has competed every year the event has run starting at just 13 years old! Stephanie is now the owner and director of Your Talent Team dance studio spreading her love of dance with children and adults in the Shoalhaven, specialising in line dancing, hip hop and jazz.
After so many years of involvement Stephanie is as keen as ever to raise money and awareness with her star and tear up the dancefloor once again!
Emily Crosthwaite
Emily is a valued teacher at KC Dance Company and is trained and qualified in classical ballet, jazz, tap and flamenco. She has performed overseas in Disneyland and has attended workshops with Disney choreographers, artists at the Sydney Dance Company, Edge Performing Arts Centre in Hollywood and with Grant Swift of Rhythm Tap. Emily hopes to pass on her passion for dance to all. Teaching them everything that dance has taught her, passion, dedication, perseverance, and creativity. She is very excited and honoured to be a part of this years Stars of Nowra.
Britt Hedrick
Britt has been ‘dancing through life’ for as long as she can remember. Growing up in Newcastle she was actively involved in school and local community theatre productions.
In 2015 she moved to the South Coast and performed in AMTC’s production of Grease as well as choreographing their production of Legally Blonde before moving to the remote NT town of Katherine!
Her passion for performance and love of dance led her to start ‘Dance with Miss Britt’ where her skills in dance instruction extended from primary school performances to all age flash-mob dances at local events, travelling to remote Indigenous communities to teach dance in schools and performing at festivals across Australia’s Top End.
Only returning to the Shoalhaven this year, Britt was lucky enough to connect with DanceWorks South Coast and is delighted to be joining the ‘Stars of Nowra’ to fundraise for the Cancer Council in 2024!
Gabriella Angus
Gabriella is the proud owner of Classical Ballet with Gabriella a ballet focused school established in 2020. Gabriella has been dancing since she was about 8 years old. In 2017 she moved to Sydney to attend full-time ballet training at The Conlan Collage. She first began teaching about 4 years ago specialising in ballet along with lyrical and contemporary. Gabriella is a fully qualified Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) Registered Teacher. She is looking forward to raising money and being a part of this great event for a second year.
Emily Humphreys
Emily with her husband Bradley followed family roots to establish the South Coast’s newest Dance Studio in the heart of Nowra - Be YOU Ballroom.
She now dances full time partnered by her husband Bradley traveling interstate & internationally to compete while balancing time in the studio & working with some of the finest
Ebony Austin
Ebony is a professional choreographer and dancer, and the Studio Principal and Director of thePROJECT. by Ebony Austin and thePROJECT. Network Agency. As a professional choreographer and teacher, she has trained for 24 years under the guidance of Diane Blaas. She was successfully awarded Wollongong Young Citizen of the Year in 2018, and finalist between 2018 - 2022 for Best Business Person, Outstanding Dance Studio and Specialised Business and Golden Globe Best Actress. Working extensively within the industry, she has choreographed works for Stars of Nowra, Crayola, General Pants, Boost Juice, Honey Birdette and Cotton On Kids, Jackaranda, Emalia. Since 2018, Ebony has been head choreographer and performer and continually for Illawarra's prestigious Drag Queen Roxee Horror. She has performed as a backing vocalist and choreographer for glam rock band Crosson and Commowealth Games, including featured within music videos for Jessica Mauboy, Samantha Jade, Scarlets Way, Jetty Road, Denzel Martinez, The Viper Creek Band, and TV shows of Luxe Listing, Heart Break High and commercials for Target, Married at First Sight. Ebony has choreographed Roo Theatre's The Boy From Oz, Oliver and Chitty Chitty Bang and We Will Rock You. This is Ebony's 2nd year with Stars of Nowra, she is grateful to be a part of team and is dancing for her Grandma, Ma and Aunty Jay.
Maddison Duff
Maddi starting dancing at age 4 in Perth, Western Australia, where she progressed through multiple ATOD exams, and gaining a position as a senior teacher at Pazaz Dance Company in WA.
Having moved to Nowra just at the start of this year to study medicine at UOW Shoalhaven and gaining a teaching position at DanceWorks South Coast, Maddi wanted to set herself in the community, and what better way to do so than with ‘Stars of Nowra’.
Being a medical student, Maddi is aware of the way cancer affects every facet of someone’s life, as well as the people around them, and so wanted to be able to give her time to help raise funds for such an amazing cause.
Rachael Taylor
Rachael is a long-time supporter to Stars of Nowra, this year being her 6th year...and winner not once, not twice but three times! Rachael’s love for dance is infectious, she started dancing when she was 3 years old and has never stopped. For the past 10 years she has been sharing her love for dance through teaching in the local community. Rachael thoroughly enjoys how dancing makes her feel and loves watching her students grow and develop to express themselves through movement. Her favourite dance styles are Ballet and Hip Hop and she is looking forward to pushing her Star beyond their limits and being involved in a community event.
Melinda Bolton
Melinda has a wealth of experience in teaching dance. She has taught in private studios as well as with the Department of Education. Her favourite styles are Tap, Jazz and Lyrical but she’s keen to do any style that gets the audience involved. Melinda loves the freedom dance gives your mind and body, to her nothing beats being lost in the music and performing. She was involved in Stars of Nowra for the last 4 years and loved seeing the enjoyment it brought and supporting a worthy cause. Melinda and her STAR in 2023 won Judges Choice! She is looking forward to working with her partner to create a performance they’re proud of, so they can achieve something special and benefit those in need.
Tenielle Hore
I’m 17 years old and in my final year of high school. I started dancing in 2015 when I was 7 and started cheerleading in 2017 when I was 9. This will be my 4th year coaching.
I have completed at State, National and International levels.
I’m participating in the Nowra stars for the first time because of our family’s experience with cancer. This includes my brother who had carcinoid cancer and a tumour removed at the age of 15 and my two great grandfathers who sadly lost their battle with bowel and prostate cancer.
Nowra Stars has given me an amazing opportunity to help fundraise to support a worthy cause close to my heart.
I’m super excited to get started with my fabulous star Trish.
Shayleigh Chambers
This is Shayliegh’s first year participating in stars, she has been dancing since the age of Three years old, trialing almost every dance out there.
Shayliegh has been teaching at Your Talent Team for two years now. Shayliegh is third year student studying the bachelor of Nursing at the University of Wollongong, and an Executive member of the University of Wollongong Cheer and Dance Team.
Shayliegh has wanted to do stars for many years now watching many of her own friends and dance teacher participate. Shayliegh is beyond excited to raise Money and awareness to such an amazing cause and can’t wait to dance the night away with her star.
Kadence Byerley
Kadence Byerley is the youngest participating teacher in 2024 at just 14 years old! Kadence has just taken over her first dance class after completing The Dance Apprentice Course last year.
Kadence teaches a combination class for young dancers wanting to learn ballet, jazz and hip hop.
We know her 5-6 year old dancers are her biggest fans and will be cheering her on this year in her fight against cancer.
Scarlett Tebbutt
Scarlett Tebbutt is completing her final year at high school and been dancing since she was two and a half years old. Scarlett has trained in all genres and competed at state and National levels in Cheer, Physie, hip hop, contemporary and jazz. Her passion is cheerleading and has been with Shoalhaven Cheer Academy since they started 7 years ago. Scarlett has been coaching for the last 2 years and was fortunate enough to be in the team that received a bid to go and compete in Las Vegas. She loves being part of an energetic, close team as well as watching her junior students grow, develop and falling in love with cheer like she did when she started. Scarlett is excited at the opportunity to participate as cancer affects everyone no matter how old, young, or active you are, it affects families, friends, teammates and communities. Scarlette is honoured to be a part of Stars of Nowra 2023 and is looking forward to training and raising funds for Cancer Council with her awesome ‘Star’ partner Jodie.
