Board

Julie has worked across the disciplines of music, theatre, visual and performing arts in general management, fundraising, sales and marketing for over 25 years. Her experience in both the commercial (Steinway & Sons) and non-profit (arts and health sectors) provide her with unique insight into what is required for successful and sustainable partnerships.

Julie has a solid background in non-profit governance, having also been part of the Singapore Government’s workgroup to develop a national Code of Governance for non-profits. In particular, Julie’s belief in and understanding of the Arts has enabled her to walk the fine line of building commercially robust organisations whilst retaining absolute integrity of artistic purpose.

Charl brings over 10 years of private client experience to the Ausdance National board. He has firmly established expertise in advising investors, high net wealth family groups, medical professionals, directors and private companies.

Charl provides taxation, accounting and business services. He seeks to understand his clients’ unique accounting and taxation needs in the broader context of their overall investment strategy, financial, family and personal goals. Charl has a particular interest and experience in advising multigenerational family groups on managing and protecting intergenerational wealth through tax effective legal structures.

Experienced in understanding and servicing complex family group investment and business structures, Charl also understands the crucial role that Self-managed super fund (SMSF) structures can play in his clients’ investment and asset protection strategies. He successfully advised his SMSF clients through the landmark changes to the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act enacted in July 2017.

Charl believes his key strengths include his detail-oriented and systematic approach, as well as his ability to explain complex financial and tax concepts in a simple, easy to understand manner.

Qualifications and affiliations:
• Bachelor of Economics – University of Sydney
• Member of Chartered Accountants Australia & New Zealand.

Before coming to Canberra in October 2020 to take up the role of Director at Ausdance ACT, Dr Adamek was President of Ausdance SA and is currently the ACT rep on the Ausdance National board.

For Ausdance SA, she was elected by member vote onto a new skills-based board in 2015 and then as secretary in 2016, to steer the organisation from the brink of collapse when federal and state funding ceased.

In 2020 Cathy advocated for dance directly to State government, accelerating during the COVID outbreak for the Safe Return to Dance Guidelines to be accepted as a measure for the easing of restrictions for dance studios. Cathy also re-established programming of local independent work by the Adelaide Festival Theatre with local dance organisations The Mill and Dance HubSA where she was associate artist.

Cathy is a dance theatre maker and director, instigating many award-winning projects and events (Dance Australia Award for Innovation, The Advertiser Weekly Fringe Award for Best Show, Renew Adelaide award for Best Community Event), working on site specific as well as theatre projects and regional and national tours. She was awarded a doctorate for her thesis on Adelaide Dance Music Culture, and has presented seminars and lectures on the topic nationally and internationally.

Deborah has a lifelong passion for bringing the health and wellbeing benefits of dance to everyone. With a strong background in dance and teaching, she also brings extensive experience from the corporate world. Deborah’s diverse career includes leading regional and corporate teams at Parks Victoria, advocating for the health benefits of nature.

Her enthusiasm for long-term vision led her to consulting, where she worked with sectors such as fisheries, local government, agriculture, private industry, community, and the environment on workforce planning, diversity and inclusion projects, and stakeholder engagement. She brings passion, strategic thinking, and an empowering attitude to Ausdance VIC.

Amy Wiseman engages with dance as an artist, teacher, producer and advocate. A graduate of WAAPA’s LINK Dance Company, Amy established a career as a dancer alongside developing interests in education, collaboration and producing. Amy was Ausdance WA’s Projects Manager from 2014-2018, and in this time helped to re-establish an Education program to support dance educators as well as delivering successful participation programs spanning all ages and experiences.

Amy was also an artist member of the STRUT Dance Board from 2013-2019, then STRUT’s Communications and Program Manager 2020-2023. Amy became Executive Director of Ausdance WA in July 2024, after working as Associate Director for 6 months. She is thrilled to have stepped into a role that culminates her passions across the sector and allow for advocacy at a local, state and federal level.

Creatively, Amy is a founding member of Boorloo/Perth-based collective Unkempt Dance, and has choreographed, produced and performed award-winning works with Unkempt both locally and nationally. She has been an independent teacher of dance in metropolitan secondary and dance schools for 16 years. Amy currently sits on the WAAPA/ECU Dance Consultative Committee, the Ausdance National Education committee and now the Ausdance National Board.

Amanda has been an arts educator and leader for over 30 years in the public and independent school systems across regional and metropolitan South Australia. She is currently President of Ausdance SA.

Following a dance performance career, Amanda completed a Bachelor of Performing Arts (Dance) at the University of Adelaide and a Grad. DipEd. in secondary education. As a Dance and Drama specialist and arts leader, she has established dance programs in a number of SA schools and has worked with the SACE Board as a dance examiner, moderator and writer.

As Curriculum Manager: The Arts, for the SA Department for Education she leads curriculum development in Dance, Drama, Music, Visual Arts and Media Arts. Her most recent focus has been the new SA curriculum for public education. A strong advocate for arts education, she values the creativity, resilience and critical thinking the arts foster in young people.

An Ausdance member since university days, Amanda contributed regularly as a review writer. She was education correspondent for Dance Australia for several years, facilitated the Twinning projects for Panpapanpalya in 2018, and has served on the Ausdance SA Education sub-committee for many years. Amanda maintains a passion for the arts—doing it, watching it, sharing it, and discussing it… and she never misses her Saturday morning dance class.

Jane has a long association with Ausdance since moving to Canberra as a dance teacher in the secondary school and private studio sectors. She has made significant contributions to the growth of dance in the ACT secondary College sector (Years 11 and 12) through curriculum development work. Jane has experience on arts boards including Ausdance ACT, the Arts Council of the ACT, Vis-à-vis, The Australian Choreographic Centre and currently, QL2 Dance as Deputy Chair. Her professional work is currently with the ACT Teacher Quality Institute in the area of teacher standards and recognition. Jane now returns to Ausdance National as the Public Officer, having previously held this role when Ausdance first became an Incorporated Association in the 1980s.