Sheru Bharadwaja
Sheru was born in Berlin, Germany, and moved to Australia in 1983. He grew up living an active lifestyle filled with sports and music, before finding his real passion for dance in 2015. Sheru has trained under some of the world’s teachers including Electric Boogaloo legends Mr Wiggles, Suga Pop and Poppin Pete.
In 2012 Sheru was chosen to star in Southern Comfort’s television commercial where he plays ‘Mr Pop’. In the same year, Sheru and his crew Swagamama were contestants on the popular television series Everybody Dance Now. In 2013, Swagamama reached the grand finals of Australia’s Got Talent, making Sheru a two-time Australia’s Got Talent grand finalist.
Recently, Sheru has been focusing more on corporate dance work with Swagamama. Since its inception in 2012, Swagamama has grown to a lineup of 15 dancers, and is one of Australia’s most successful street dance based acts. Sheru also regularly judges national and international level events such as Hip Hop Internationals and World Supremacy Battlegrounds.
Nadia Milford
Since graduating with distinction from a Bachelor of Fine Arts, Dance Performance, at Queensland University of Technology Nadia has worked with key leaders within the arts industry on professional projects and created various independent works. She previously performed for Expressions Dance Company in 2013 and 2014 as well as choreographed for Blue Roo Theatre Company in collaboration with the Queensland Opera. She created her first independent work in 2015, for Fresh Blood Festival, which was performed again in 2High Festival 2016. Nadia has since choreographed works and performed for multiple Brisbane arts festivals (DIY, Nexus, Festival of Australian Student Theatre, CreateX, IndepenDANCE, The Gallery of Modern Art’s 10th Anniversary and Angry Mime), as well as the Beijing Dance Festival in China. An active member of the arts community, Nadia also performed as a part of Supercell’s Index program in February 2017 and performed this work at the Empire theatre again in December 2017.
Last year Nadia was awarded Arts Queensland’s Individuals Fund for a professional development project spanning nine European countries including master classes, workshops and festivals. During this time Nadia also performed in Surge Collective’s work ‘Enough’ in Belcampo Cafe Amsterdam and ‘@_WHY’ at Supercell Dance Festival in 2018. In conjunction with her performance commitments Nadia holds regular contemporary workshops in regional areas and teaches in Brisbane. Nadia has been on the Phluxus2 Dance Collective team since 2016.
Sheree Fitzgerald
Sheree Fitzgerald is a performer, choreographer and teacher of many styles of dance and the performing arts. As a performer she has worked in Children’s Entertainment with The Entertainment Store, and has also been a part of contemporary company performances with both the Dark Horse Theatre (2016) and Outcast Performing Arts (2014). More recently, however, she has become a part of Candy Shop Show Australia as a Cabaret performer. With Candy Shop, Sheree performs as a singer, dancer and actor as part of their original cabaret shows; The Jazz Age Dance Cabaret, Sugar Sugar! And Up, Up & Away! As well as singing and dancing with the company, in corporate gigs around Brisbane.
Having studied at Village on Broadway in Sydney, Sheree holds a Cert IV in Dance Performance. She also trained from the age of seven at Sharon Alback’s Dance Centre in many styles including Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Hip Hop and Contemporary.
Sheree was given the opportunity to be an assistant teacher from the age of 14 at Alback’s, and greatly values the experience and the knowledge that she gained in her time there. However it wasn’t until Sheree took on her own project, choreographing for Clairvoux Mickillop College’s production of “The Addams Family Musical”, that she really found her love for teaching and choreography.
Pursuing that love has found her teaching school workshops, facilitating Kindergarten Dance programs, and as Dance Coordinator at Red Music Centre, teaching Jazz, Ballet, Hip Hop and Musical Theatre. Sheree is keen to continue expanding her teaching experience and is very excited to work with Inside Outside this year!
Kate Woods
Kate competed competitively in Women’s Artistic Gymnastics (WAG) growing up, and began coaching WAG in grade 6. She retired as a level 6 gymnast, however began coaching at local studio’s and here she learned to use her gymnastics skills in a dance context. It was also at this time that she began, and subsequently fell in love, with dance.
Kate studied at The University of Queensland, completing her undergraduate Bachelor with an Extended Major in Psychology and Minor in Criminology. While studying at uni, Kate never lost her passion for dance and began learning from renown performers with a focus on ballet and contemporary. After graduating from university, Kate decided to pursue dancing and completed a versatile dance course the next year. During the past 9 years, she continued to coach acro at studios and after 13 years of teaching, she still loves being able to help others gain new skills and fall in love with acro as she has.
Kate continues to train across a wide range of styles and remains passionate about dancing.
Madison Lee
Madison grew up learning from one of Queensland’s leading street style dance teachers and Swagamama crew member (Mark Barber) and discovered the great impact that dance can have on a person. Madison competes with her crew ‘Damzels’ that is trained by Swagamama member and former Jabbawockee member MyKey Jaquin. She is a current teacher at Studio Urban, one of the leading Hip Hop studios in the Northside Brisbane. She is also a junior coach to one of the studio’s competition crews and has choreographed performance pieces that have been performed at places like Brisbane Powerhouse and Redcliffe Cultural Centre. She believes that dancing is an important form of expression and creative freedom and intends to share its joy and education to others.
Jessikah Nisbet
Jessikah’s passion is creating unique, memorable choreography that utilises hidden talent from undiscovered dancers. She has a high knowledge in a range of styles, specialising in hip hop. Many of her skills in Hip Hop were developed whilst working alongside Taneikah Wescombe, Artistic Director of The House of Sole.
Jess completed a fulltime dance course at Ikin Dance Australia in 2015 which helped her become the versatile dancer she is today. She has taught and performed nationally and internationally and still maintains a very high work ethic in her own personal development by constantly training and taking classes at studios such as Mad Dance House, Brisbane.
She hopes to help dancers find freedom through the expression of dance, whilst also educating them in terms of achieving and maintaining their best possible physical health and mental wellbeing.
Louise Rodrigues (Best)
Louise has been teaching a variety of classes since the age of 16. She has taught children to adults and has also worked in schools as a teacher aide and educational interpreter for deaf children. Louise Best has been dancing and teaching professionally for 11 years. Some of the highlights are: Placing 1st at HHI, Australia to then Compete at Worlds in Vegas (State of Play – Hip Hop 2014), Perform professionally overseas and interstate- Egypt, Soloman Islands, PNG and Hamilton Island, Open for Snoop Dogg, Guy Sebastian and Eve and have been part of the following professional performance groups: State of Play (Hip Hop), Silver Bullets (Urban Cheerleading) and Paradizo (Samba). Louise has also made an appearance on our TV screens dancing in Film Clips, TV shows, Sports Events and even the News.
Louise has been teaching a variety of classes since the age of 16. She has taught children – adults. Louise has also worked in schools as a teacher aide and educational interpreter for deaf children.
Lucy Leadbetter
Lucy started dancing at the age of 7, training in the styles of hip hop, jazz, tap, contemporary and ballet. Whilst completing year 12 in 2016, Lucy studied dance part time and completed her certificate III in dance. She is now a qualified dance teacher, teaching at a variety of studios and schools around Brisbane, such as Promenade Dance Studios, Danzart Studio, Somerville House and V-Hub Dance Studios, where she trains primarily.
Lucy regularly performs at community and sporting events in Brisbane, with some of the highlights being the Brisbane International, dancing back-up for Timomatic and performing at several Queensland Firebirds games as part of the Lorna Jane Move-It Crew. Lucy recently returned from a 3 month long trip to the USA, where she taught dance at a summer camp and had the opportunity to train at world-renowned studios in New York and Los Angeles, such as Broadway Dance Centre, Peridance Capezio Centre, Playground LA, Millennium Dance Complex and EDGE Performing Arts.
As a teacher, Lucy strives to create a safe and secure learning environment for her students, completely free of judgement and negativity. She loves seeing her students grow and improve, especially when they’re having fun whilst doing so.
Denzal Van Uitregt
Denzal aka Denz or “Michael Jackson” is a street dancer and teacher based in Brisbane. He is also one of the key dancers in our performance group. Denzal started dancing at a very young age, teaching himself by watching videos of Michael Jackson. His trademark is his smooth moves and fedora hat!
After graduating from high school, he trained full-time at Raw Dance Company. That same year he competed in his first ever Just Dance competition and won the Australian Championships in Sydney. in 2017 he flew to Paris to compete in the Just Dance World Cup and placed 3rd. Again competing for the world title in Brazil 2019, he placed 8th putting him in the top 10 Just Dance players in the world. Denzal still holds his Australian title 5 years still standing. In 2018 he took part as a cast member in the Commonwealth Games Closing Ceremony .
At a young age Denzal was diagnosed with Autism – which has never stopped him from dancing. Dancing not only helped him to be a better performer/entertainer, but taught him self-confidence, respect and helps reduces stress and negativity. Throughout his dance career Denzal has made numerous connections with friends, teachers, mentors, fans and famous people. He loves being able to bring joy to all who watch him perform – it’s what he loves the most about dancing.
Kala Bailey
Kala is one of our relief teachers and dance supporters in various classes. Kala is an example of what people can do with disabilities. Even though Kala is legally blind, she has been dancing for 5 years. During this time she has spent the last 3 years volunteering and being mentored by Sheru Bharadwaja.
Kala has traveled to LA to dance at the special Olympics world games. She has also performed in Melbourne and Bundaberg along with many more destinations including working with the Royal Ballet at Qpac in 2017.In 2018 Kala was a cast member for the Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony held on the Gold Coast.
Along with dance, Kala has spent the last 5 years learning and perfecting the art of Pole fitness, winning her first competition in 2016. She is currently training as a pole fitness instructor.
Kala is also one of the key dancers in our performance group and mentors alongside Denzal Van Uitregt at the Ashgrove class. She absolutely adores each student she comes across and loves to be able to see each person grow not only in their dance skills but self-confidence. If someone’s having a bad day a hug, funny face or a silly dance move will always cheer them up. Making everyone feel happy and accepted is one of the best things being a part of InsideOutside Dance.