About Us
Family Involvement
Southern Stars offers the opportunity for everyone in the family to be involved. Our club would not function without our valuable volunteers. There are many areas that you might want to be involved with including props & sets, costume making & trimming, hair & makeup, special events preparations, execution & clean-up. Families are invited to be involved as much or as little as they are able.
Concerts
We have 2 Concerts each year. The first one in June show cases all our soloists and an item from each of the teams.
The end of year concert is the highlight of our dance year. The children perform all their dances and receive a trophy for their dedication. Other presentations are also made. We encourage families to make a year-long commitment in order to reap the rewards for their hard work. This way the children gain the maximum benefit for their involvement. Our concert and rehearsal dates are advertised early in the year.
Benefits from Calisthenics Dance
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Physical. Body alignment. Co-ordination. Rhythm. Cardiovascular fitness. Flexibility. Develops large repertoire of exercise movements - dance, gymnastics & ballet skills. Toned graceful body.
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Intellectual. Discipline for alertness and instruction. Works both sides of brain. Improved Concentration span, academic performance and memory for movement sequences.
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Emotional. Pride in appearance. Self-awareness. Self-assurance.
Control of emotions, Self-discipline. Self-confidence. Good self esteem.
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Social. Teamwork. Sense of belonging. Develops new relationships.
Social awareness. Acting skills, mime and pretend play development.
Costume Fees
These funds buy new costumes and trim and alter existing ones. Parents are not required to purchase, maintain, store or transport costumes. The decorative trims used for stage presentation are often more expensive than the costume itself and take many hours to hand sew. Parents are invited to help however we don’t insist on this. Hire fees are due at the beginning of term two.
Health and Safety
The Calisthenics Association of Queensland develops & promotes calisthenics in Queensland. Our club is a registered member. We comply with all their policies and guidelines. Each of our pupils must be registered members so that they are covered by personal accident and public liability insurance. The annual fee covers the children for classes, competitions, excursions and concerts. We have a ‘No Smoking’ policy. All calisthenics events are 100% smoke-free and smoking must be done away from clear view
We also have a healthy eating policy at our club. We encourage parents to send only water to drink during classes, For longer classes we ask for healthy snacks. We encourage healthy everyday foods, and moderation for ‘sometimes’ foods.
Friends for Life
We have a mentor or “buddy” program at Southern Stars that we have had much success with. Each class has an assistant coach, cadet or assistant who help teach the class and attend to the girls on a more personal level. The girls in our youngest classes have a buddy who looks after them at the rehearsals & concert so that all our little one’s are happy & well looked after. Our buddies must set a good example and are often an inspiration to the younger children.
Miss Tracey
Tracey began her Dance journey at the age of 7 in Victoria at Calisthenics like her mother and grandmother before her. The family relocated to the Gold Coast in her early teens and Tracey joined the Surfers Paradise Rhythmic Gymnastics club. She won her first State Title at 14 years. Tracey began Coaching and judging at this time and Coached several State Title winners including her sister in law Vanessa. Tracey also taught Artistic Gymnastics and studied all styles of dance. Tracey joined Gold Coast Calisthenics in her early 20’s and was crowned the first ever Qld Graceful Girl. She also completed her teacher training specializing in early Childhood and went on to become the Director at Palm Beach Childcare and Education Centre. Tracey began South Coast Calisthenics (now Southern Stars) in 2001. She ran the club and Coached with the help of Marianne (mum) and her daughters who acted as class assistants until they qualified as Calisthenics/Dance Coaches too. Tracey has taught all age groups. She enjoys helping each dancer to develop a large repertoire of dance skills & shine on stage. She has had the privilege of watching many girls learn life skills through dance and grow into confident young ladies.
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Miss Sasha
Sasha Thompson has been involved in dance since she was 3 years old; performing for 22 years and teaching for 13. She began teaching under 5’s as a teenager and gained experience working with all ages and skill levels. She has taught multiple award-winning teams and soloists at both state and intestate competitions.
Sasha’s personal dance accolades include:
5 x state championship - team
2 x interstate champion – duo
2 x interstate champion - solo
Qld state champion - solo
6 x national representative – soloist
National Champion - soloist
Her teaching style is technique focused whilst creating an encouraging environment. Sasha believes it is essential to provide individual coaching as every child requires a unique method in order to showcase their strengths and become the best performer they can be.
Sasha encourages each individual to explore the confidence within themselves, practice at home and most importantly… have fun!
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Miss Natasha
Natasha Thompson started dancing at Calisthenic Competitions at the age of 2. She was selected for National Teams and as a Soloists to represent Qld 4 times. Natasha won many titles, including state (QLD & NSW) championships solo competitions 3 times. Natasha completed her qualifications for dance and fitness in 2017 at Ikin dance and National Health and Fitness Academy. Natasha started teaching dance at 12, where she assisted in team and solo classes, and then becoming a cadet at 14. She then started teaching her own classes at 18 when she became fully qualified dance teacher. Natasha now coaches soloists and teams, in many styles. She has been involved in Coaching award winning National Items. Natasha has a Bachelors degree in psychological science, is studying a masters of rehabilitation counselling and works as a mental health support worker. Natasha has many friends in the Dance Community around Australia. Natasha believes that Dance can be for life and is a great way to keep fit. She enjoys helping her pupils develop a love for Dance and enjoy many of the health benefits it has to offer. Natasha believes hard work pays off and strives for excellence in everything she does.
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Miss Emma
Emma Thompson joined Southern Stars as a young teen & worked hard to master calisthenics and eisteddfod style dancing. She has placed well at local eisteddfods winning age open champion at the Time to Shine Eisteddfod in 2022. Miss Emma teaches the Sparkles team of under 7 year olds and assists with the Rising Stars & Bright Stars teams. She loves teaching and has a passion for helping kids let their creativity and talents shine in all areas of dance. Emma believes dance is for everyone and all ages. She is certified to to work with special needs individuals through her Perform Ability training and is currently studying school based education support. Emma believes every child should have the opportunity to experience the benefits of dance.
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