Developing Dancers Melbourne

Welcome to Developing Dancers Melbourne (DDM), a boutique classical ballet and movement studio located in the heart of Windsor, Melbourne. The studio is run by Kate Reilly, founder and former Artistic Director of the Melbourne School of Classical Dance.  Perfect for busy ballet students seeking supplementary private training, as well as adults of all ages looking to improve vitality and fitness through gentle body conditioning work or traditional ballet class. Group classes start from $25.00 (90min) with easy online booking available for Zoom & in-person lessons. School holiday workshops available. 

Whether you seek to improve your ballet technique or gain fitness and vitality, Kates breadth of teaching experience combined with an infectious passion for dance and movement inspires and motivates students of all ages to strive for improvement. Kate has trained numerous students from beginner through pre-professional level, seeing many accepted into professional academies around the world.

Coaching Services

Classical Technique

A strong technical foundation is a must for serious dancers, and the mastery of the body begins with the right mindset. Dancers who embrace a disciplined approach to their training in the younger years will ultimately be the ones capable of attaining true freedom of expression – artistry – as senior students.  Together, we will work to strengthen all areas of your fundamental ballet technique  from the ground up, so that down the track as a senior, your technique will eventually become second-nature and you’ll be able to focus on enjoyment,  and an artistic performance.

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Pre-Pointe

A dancer’s first pair of pointe shoes is a rite of passage, and is a very exciting milestone!  A thoughtful and unhurried preparation will ensure that you can feel confident, dance safely and look beautiful once you eventually get en pointe.  An intelligent dancer never rushes her pre-pointe training because she knows that the stronger she is before she gets up there, the more likely she will stand out for all the right reasons!  In fact, those who take the time to truly master their pre-pointe exercises will often quickly overtake their peers once their teacher gives them the green light to start.  So think about impressing your teacher with your patience, perseverance and diligence, and really earning those shoes…Your dancing will thank you for it in the long run! 

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Variations

Want to learn a variation for enjoyment, comps or performance? These short showpieces from the classical repertoire are the standard by which all serious dancers are judged. Although very short – usually under two minutes – variations require killer technique and many months of rehearsal to achieve a respectable standard!  But they are also great fun, with delightful music, challenging steps and will really extend you as a dancer.  Variations can be taught on flat or en pointe depending on each dancer and generally suit students of intermediate to advanced levels. 

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Floor Barre

In Russia, all ballet dancers practise floor barre, an invaluable tool to have up your sleeve. Consider it cross-training for ballet class!  Benefits are numerous: It’s the easiest way for students of all ages to learn to feel exactly what their bodies are doing due to the immediate feedback from the floor.  It helps develop posture and strength in the whole body, correct the foot and ankle alignment, and trains musicality and co-ordination.  Miss Kate has developed a challenging floor barre program set to music, which has greatly assisted both the technical development of many of her students as well as bringing visible results through sculpting the musculature into the required classical form.

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Limber

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Body Conditioning

Build deep strength from the inside out. Drawing on many years of Pilates study and practise, I will teach you to connect the breath to the body, engage your deep core and develop true control by activating the right muscles. You can expect to feel improvements in your mind-body connection, strength, alignment and muscle tone. I still practise today many of the exercises that I learned as a young dancer – you’re never too old and they are like a daily dose of medicine for the muscles!

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Musicality

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Professional Advice

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Exam Preparation

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Testimonials 

"Kate is wonderful teacher who is very experienced in training children of all ages in ballet with a strong foundation in Russian technique, artistry and Russian Character Dance.  My daughter started ballet with Kate when she was 5 years old and she blossomed as a dancer with confidence, a strong mind set, technique, artistry and a pure enjoyment of the art form.  During the 7 years Kate prepared her and gave her many opportunities which led her to being accepted into the Australian Ballet School.  In those years I have seen her mentorship and dedication for all her students in pursuing their dance pathways. I am very grateful for all Kate has done for my daughter and its so lovely how she stays in touch and maintains a close friendship… just so special. "  – Mother, pre-professional student, now at The Australian Ballet School

"I’m so grateful to have met Miss Kate as my first ballet teacher, and today she is still my teacher. She guided me and opened up the world of ballet to me in my life . I came to her when I was 14, with no clue what classical ballet was and could barely speak any English. She didn’t give up on me, instead she dug out the strong points in me and taught me step by step from the very basic patiently. She believed in me when I didn’t even believe in myself. I received the very pure training in both Vaganova Russian ballet and the character dance from Miss Kate, also with her own floor barre exercises and Pilates exercises, I was able to improve day by day. Miss Kate is strict in class because she knows how hard it is to become a professional dancer, but she also cares so much about all her students. She gave me so much support in not only ballet but also my life, she’s always there whenever I need her. I also went to Quebec for further ballet training under the direction of Miss Kate. I couldn’t have done all of these or been who I am now without her help and I’m truely thankful for everything." - Pre-Professional student, now at WAAPA