Student Testimonials
“My name is Bri Skehan and I am currently training overseas at the Royal Conservatoire The Hague (Netherlands) in the Artist Certificate Program.
Tony was one of my teachers while I was in my formative years of training when I was still a student at Queensland National Ballet School. If I remember correctly, my first class with him would have been when I was about 14 back in 2019!
Tony’s passion and attention to detail was always very inspiring to me and I used to look forward to his classes every week. I can honestly say that there are many things I have learnt from him that I still carry with me to this day.”
-Bri Skehan
Photographer: Jason Christie Photography
“I had the pleasure of being taught by Tony a few years ago at The Queensland National Ballet School (QNB) while I was studying my Advanced Diploma in Dance and recovering from foot surgery. His classes were always a highlight in my week, not just because of his deep knowledge and passion for ballet, but because of the genuine care and attention he gave each of his students.
He had an incredible eye for detail and a commitment to correct technique and artistry that helped shape my understanding of movement in a much deeper way. He created classes that were thoughtful, well-structured, and always purposeful. Whether you were training at a professional level or coming back from injury, he made you feel seen and supported.
I’m now working as a Reformer Pilates instructor across several gyms in Brisbane while studying a Bachelor of Clinical Exercise Physiology, with the goal of transferring into Physiotherapy next year. Tony’s support during my recovery played a big role in my confidence to keep dancing and eventually transition into the field of movement and rehabilitation. I’ll always be grateful for the way he believed in me and for the high standards he set in both training and teaching.”
- Samantha Ead
“I had the pleasure of taking Tony’s classes for two years whilst I was attending Queensland National Ballet School. During this time I was able to experience Tony’s class work, repertoire, pas de deux, pointe technique and contemporary. I would describe Tony’s classes as an environment where quality, precision, thoughtfulness and improvement thrive. Tony’s positive gentle manner creates a productive and respectful atmosphere in which I always felt encouraged to work hard. His classes and coaching quickly became a highlight (and necessity!) of my week while I was preparing for auditions and needing to maintain my strength and technique. I especially appreciated having private coaching sessions with Tony. He would always arrive so prepared and well researched in whatever variation I was working on - ready to answer my many questions! Tony is a wonderful and knowledgeable teacher with an unwavering commitment to his students. It’s was truly a privilege to train with him and an experience I will always value greatly.”
- Abby Zerle
Photographer: Jason Christie
“My name is Autumn Williams and I am a movement artist currently living in Leeds, United Kingdom. I moved from Australia in 2022 post-graduation of high school in conjunction with my Advanced Diploma at Queensland National Ballet, where I had the privilege of being under Tony’s mentorship.
I feel incredibly lucky and honoured to have had Tony as my mentor in my years of full-time training. He has a very distinguishing style of authority within the studio which from my perception and experience stems from his own curiosity, desire to understand his students and gentle articulation of his own discernment in a quietly passionate demeanour. Both in larger classes and in private sessions, communication and cognizance felt highly valued, and the humanity he expresses within his artistry and ability to inspire are aspects of our time together that I will forever value. A memory I hold dearly and still revisit when I’m in the studio to this day was during a private with Tony, where he chose to describe the length and quality within an arm movement with a metaphor of the growth of a tree, so I could originate intention from my back. Being in a strict classical environment from a young age can sometimes estrange an individual’s relationship with movement, and I felt Tony’s internal bridge between the athleticism ballet and dance requires from a person, and the pockets of artistry the discipline allows for, was immensely strong and transferable within a working environment.
I’m very excited to watch and follow Tony’s journey as a mentor and the energy his studio creates. I’m looking forward to visiting upon any of my returns home!”
- Autumn Williams
Photographer: George Liang