Jane Beckett

Faculty

Faculty

Jane Beckett was born in London and began her dance training at the age of five. She was accepted into the Royal Ballet School at the age of eight. In 1964, her parents immigrated to Melbourne and Jane continued her balletic studies at the National Ballet School/Kathleen Gorham, followed by the Australian Ballet School.

After completing the two year Diploma Course at the ABS she joined Ballet Victoria.  Jane then went to Europe and was accepted into the Ulmer Theatre Ballet Company in West Germany dancing in a variety of roles from ballet to musical comedy. She returned back to Australia in 1978, and danced on many TV shows, commercials, club engagements and performed in the musicals The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Evita and West Side Story.

Jane began teaching in 1980 and started choreographing in 1982. Her dance group State of the Art won the TV Show Star Search in 1986. She has choreographed for Barry Humphries, John Farnham and the Fabulous Singlettes.

In 1995, Jane was asked by David Atkins to take on the position of Performing Arts Principal for Dynamite Dance Studios. When Brent Street Studios took over in 1997, they asked her to stay on as Principal. Jane was affiliated with Brent Street Studios until 2005 and is now Head of Dance at The McDonald College, Sydney. Over the years she has developed a unique choreographic style, mixing ballet/contemporary and jazz in an eclectic mix.