Studio News - January 2026
Happy New Year Dancers!
I hope you all had a restful Christmas break and are ready for another epic year of dance. It’s only the first month of the year but there’s already so much to tell you.
Summer Series Recap
A HUMONGOUS thank you to our Summer Series teachers who were willing to give you all a dance fix over the break: Abby, Astrid, Belle, Caitlin, Carys, Chloe, Emily, Eva, Georgie, Maddi, Tati & Veronica. How lucky are you (and I) to have so many teachers willing to come in when it’s far too hot and the beach is two hours away?!
And an even bigger thank you to Emily and Carys for their administration assistance during this time. I feel so incredibly lucky to have such a trustworthy and smart team. I was able to switch off and enjoy a wonderful white Christmas with my family, all thanks to them. They not only looked after the phone and emails but also the staff, the requests for private lessons, the full set up of classes for the year, the physical studios AND then some. Thanks ladies!
Open Day Recap
On Sunday 18th January, 6th Position hosted it’s biggest day of the year! We held 26 FREE taster classes (yes you read that correctly!).
A big thank you to everyone who came and asked questions, took a new class/level or style brought a friend along or just bought something tasty from our BBQ and Bake Sale. Every year our studio grows a little more but our community never changes - always welcoming and kind.
I can’t recap Open Day without a massive THANK YOU to our gorgeous teachers who taught back to back and of course our volunteer chefs: Linda and Dave Hunt on the BBQ, Chloe (those brownies O. M. G!!!), Linda G, Veronica, Nidhi, Emily, Anjilika, Jess E and even my own daughter Ellie… what a privilege it is to have such a lovely community supporting us.
2026 Timetable & Staffing Updates
Even more new 6P Staff!
I am so lucky that 6th Position seems to be the place everyone wants to work. Four existing students have expressed their desire to be part of our amazing team. You will see them doing teacher training in classes with our more experienced teachers in the coming weeks and months. Please welcome these gorgeous, familiar faces:
Amelie Grattan - rotating Beginner Ballet & Pre-Pointe/Beginner Pointe with Imogen on Saturdays
Danielle Bejr - rotating Beginner Ballet & Pre-Pointe with Lauren on Sundays
Eloise Trotter - helping out across all tap levels this year
Juliet Aitken - sharing Intermediate Ballet & Pointe with Astrid on Tuesdays
You can read more about them at the links above. Don’t be afraid to let them know how they’re going and if you’d like to work on particular skills - they’re all keen to do a great job for you!
Daytime Classes
If you’re wondering why we haven’t started our first week of the regular timetable back with our daytime classes, it’s because our new “we’re-so-lucky-to-have-her” teacher, Caitlin-Rae Crook, is still in the process of getting to Australia. Caitlin-Rae will be ready to hit the ground running from next week onwards as she recovers from her international move from Germany - with a preschooler in tow! Please make her feel welcome and forgive any residual jet lag.
2026 Enrolment Courses
This week as the new timetable begins, all of our RAD Ballet classes move to an enrolment format from Sunday onwards AND our Ballet and Tap Foundations courses commence their first sessions!
As mentioned in previous Studio News, RAD exams are not compulsory in order to enrol in the class, BUT for those wanting to undertake the examination, they do need to attend both RAD classes for their level each week. I am happy to again announce a new discount for enrolling in two RAD classes a week to help offset this requirement and acknowledge the commitment it takes. Please email for the discount code as it is not automatically applied at checkout.
Grade 3 Breakdown
I’d also like to provide below a quick recap on Grade 3, for any previous graduates of the Ballet Foundations Course who are wanting to enrol in a syllabus style lesson.
Grade 3 is an excellent entry-level option, making it a great choice for beginner students. The technical level is comparable to beginner ballet classes, and students can move directly from Ballet Foundations into RAD Grade 3.
This class is enrolment-only and is designed to prepare students for RAD exams held in July/August. Students wishing to sit the RAD Grade 3 exam must attend both the Monday and Sunday classes, as each class covers different syllabus components:
- Monday Class focuses on Barre and Centre work, developing technique, strength, coordination, and musicality.
- Sunday Class focuses on the Dance units and Character work. Students will revise the barre learned on Monday as a warm-up, before concentrating on the Dance and Character units of the syllabus. Please bring character shoes (only compulsory if you are intending to sit the exam); these can be purchased from Bloch or Attitude - we recommend the Bloch Tempo Cuban Canvas Character Shoe or a similar style.
Students who are not interested in taking the exam are welcome to attend just one class. If choosing only one, we recommend Monday night for core ballet technique. However, Sunday classes are still a fantastic option, especially for students interested in learning character. Character training helps develop musicality, performance skills, and versatility, creating well-rounded ballet dancers. For students aiming to complete the exam, attendance at both classes is essential, as together they provide full and balanced preparation.
Tap & Ballet Foundations Courses
A year’s worth of dates for our Foundations Courses also went live on our socials recently. If someone you know has always wanted to give dance a go but claims they have two left feet, these courses are for them! They are the most gentle introductions to ballet and tap and can be repeated as many times as needed. Students gain access to a workbook, the class playlist and this year, a private chat group for questions and videos from their teacher.
Tap Foundations starts tonight but don’t worry, we allow new enrolments to join until week 3!
Ballet Foundations starts this Sunday morning at Mitchell or this Wednesday lunchtime in the city - it’s always nice to break up a work day with something for yourself!
Audition Announcements
Another reason this is such a busy time of year is that many of you eagerly await the dates of the Nutcracker or Troupe auditions. I’m happy to say, they’re out and you can sign-up right now:
Performance Troupe Audition - Sunday 1st Feb, 4pm at the Northbourne Studio
Our performance troupe is open to any Intermediate - Advanced dancers with a strong background in Jazz/Commercial or a similar style. This is for dancers who want more stage time, stronger training, and exciting performance opportunities throughout the year whether it’s a corporate gig, charity night or the Bunnings Xmas Party - our troupe dancers have done it all!
If you have any questions or can’t attend but are interested in joining please don’t hesitate to contact us. Otherwise, book your place now!
Nutcracker Auditions - Saturday 31st Jan & Sunday 1st Feb at Mitchell, Studio 1
Our annual production of The Nutcracker In July is open to all adult ballet dancers aged 16+, or our Teen Program students. This is for ballet students who want to work towards a long-term project. Your level of commitment and participation is completely up to you but over six months we deliver a full-scale, professional-quality, narrative ballet complete with sets, costumes, props and our own Canberra edition of the most famous ballet.
If you can’t make it in-person, we are happy to accept video applications. This can even be your concert video! Check out all the information here and hurry to book your place in the Beginner-Elementary Audition or the Intermediate-Advanced Audition. Our cast numbers grow every year!
If you’re feeling nervous for the auditions - please don’t! These are auditions done 6P style! We aim to create a welcoming and supportive environment for you and the good news is - just by coming along, you’re already in! We just use an auditions process to check you’re in the right level and to look for stand out performers for the distinct roles!
That’s all for now until some exciting announcements come February everyone!
Happy dancing,
Anouska