Jo McDonald
Dance styles taught during summer term
Ballet, Jazz, Tap
Jo McDonald is the founder of Dragonfly Dance, which began as a small performance company called Move Through Life in 2004 and blossomed into the studio with over 30 classes per week and two performancing companies that is now known as Dragonfly Dance. Through her nearly 20 years with her company, Jo has had the opportunity to study as a dancer and choreographer with amazing teachers who had worked with companies such as Australian Ballet Company, Australian Dance Theatre, 2DancePlus, Rambert Dance, and more. She has choreographed and directed numerous dance works and productions.
She began dancing at age 3, doing calisthenics, and then began ballet at age 13, jazz in her teens, contemporary at age 18, and tap as an adult. She has been teaching for 30 years, and has written / is writing the Dragonfly Dance syllabi in ballet, jazz, contemporary and tap.
Her relevant qualifications include:"Bachelor of Science (psychology major) from the University of Adelaide
Honours Psychology from the University of Adelaide
Certificate IV in Commercial Music (Performance) from Adelaide TAFE
Graduate Diploma in Creative Industries (Dance Teaching) from Queensland University of Technology (QUT), and she made the Dean's List of Merit
Grade 6 piano in the Australian Music Examinations Board (AMEB)
Her highest level dance exams include:
Modern Theatre Dance, Advanced II, Imperial Society for Teachers of Dancing (ISTD)
Ballet, Intermediate, ISTD
Jo recently completed the Progressing Ballet Technique (PBT) teacher training for Level 1.
She worked for over ten years in the arts sector for Country Arts SA and Regional Arts Australia.