Nate Butler’s Studio Creative Arts High School Nate Butler’s Studio Creative Arts High School

Thank you for your interest in our performing arts high school program. We are excited to begin offering both high school education and performing arts training in one place in 2018, allowing our students to achieve their academic grades as well as focus on their performing arts training, and giving them access to the best teachers, directors and musical directors at a young age. In a fast- paced industry, this is an opportunity to get a head start.

Our high school program is an elite training program for students who are exceptionally talented in performing arts. We combine daily singing, acting and dance practice with a strong emphasis on fitness, health and mental wellbeing. We will only be accepting 25 students into our program in total across years 8 to 10 to ensure we provide the best training possible. Why choose us

In the five years that we have been running, we have proven that we are the best performing arts training institution on the Central Coast, acting as a link between the Central Coast and the professional industry in both Sydney and New York through showcases and yearly tours to New York. We are not a dance school; we train our students to dance, but our emphasis is on creating triple-threat performers who can sing, dance and act.

Our students have gone on to perform in professional musicals (Mikey Halcrow), signed record deals with Universal Music (Tori Forsyth), performed in kids shows, such as High 5 (Joe Kalou), signed with some of Sydney’s best agencies, including Les Solomon and Lambert House (Nick Geddes and Zoe McDonald), and run YouTube channels with over 100,000 subscribers (gowithflick). In addition, all of this has been achieved in only five years and when we obtained the students after they had nearly reached adulthood. Imagine what we can do if we can acquire these students at a Year 8 level and train them properly from teenagers.

Learning and performance opportunities

Working from a flexible school learning program such as this allows student to go for auditions in Sydney, which provides them with a better chance of securing roles.

Along with regular school classes and performing arts training, students will also take part in two musical theatre productions each year, for which they will work together with the older students and guest directors from Sydney. The class will also perform in their own play at the end of the first term.

Our performing arts training philosophy

We believe you can take as many classes as you like, but unless you have the opportunity to put what you are learning into practice, then you will never fully learn how to perform. Therefore, we offer students the opportunity to take part in at least three full-scale productions, either a musical or a play, a year, as well as numerous music nights and gigs, which are both paid and unpaid, to ensure they have several opportunities to develop their craft in front of a live audience. Access to the best performing arts teachers

Students will be taught and directed by industry professionals. We have access to some of the best teachers in . Students will be learning from teachers such as Pippa Grandison, Steve le Marquand, Nick Christo, Nate Butler, Leisi Edmonds and Todd Keys, as well as receiving guest workshops from other visiting professionals.

How we deliver the high school education

Students enrol separately in distance education through the Cairns School of Distance Education, through which they will take their classes in subjects such as English and Maths. This institution’s enrolled students currently include over 200 students from a number of dance schools around Australia, along with other home-schooled students, therefore it is the perfect fit for our high school program. The school provides access to the student’s individual class teachers via email and phone.

We will supply students with a classroom, high speed Internet and a teacher, who will assist them and oversee their work, check that all work is being submitted on time, and ensure the general welfare of the students.

How we make sure the students are keeping up with their studies

Students’ grades will be closely monitored by an in-house teacher. If a student does not pass all of their subjects, they will not be able to perform in that semester’s show. In addition, extra one-on-one time with the in-house teacher will be implemented to help the student to get back on track in the next semester. Why did we choose the Cairns School Fees for years 8 to 10 of Distance Education? Cairns School of Distance Education We chose the Cairns School of Distance Education for Enrolment fee of $1,400 per year (this is the 2017 price; two reasons. Firstly, they are the school of choice for the we will have the 2018 price shortly) majority of Australian dance schools. And, secondly, they offer a flexible class arrangement, meaning we can set Payment to Nate Butler’s Studio the times that the students will study and that they can Two payment options are available: access their lessons at any time. Other distance education Weekly: $129.37 + GST a week over 52 weeks (a total of providers require students to be at their desks from 9 am $6,727.27 + GST a year) or Upfront: $6,000 + GST a year until 3 pm each day, which would not provide us with the (due before 1 December 2017) leeway needed to fit in performing arts training. Queensland school term dates Our agency Our school lessons and performing arts training will run Students in our school have the opportunity to be in line with Queensland’s school terms. represented by our agency. Anyone accepted into our The 2018 Queensland school dates are: school is allowed to go on the books of our agency and Term 1: 22 January–29 March will be sent for auditions in Sydney. As we have a flexible Term 2: 17 April–29 June learning arrangement in place, students have time to Term 3: 16 July–21 September attend auditions. Term 4: 8 October–14 December

Timetable

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

9 am-12:30 pm Class Class Class Class Class

1:15 pm-2 pm Dance Dance Musical Dance Class Rehearsal

2:15 pm-3 pm Acting Fitness Musical Fitness Class Rehearsal

3:00 pm-3:45 pm Fitness Acting Musical Song Rep Sport/Games/ for Camera Rehearsal Fitness

Extra costs

Students will be required to purchase or rent the following equipment before starting the course: • laptop • headset • textbooks • uniform • dance shoes

Extra classes

If students would like to take extra evening classes, the following discounts apply: • Drop-in dance classes: $10 • High school musicals (Tuesday or Wednesday afternoons): $20 a week instead of $55 • Singing lessons: $30 instead of $39.90 • Any other class: 20% discount

Uniform

Students will be required to purchase a black varsity jacket branded with the studio’s logo, along with studio-branded track pants or shorts, and a studio-branded shirt and cap or beanie. A presentable pair of black jeans and sneakers are okay to wear, but jeans must be worn with a belt.

The prices of the uniform, which can be ordered from the studio, are:

T-shirt: $50 Track pants: $60 Shorts: $60 Winter black bomber jacket: $85 Hat: $60

How to audition

Auditions are held by appointment only. To secure an audition please contact Nate Butler on [email protected] or 0410 556 127.

High school teacher Libby Fleming

Libby recently moved to the Central Coast from England with her husband Lee Fleming in order for Lee to take up the position of the Head of Creative Arts at Central Coast Grammar School. Libby, who is a fully qualified English and drama teacher, will oversee the high school education classes.

Her qualifications include: • PGCE Performing Arts (Drama with Dance) • BA (Hons) Theatre Studies, Film and Television • Post Graduate Diploma in Creative Writing for Advertising Nate Butler BA Musical Theatre, WAAPA, Cert IV Training and Assessment, CADA

A 2005 graduate of the prestigious WAAPA Musical Theatre Degree, Nate is one of Australia’s most sought-after performance coaches. His fresh approach, youth and enthusiasm put him way ahead of his competition. Nate’s students have been X Factor finalists, made the top 30 in The Talent Development Project, and School Spectacular and Star Struck soloists, and they have worked in professional shows such as High 5, The Wizard of Oz and many more. Nate himself has played the Sydney Circuit, performing at Slide Bar, Bar Me, Lizottes, The Vanguard, The Brass Monkey, Sydney Novetel and many other exclusive venues, as well as performing in corporate gigs for major international companies. Nate has also been a guest artist on P&O Cruises. Nate’s professional musical theatre credits include The Lion King, Dead Man Walking, Encore Vocal Group and Salt Vocal Group, just to name a few.

Steve Le Marquand BA Performing Arts, University Western Sydney

Steve has been appearing on Australian television screens and stages since graduating from Theatre Nepean at the University of Western Sydney in 1992. In terms of film, Steve has been seen in Broke (Best Actor, Cardiff Film Festival), One Eyed Girl, A Few Best Men, Beneath Hill 60 (Film Critics Circle of Australia Best Supporting Actor nomination), Last Train to Freo (AFI Best Lead Actor nomination and Film Critics Circle of Australia Best Lead Actor nomination), Razzle Dazzle: A Journey into Dance, Men’s Group, Kokoda, Lost Things, Mullet, South Pacific, Two Hands, and Vertical Limit. In addition, he recently finished filming Blue Dog, the prequel to Red Dog, in Karratha, Western Australia and he has appeared in various award-winning short films, including Cliché (Best Actor, Tropfest 1996), Bomb and Franswa Sharl.

Steve has been seen on stage in Summer of The Seventeenth Doll (also for MTC and QTC), Death of a Salesman, Paul, The Spook, Buried Child, and Waiting for Godot for Belvoir St Theatre, Gaybies for Darlinghurst Theatre, Ugly Mugs (also for Malthouse), Songket, and The Return for Griffin Theatre, War of the Roses, Gallipoli, The Serpent’s Teeth, and Tales from the Vienna Woods for the Sydney Theatre Company (with the STC Actor’s Company), Holy Day for STC, and Don’s Party for MTC/STC. In addition, he co-wrote, produced, directed and starred in the hugely successful theatre production, He Died with a Felafel in his Hand.

His television credits include: Rake, The Moodys, Old School, The Elegant Gentleman’s Guide to Knife-Fighting, Small Time Gangster (ASTRA Awards Most Outstanding Actor nomination), : Razor, Sea Patrol, Laid, All Saints, Farscape, Young Lions, A Difficult Woman, Backberner, , Wildside, G.P, , Big Sky, Water Rats, Soldier Soldier, , and .

Nick Christo BA Musical Theatre, WAAPA , BA Business, Curtain University Cert IV Training and Assessment

Nicholas has directed and taught at AIM, ACTT and most recently, WAAPA for the world premiere of the new operatic drama MELBA, which was composed together with Johannes Luebbers and for which they won the New Musicals Competition at The Hayes Theatre in 2015.

He is the recipient of a Western Australian Equity Award (A Swell Party) and was the 2005 winner of the Sydney Cabaret Showcase Competition. He was nominated for the 2008 Sydney Theatre Critics Award for Best Cabaret in Australia for The Fabulous Frances Faye. Nicholas subsequently toured this show to New York, the Adelaide Cabaret and FEAST Festivals, the Mardi Gras Festival, His Majesty’s Theatre (WA), Belvoir St for B Sharp, and QPAC for their 12 Acts of Cabaret Festival.

His directing and writing credits include: Well Swung and Doorknockers (His Majesty’s Theatre WA and Noosa Long Weekend Festival), Jim Morrison: Kaleidoscope with Luigi Lucente (Ballarat Cabaret Festival, Hayes Theatre, Midsummer Festival, and His Majesty’s Theatre WA), and VAMP: The songs of Kander and Ebb for Elise Brennan (Ruby’s Jazz Room). Nicholas has worked as an assistant director on LoveBites (Subiaco Theatre Centre and Seymour Centre) and on the Helpmann-nominated Gutenberg! The Musical! (Adelaide Cabaret Festival, Seymour Centre, and Parramatta Riverside). He is also the co-author of the hit school production POPSTARS the ’90s Musical! together with Neil Gooding, which was released through www.davidspicer.com.au. Nicholas and Neil both won the Short, Sweet and Song Festival for their joint direction of Climb the Smallest Mountain in 2009. Pippa Grandison

Born and raised in Perth, Pippa moved to Sydney in her late teens to pursue acting. Her career has spanned nearly three decades and has seen her performing extensively in film, television, theatre and musical theatre throughout Australia and overseas. Pippa currently resides on New South Wale’s beautiful Central Coast.

Pippa’s recent career highlights include playing Judith Durham in the new hit musical Georgy Girl, which was inspired by the true life story of The Seekers, Barbara in Michael Gow’s Europe at the Seymour Centre, Mrs Braddock in The Graduate alongside Jerry Hall, the role of Mrs Banks in Mary Poppins for Disney/Cameron Mackintosh (Australia/NZ tour), a role in Small Time Gangster for Boiler Maker Burburry Entertainment, and the role of Elphaba for the Sydney season of the Broadway smash hit Wicked for the Gordon Frost Organisation.

Additional musical theatre credits include starring in Kookaburra’s production of Company, Michael Coppel’s We Will Rock You, the Production Company’s The Pajama Game, Jacobsen Entertainment’s The Witches of Eastwick, Ensemble’s production of Mary Bryant, and Sydney Theatre Company’s Into the Woods and A Little Night Music.

Other theatre credits include: Bell Shakespeare’s Just Macbeth, which played at Sydney Opera House and Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2010, STC’s Waikiki Hip and Black Rock, Company B’s The Threepenny Opera, Company B and Hair of the Dog’s production of The Misanthrope, and The Vagina Monologues by BCHM.

Her television credits include: Here Come the Habibs (series 1 and 2), Home and Away, Mr & Mrs Murder, Underbelly: Razor, Magical Tales, All Saints, Balmain Boys, South Pacific, Twisted Tales, Water Rats, E Street, GP, Brides of Christ, Golden Fiddles, A Country Practice, and Come in Spinner.

Pippa has also appeared in features films, such as Broke, Mr Accident, A Change of Heart, Hotel de Love, Dating the Enemy, Muriel’s Wedding, and Over the Hill.

Leisi Edmonds NIDA Musical Theatre Program, Diploma of Performing Arts CADA, Cert IV Training and Assessment

Leisi, who studied at the NIDA Musical Theatre Program, is one of the best belt vocalists in Australia. Leisi has also explored the modern techniques of Brett Manning’s Singing Success, Throga, and other classical methods. She is a skilled singer with impeccable technique and an amazing ability to communicate with her audience. In 2012, Leisi took part in the reality television singing competition, X Factor, where she was a finalist and took part in the boot camp and worked with celebrity judges and producers. Mel B said her voice “was amazing”.

Her credits include: X Factor 2012, the Sunrise breakfast show, the Tooties children’s album, Sydney foreshore Australia Day celebrations, SeaFm Bluetongue Stadium carols and Mingara Carols By Candlelight in front of 20,000 people, numerous corporate performances for John Howard, performed on the bill with David Campbell, Nathan Foley, Kate DeAraugo, Fright Night Theatre Restaurant (voted the number one comedy restaurant in Sydney), and Lizottes, Sydney and Central Coast. Leisi also performs regularly with Nate at different venues and events around Sydney and the Central Coast. Her musical theatre credits include lead roles in Rent and The Jungle Book.

Todd Keys

Todd Keys was first noticed as a finalist in the 2006 ABC television series, Operatunity Oz and has since performed in a number of Opera Australia productions, including The Pirates of Penzance and My Fair Lady. From 2006 until 2010, he sang in Christmas concerts at Sydney Opera House.

In 2009, Todd performed in The Phantom of the Opera, playing the role of Buquet, and appeared as a soloist with the London Philharmonic Orchestra at Sydney Opera House. In 2011, he toured Australia with Doctor Zhivago. His other professional credits include Oliver!, South Pacific, Carmen, and Pete the Sheep.

Our performing arts tutors. Nate Butler’s Studio 457 Pacific Highway, Wyoming, NSW www.natebutlersstudio.com.au