Emily Crosthwaite
Emily is a valued teacher at KC Dance Company. She has been teaching there since 2019 and is currently the head teacher of their preschool program Ready Set Dance. She is trained and qualified in 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 of dance to all. Teaching them everything that dance has taught her, passion, dedication, perseverance and creativity. This will be her 4th year dancing for Cancer Council’s Stars of Nowra, and she is very excited and honoured to again be a part of this incredible event.
Sara Kinross
Sara is 21 years old and has been a dancer in the Shoalhaven for the last 19 years. She has had the privilege of being a dance teacher at the wonderful DanceWorks South Coast for 5 years and recently graduated from University of Wollongong with a bachelor's degree in Exercise Science. Sara is excited to join the Stars of Nowra family this year, to not only share her passion for dance, but to raise funds for an important cause that is very close to her heart.
Britt Hedrick
Britt has been dancing through life for as long as she can remember! Falling in love with the stage from a young age she developed her skills in performance as a lead dance ensemble member in musicals across the Hunter Region from 2007-2014. She first moved to the South Coast back in 2015, joining AMTC to perform in 'Grease' and was choreographer for their 2016 production of Legally Blonde. Britt then spent the following 8 years living in the remote town of Katherine in the Northern Territory utilising her energetic and engaging passion to create “Dance with Miss Britt” spreading her love of dance instruction and joy of performing across the Top End schools, sporting organisations, and community events. After moving back to the Shoalhaven last year, Britt was thrilled to be a part of the 2024 'Stars of Nowra' thanks to Dance Works South Coast where she loves teaching (and learning!) all styles of dance!
Alicia Morris
Alicia discovered her passion for DanceSport (Ballroom Dancing) at a young age and is excited to share her love for dance through teaching at Be YOU Ballroom. Having completed all her exams in both Ballroom and Latin dance styles, Alicia now partners students, guiding and supporting them as they complete their own.
Alicia has competed in numerous events and is a regular performer in studio showcases, both through her own performances and partnering others. Her greatest joy comes from seeing her students grow and achieve their goals, while collaborating with the Be YOU Ballroom team to create opportunities for both children and adults to explore and develop their passion for DanceSport—a beautiful and creative art form.
Alicia also loves teaching wedding couples their first dance, an experience she cherishes as she helps them express their joy through connection, movement, and fun.
A lifelong resident of Nowra, Alicia has deep roots in the community and is excited to join the Stars team to raise awareness for this worthy cause.
Phoebe Olds
Phoebe's lifelong passion for dancing led her to join Be YOU Ballroom when the award-winning studio first opened in Nowra.
With a diverse dance background that includes ballet, acrobatics, contemporary, and gymnastics, Phoebe has now found her true passion in DanceSport (Ballroom Dancing).
As a member of the Be YOU Ballroom teaching team, Phoebe has embraced the joy of teaching and choreographing with students.
Enjoying both competitive dancing and performing, Phoebe is an active competitor on the DanceSport competition circuit and performs regularly with Be YOU Ballroom's dance troupe.
Having previously performed as a lead dancer with the Be YOU Ballroom dance troupe on the Stars stage, Phoebe is excited to support another incredible event and work with her Star to create an unforgettable show!
Abbie Haughton
Abbie grew up in the Shoalhaven and has been a dancer for 18 years. A member of DanceWorks South Coast since its beginning, Abbie spent 5 years as a competitive dancer and also successfully completed all of her ballet, jazz, tap and contemporary examinations. Abbie began assistant teaching at the age of 16, by 18 she had developed a passion for sharing her love of dance and continues to teach at DWSC. Abbie has been a part of regional dance festivals, Southern Stars and various productions. She has completed an Archaeology and Ancient History degree and in 2025 is commencing a Masters of Secondary Teaching. As a Stars of Nowra audience member for several years, Abbie is thrilled to be able to contribute her passion to this event.
Rachael Taylor
Rachael is a long-time supporter to Stars of Nowra, this year being her 8th 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, has been teaching since she was 12 and has never stopped. For the past decade 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. She loves being involved in a community event all in honour for those affected by cancer and will keep dancing until her legs don’t work!
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 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
Tenielle is 18 years old and deeply passionate about dance and cheerleading. She has competed at state, national and international levels in both disciplines, showcasing her talents in New Zealand and Orlando, Florida. Stars of Nowra holds a special place in her heart because it offers an incredible opportunity to raise funds for cancer research. Cancer has affected several of her family members, including her great uncles and her brother. Thankfully, her brother survived, which motivates her to do everything she can to support her community and help prevent others from experiencing this hardship. Tenielle has always been a generous person who strives to make a positive impact. This is her second year participating in Nowra Stars and she can’t wait to start dancing with her partner.
Micaela Priest
Micaela began dancing with Your Talent Team 10 years ago and has been part of both state and national-winning dance teams. In 2023, she completed The Dance Apprentice course, further refining her skills and passion for teaching. In 2024, Micaela began leading her own classes, with aspirations to complete her HSC and pursue a career in dance education. Alongside teaching, Micaela has earned multiple awards, including Scholarships and Senior Dancer of the Year in 2023. Micaela’s dedication to both performing and teaching is evident in her commitment to inspiring the next generation of dancers. She has performed in the opening act of Stars of Nowra and has spent the past few years spectating from the audience, eager to take the stage herself. Micaela is super excited to be a part of Stars in 2025.
Kadence Rose Byerley
Kadence is the youngest participating teacher in 2025 at just 15 years old! Kadence has taken on her second year of teaching after completing the dance apprentice course in 2023, and she teachers a combination of different styles like jazz, hip hop, tap and ballet to all ages. As the 2024 Winner, Kadence is excited to work with her Stars partner who will become the next champion!!
Scarlett Tebbutt
Scarlett has been dancing since she was two and a half years old and started cheering at the age of 8 and has not stopped since. She is currently a level 4 athlete at Airborn Cheerleading in Woonona and is in her second year of studying a Bachelor of Primary Education at the University of Wollongong. Scarlett has trained in all genres and competed at State and National levels in Cheer, Pom, Physie, Hip Hop, Contemporary and Jazz. She has also taken a Cheer Team to compete internationally in Hawaii at the Global Games in 2024. This year she has decided to challenge herself by beginning a new role as a Dance Teacher at Your Talent Team, where she previously spent some of the most amazing years of her dance career. Scarlett is passionate in developing and assisting children to discover confidence, community & wellbeing through cheer and dance, and was also a 2025 Young Woman Entrant at the Nowra Show.
Her biggest motivation to join stars this year is due to the experience of seeing one of her best friends lose her mum way too early. Watching a previous dance partner through her battle and the fact that it goes back into our local community drives her to once again support such an amazing, essential cause for local families at such a difficult time. As a young woman born and raised in Nowra, Scarlett would love to give back to the community that helped raise her. If she can help through the sport she loves, it is an absolute privilege and honour to do so alongside other talented dance teachers.
