Artistic Director

Tony (Yue) Shi

Tony (Yue) Shi is the Founder and Director of Yue Dance Academy, and a highly respected ballet and contemporary dance educator based in Brisbane. Over the past seven years, he has trained exceptional dancers across competitive, pre-professional, and adult levels, collaborating with numerous full-time and part-time dance programs across the city. Many of his students have gone on to study and perform with prestigious institutions and companies worldwide.

Tony’s teaching is rooted in internationally recognised standards, combining technical precision, artistry, and a deep understanding of safe, sustainable training. His approach blends the discipline of classical ballet with the expressiveness of contemporary dance, fostering creativity, confidence, and resilience in every student.

He began his full-time training at the Beijing Dance Academy at the age of 11, studying for seven years in the Vaganova method. He then earned a full scholarship to the New Zealand School of Dance through the Asian Grand Prix competition in Hong Kong, graduating with a Diploma in Dance. His professional career includes performing with Royal New Zealand Ballet under Ethan Stiefel, Singapore Ballet led by Janek Schergen, and Queensland Ballet under Li Cunxin. Tony has worked with renowned choreographers such as Liam Scarlett, Kinsun Chan, Edwaard Liang, and Nils Christe, gaining extensive experience in both classical and contemporary repertoires.

In addition to performing, Tony has contributed to the Advanced Ballet Syllabus for the Australian Teachers of Dancing and is a Registered Progressive Ballet Technique (PBT) teacher. He is a Registered Teacher of the Royal Academy of Dance (RTS), having completed the Professional Dancers’ Graduate Teaching Diploma (PDGTD) with the Royal Academy of Dance.

At Yue Dance Academy, Tony’s vision is to create a supportive and inspiring environment where every dancer — from beginner to aspiring professional — can achieve their personal best while developing a lifelong love of dance. Because every step is a journey, and every journey deserves to be nurtured.

Our Teachers

Mana Ogawa

Mana Ogawa is a highly accomplished and multi-talented dance educator and movement specialist, with professional training in both classical ballet and contemporary dance at the New Zealand School of Dance and Sydney Dance Company before dancing professionally as an independent artist.

Her extensive performance and teaching background spans ballet, contemporary, jazz and Pilates, making her a sought-after instructor known for her versatility, precision and warm teaching style.

Mana is a qualified Pilates practitioner and is one of the few certified Pilates Educators in Queensland with Pilates ITC (Pilates International Training Centre) — a testament to her dedication to quality movement education. Her Pilates expertise plays a key role in supporting dancers' strength, technique, and injury prevention, offering a thoughtful and holistic approach to training.

In addition to her dance and Pilates credentials, Mana also brings professional screen experience to her teaching, having appeared as a semi-regular character ‘Lily’ in seasons 2 and 3 of the hit TV series Dance Academy.

Mana teaches across all levels and age groups, combining her technical expertise with a nurturing and empowering presence. She is deeply committed to helping every student move with purpose, artistry, and confidence — whether they are dancing for joy or training for the stage.

Neneka Yoshida

Guest Teacher | Ballet | Pointe

Neneka Yoshida was born in Kanazawa, Japan, and began her ballet training at the age of 3. At 15, she moved to Paris to study under the esteemed Dominique Khalfouni. She later trained in Madrid for a year with Victor Ullate before returning to Paris, where she studied at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (CNSMDP) under Claude de Vulpian, Clairemarie Osta, and Isabelle Ciaravola, graduating with a diploma in 2013.

A finalist at the 2013 Prix de Lausanne, Neneka was offered a position with Queensland Ballet in 2014 by Artistic Director Li Cunxin AO. She was promoted to Principal Artist in 2021, recognised for her exceptional technique, artistry, and stage presence.

Grace Willmott

Jazz | Contemporary

Grace began her dance journey at the age of four and has since built a strong foundation across a diverse range of styles, including Ballet, Jazz, Contemporary, Hip Hop, Musical Theatre, and Latin. In addition to her classical and commercial training, she has extensive experience in specialty skill performance disciplines and children’s character entertainment.

After years as a competitive dancer throughout her schooling, Grace pursued pre-professional training, completing her Certificate III in Dance and refining her craft through the elite Mission Master Course. Her dedication and versatility have led to numerous performance opportunities, and she is proudly represented by agencies such as Evolution Management and Velvet Rope Entertainment.

Beyond performing, Grace has spent the past nine years teaching at various studios in Brisbane and the Gold Coast, including running her own small studio for five years. She is also passionate about dance education within schools, having developed and delivered multiple in-school dance programs for the Primary Education System.

With her extensive performance experience and commitment to education, Grace brings both skill and heart to every aspect of her work in the dance industry.

Ava Fookes

Associate Teacher

Ava is a passionate and dedicated Associate Teacher at Yue Dance Academy with extensive training and performance experience across a range of dance styles. She continues to train in RAD Classical Ballet, CSTD Modern Jazz, and Contemporary Dance at Yue Dance Academy, building on the strong foundation she developed during her earlier training at Kimberley Woodger Dance Academy.

Throughout her dance journey, Ava has successfully competed in numerous eisteddfods as both a soloist and troupe member, demonstrating versatility, artistry, and a strong commitment to excellence. She has also participated in the Royal Academy of Dance's Jacqui Moreland Awards as both a competitor and performer and has performed as a featured cast member in Claresco and as a soloist in Living Colour with the Brisbane Youth Dance Company.

Beyond dance, Ava is also a dedicated singer and actor, bringing her passion for the performing arts to the stage through musical theatre productions including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and School of Rock.

Drawing on her diverse training and performance experience, Ava is passionate about inspiring the next generation of dancers. She strives to create a positive, supportive, and encouraging learning environment where every student can develop confidence, creativity, strong technique, and a lifelong love of dance.

Amy Buhner

Ballet

Amy is a passionate and dedicated dance educator with seven years of experience teaching students of all ages. With a strong interest in evidence-based practice, she is committed to using dance as a powerful tool to support physical health, mental well-being, and overall personal development.

Trained in Classical Ballet, Jazz, and Contemporary techniques, Amy brings both versatility and depth to her teaching. She holds a Certificate IV in Dance Teaching and Management and is currently completing a Bachelor of Education (Secondary) and a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Dance) at the Queensland University of Technology.

Amy’s teaching philosophy centres on creating an engaging, supportive, and inclusive learning environment where every student feels empowered to grow. Her ultimate goal is to ensure each dancer experiences the physical, mental, and social benefits of an enriching dance practice. Through her thoughtful, student-focused approach, Amy strives to inspire young dancers to reach their full potential and develop a lifelong love for the arts.

Charlotte Pauli

Contemporary

Charlotte began dancing at the age of four, training in Jazz, Ballet and Contemporary. Throughout her training, she completed all vocational RAD Ballet examinations and CSTD Jazz examinations, and in 2022 achieved her CSTD Jason Winter’s Level 6 Teacher’s Certificate.

In 2023, Charlotte moved to Perth to undertake a Bachelor of Arts (Dance) at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA), specialising in Contemporary Dance. During her studies, she participated in a range of creative processes and was selected for an exchange program at SUNY Purchase in New York, where she trained in Modern and Contemporary Dance under artists with connections to renowned companies including Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Limón Dance Company and Merce Cunningham Dance Company.

Since graduating in 2025, Charlotte has continued to perform and create across a range of projects, including working with artists such as FIA and developing her debut dance film, Where We Meet. Her professional practice reflects her passion for contemporary performance, creativity and exploring the relationship between movement and storytelling.

As a teacher, Charlotte is passionate about creating a positive and encouraging environment where students can develop their technique, confidence and creativity. She believes dance should be a space where every student feels supported to explore their individuality, build confidence and develop a genuine love for movement.

Emma Ortez

Pre Pointe | Pointe

Emma Ortez, former professional dancer with the English National Ballet and Hong Kong Ballet companies, is an internationally recognised teacher and coach.

Emma began her teaching career in Hong Kong at the Jean M. Wong School of Ballet, one of the most prestigious ballet institutions in the Asia-Pacific region. She also taught and coached in the ballet stream at the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts. Alongside teaching, Emma gained extensive choreographic experience, creating works for major cultural events, including five consecutive years for the Cathay Pacific International Night Parade, as well as for the Hong Kong Star Awards ballet competition and other gala performances.

Since returning to Australia, Emma has worked as a freelance teacher and guest coach across the country and abroad, specialising in advanced and full-time training, offering expertise in open classical technique, pointe, variations and repertoire, floor barre, stretching and body conditioning, as well as specialised boys’ coaching.

She is also a registered teacher of the Royal Academy of Dance, having entered students for exams from Pre-Primary through to Solo Seal.

Emma is passionate about nurturing dancers at all stages of their journey. Many of her students have achieved outstanding success, earning scholarships through the Youth America Grand Prix, winning prizes at major international competitions such as the Prix de Lausanne and Varna, and gaining places—often on scholarship—at some of the world’s leading schools, including the Royal Ballet School, English National Ballet School, Paris Opera Ballet School, Princess Grace Academy, School of American Ballet, and Australian Ballet School, amongst others.

Emma loves sharing her passion for ballet and inspiring the next generation, many of whom are now dancing with world-renowned companies including the Royal Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, Norwegian National Ballet, Hamburg Ballet, Australian Ballet, Hong Kong Ballet, National Ballet of Canada, and American Ballet Theatre.