Nathan Cassar

Stars of Penrith 2025

⭐ Meet Nathan Cassar ⭐ From Master of Ceremonies to Mastering the Moves for a Cause!

Having partnered with the Cancer Council and MC'd the Stars of Sydney South West for the past two years, I thought it was time I swapped the podium for the centre stage and helped raise funds and support the event in a different way.

Cancer has impacted my family in numerous ways, taking both my grandfathers (pancreatic and lung cancer) as well as my cousin (brain cancer), and if I can help make a difference to stamp out cancer in society once and for all it is one of the easiest decisions I could make this year. I also know firsthand how fun this event is and how it pushes you to go beyond your comfort zone - I've always wanted to learn how to dance but never tried and even feared it a little! I can't wait to break those mental boundaries while raising much-needed funds!

While I’m based in Parramatta and hail from Sydney’s South West, my MC work often brings me to Penrith and the Hawkesbury region, places I love for their genuine community spirit and vibrant energy. Every event I host there feels a bit more connected and wholesome, and I’m always thrilled to work with the friendly, down-to-earth people who call Penrith home.

Dancing, however, is a whole new frontier for me. I’ve taught and performed line dancing (thanks to my time as a Cruise Director!), but ballroom and contemporary have always felt like uncharted waters. Watching those dancers glide across the floor, I thought, “Could I ever move like that?” Joining Stars of Penrith isn’t just about learning a new skill; it’s about breaking through my own mental blocks and embracing growth, physically and mentally.

At 32, I feel there’s so much life left to explore, and I can’t wait to open myself up to new possibilities while raising funds for a cause that’s affected so many lives. I’m excited to learn, to make new friends, and to connect with others on this journey.

Let’s make a difference together – for all the families impacted by cancer and for the hope of a cancer-free future!

_____

Nathan will be dancing with Emylyn Wie, taught by Raymond Estil from Urban Salsa, and will take on the ballroom style.

My Updates

𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝟱 𝗼𝗳 𝗥𝗲𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀𝗮𝗹𝘀 – 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗔𝗹𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗗𝗼𝗻𝗲! 💃🔥

With 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗼, we’re 𝗮𝗹𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱 learning our entire routine for 𝗖𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗹 𝗡𝗦𝗪 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱! Now, it’s all about refining every move and getting ready for showtime.

This week, I think I might have surprised my dance partner, 𝗘𝗺𝘆𝗹𝘆𝗻 𝗪𝗶𝗲, and teacher, 𝗥𝗮𝘆𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗘𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹 from 𝗨𝗿𝗯𝗮𝗻 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗮, when I 𝗻𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗳 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗖𝗵𝗮 𝗖𝗵𝗮 𝗿𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗲! 😅 Turns out I can move my feet after all!

🚨 𝗧𝗜𝗖𝗞𝗘𝗧𝗦 𝗔𝗥𝗘 𝗦𝗘𝗟𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗙𝗔𝗦𝗧! 🚨
📅 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝟮𝟭 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱
📍 𝗣𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗣𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀 𝗖𝗹𝘂𝗯

With over 𝟯𝟬𝟬 𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗦𝗢𝗟𝗗, now’s your chance to grab one before they 𝗰𝗵𝗮 𝗰𝗵𝗮 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗼𝗿! 🎟️

💛 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲

I’m raising funds for 𝗖𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗹 𝗡𝗦𝗪, and every donation helps fund 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲-𝘀𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀. You can donate or follow my journey via "Learn More" below 👇👇👇

If you know of any 𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, I’d love your suggestions as we bring the full vision to life!

This is more than just a dance—it’s about making an impact. Thank you to everyone supporting this journey!

𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝟰… 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗪𝗲’𝗿𝗲 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝟵𝟬𝘀 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸! 🎤🔥

𝟵𝟬𝘀 𝗸𝗶𝗱𝘀, 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗲’𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂! 🎶 This week’s rehearsal had me throwing it back with #NSYNC’s “𝗕𝘆𝗲 𝗕𝘆𝗲 𝗕𝘆𝗲”—and I gotta ask… do you reckon I could go toe-to-toe with 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗮𝗸𝗲? 😅 (Okay, maybe not, but let me dream!)

We’re officially in WEEK 4 and things are 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝗽 𝗙𝗔𝗦𝗧. One more routine to learn, and then it’s 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹-𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱 into rehearsals, perfecting every move—and of course, hunting down the perfect props and backdrop. 👀✨

I couldn’t do this without my 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿, 𝗘𝗺𝘆𝗹𝘆𝗻, and our fantastic teacher 𝗥𝗮𝘆𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗨𝗿𝗯𝗮𝗻 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗮. Their commitment to this bold routine and the story we’re bringing to life is nothing short of inspiring.

🚨 𝗧𝗜𝗖𝗞𝗘𝗧𝗦 𝗔𝗥𝗘 𝗦𝗘𝗟𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗙𝗔𝗦𝗧! 🚨
📅 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝟮𝟭 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱
📍 𝗣𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗣𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀 𝗖𝗹𝘂𝗯

Over 𝟯𝟬𝟬 𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗦𝗢𝗟𝗗, so 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗴𝗼 “𝗕𝘆𝗲 𝗕𝘆𝗲 𝗕𝘆𝗲”! 🎟️ And of course, I’m still fundraising for the 𝗖𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗹, so if you’d like to support, hit the 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝗯𝗶𝗼/𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 to donate.

Every step, every spin, every beat—it’s all for a 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿-𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲. Let’s make a difference together. 💛

𝗜 𝗕𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗖𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿-𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲

These aren’t just words—they’re a promise, a mission, and the reason I’m stepping onto the dance floor for the Cancer Council Stars of Penrith 2025.

The countdown is ON, and I’m officially two weeks into rehearsals tonight!💃🕺 Let me just say—if I thought dancing was tough, dancing with a mission this important makes it even more emotional. 😅 Every step, every spin, every stumble (and there are plenty!) reminds me exactly why I’m doing this.

Cancer has touched my family in ways I can’t even put into words—my grandfathers, my great-grandmother, my cousin, and most recently, my great-uncle (whose funeral was yesterday RIP). 💔 Their memories are my fuel as I prepare to hit that stage and fight for a cancer-free future.

🚨 DONATIONS ARE POURING IN, AND I’M BLOWN AWAY. A massive shoutout to the legends who’ve already supported my $5,000 goal:
✨ Serge Olivieri
✨ Antoinette Sulfaro
✨ Jenni Eaton
✨ Chloe Salis
✨ Maria Salis
✨ Olivia Schlede
✨ Peter Gould
✨ Nancy Calarco
✨ My amazing parents, Sam & Nancy Cassar

Your generosity and belief in this cause means the world to me. 💛 But this journey is just getting started, and we’ve still got a long way to go. Every dollar raised goes straight to life-saving cancer research—it’s tax-deductible and could truly save lives.

📅 Save the date: Friday, 21 March 2025 at Penrith Panthers! Come cheer me on and watch me turn my two left feet into a performance that’ll make you laugh, cry, and hopefully, donate.

Let’s fight cancer together—one step, one dance, and one dollar at a time. Let’s make this count. 💃✨

Together We Dance: The Team Behind the Mission

Here we are—the full crew ready to take this challenge on together. With Raymund’s expertise, Emylyn’s passion, and my determination (and willingness to learn!), we’re making every moment count. This journey is shaping up to be something unforgettable.

First Steps: Building Rhythm and Finding Fun

Rehearsals are officially underway, and the energy is high! Here’s a moment with Emylyn, where we’re striking poses, laughing at ourselves, and building something special. It’s all about finding the rhythm—and having fun while we’re at it.

Meet the Team: Emylyn and Raymund From Urban Salsa Join the Journey

Meet the dream team! My fantastic dance partner, Emylyn, brings energy and enthusiasm to every rehearsal, while Raymund from Urban Salsa is the expert guiding us through every step (and misstep!). Together, we’re working hard to create a performance that will light up the stage in March.

It's Official! I'm a Star in the Cancer Council Star of Penrith 2025

The journey begins! I’m officially a Cancer Council NSW Star of Penrith for 2025. This event is about more than dancing—it’s about raising funds for a future free from cancer. With the big night locked in for Friday, 21 March 2025, the countdown is on, and the excitement is real.

Spotlight on Hope: My Best MC Moments at the SW Sydney Dance For Cancer 2023

Thank you to my Sponsors

$1.02k

Marian Koo

$263.75

Aims Industrial Supplies

$250

John Edney

$106.12

Dion Kondonis

$105.50

Serge Olivieri

$105.50

Sam Cassar

Well done for doing this, we're proud of you

$105.50

Chloe Salis

I am so proud of you, this is such an incredible cause and you’re giving it your all to make a difference and raise money for a cancer-free future. I love you to the moon & beyond.

$105.50

Peter Gould

You're learning at Urban Salsa and dancing with Emy... you'll kill it 💪

$52.75

Nancy Calarco

Best of luck Nathan!

$52.75

Maria Salis

"Do it big, do it right, and do it with style." Good luck, Nathan

$52.75

Liv, Megs, Kurt

Awesome work Nath <3

$27.81

Jose Tionko

All the best!!

$26.38

Antoinette Sulfaro

Best of luck, Nathan! You’re going to be absolutely incredible!

$26.38

Jenni Eaton

You are an amazing person Nathan Have a wonderful experience and keep shining bright amongst the stars!

$26.38

Nathan Cassar