DIANA DE VOS OAM, MA, FRAD

Diana was a Principal Dancer with WA Ballet from 1958/66.   In Sydney, she performed with Dance Concert, Northside Ballet Co and Kalinka Character Dance Ensemble from 1967/76.   

 Her teaching career commenced in Perth, followed by ten years in Sydney. She returned to Perth in 1977 to teach for the Graduate College of Dance, and later at WAAPA.

In 1982, she became a member of the RAD Advisory Panel of W.A, and in 1992, she became a Vocational Examiner of the RAD.

In 1981, she began higher education graduating with a B.A. majoring in History from UWA (1991), followed by achieving a Master of the Performing Arts from ECU (2018).

In 2015, she received an Order of Australia Medal for her services to the arts.

In 2012, she was a recipient of the RAD President’s Award and in 2017, she became a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Dance.       

In 2018, she completed a Certificate IV, Vocational Education and Training.

In 2021, she was awarded the Dr June Jones Award for the most Inspiring Old Collegian at Presbyterian Ladies’ College.  In that same year, she was instrumental in establishing the WA Classical Ballet Teachers’ Association Incorporated (with Terri Charlesworth) and was elected inaugural Chairperson of the Association, holding that position until January 2023.  She was honoured with Life Membership of the Association in 2023.

Sadly, Diana passed away on 9 March 2026, but her memory will live on in the dancers and teachers she inspired, and in the success of the organisation she helped to create.   WACBTA owes her its gratitude and deep respect.

Diana de Vos

TERRI CHARLESWORTH OAM 

Terri is a former international classical ballet teacher, choreographer, performer & educator.   Terri joined the WA Ballet in 1952 under Kira Bousloff, and in 1957, she was invited to perform at the International Arts Festival in Moscow, where she won the prestigious Ulanova award for her performance of the Brolga theme and story.  She also performed in China, Italy and London before returning to WA and working with the company as its principal ballerina.

In 1960, she established her own school, and later visited and studied with the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow on a cultural exchange programme.   In 1979, she established a junior professional dance course, and founded WA’s first professional contemporary dance company, Kinetikos Dance Theatre.   In 1981, she joined the Australian Ballet School as a senior classical teacher, and also taught in Japan, Hong Kong, Monaco, Greece and Italy.    She came back to WA to establish a full-time dance course for talented students, which is now Charlesworth Ballet School and Youth Ballet WA, under the direction of Terri’s daughter, Sonya Shepherd.   In 2021, she was one of the co-founders of WA Classical Ballet Teachers’ Association Inc, (with Diana de Vos) and became its very first Honorary Life Member.

 AWARDS

1957 – The Ulanova Laureate – Moscow – Youth Arts Festival

1970 – Advanced Teachers Certificate of the R.A.D.  

1987 – Fellow of the Classical Dance Teachers Australia Inc.

1994 – Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) Arts & Culture

2006 – Western Australian Citizen of the Year for Arts, Culture & Entertainment  

2015 – Lifetime Teacher Award– Australian Independent Teachers Assoc.

2016 – Lifetime Achievement – Australian Dance Awards – Ausdance 

Terri Charlesworth
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Meet Scott putman

Scott Putman is a choreographer, movement educator, director and writer integrating contemporary ballet and modern techniques into practices deeply influenced by eastern philosophy, neuro science and contemporary physics. 

He is the creator of the Elemental Body Alignment System© (EBAS) and Fundamental Conscious Movement (FCM); both of which support a holistic approach of remapping neural muscular pathways, expanding greater range of motion as well as encouraging qualitative expression for a more authentic and holistic movement practice.

Since graduating with a BFA in Dance and Choreography in from Columbia College, he has created dance works focused on the belief that choreography is the art of shaping energy in space. Scott has also danced with both modern and ballet companies such as Mordine and Company Dance Theater, Ballet Theater of Chicago, Minnesota Ballet, Demetrius Klein Dance Company as well as his own company Cerulean Dance Theater in addition to several independent choreographers such as Bob Eisen and Randy Duncan.

After extensive performing, Scott returned to the academic arena at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) where he received his MFA exploring the parallels of modern physics and eastern philosophy as a vehicle of expression and physical training.

Directly after his time at UCI he was invited to join the faculty at Virginia Commonwealth University in the department of Dance and Choreography as a visiting professor which turned into a 22 year run as a tenured professor teaching across the curriculum in both the technical and creative tracks. During this time he continued to develop his choreographic vision with Amaranth Contemporary Dance and shared EBAS levels I and II with the student body.

Most recently Scott has turned to weaving his skills in Neuro-Kinesiology, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Thai Body Work and Equine Assisted Learning under the umbrella of Emerald Energetics which focuses on movement, sound, light and equine assisted wellness. He continues to create three dimensional kinetic landscapes for professional dance companies and universities world wide.

Meet Scott putman

Scott Putman is a choreographer, movement educator, director and writer integrating contemporary ballet and modern techniques into practices deeply influenced by eastern philosophy, neuro science and contemporary physics. 

He is the creator of the Elemental Body Alignment System© (EBAS) and Fundamental Conscious Movement (FCM); both of which support a holistic approach of remapping neural muscular pathways, expanding greater range of motion as well as encouraging qualitative expression for a more authentic and holistic movement practice.

Since graduating with a BFA in Dance and Choreography in from Columbia College, he has created dance works focused on the belief that choreography is the art of shaping energy in space. Scott has also danced with both modern and ballet companies such as Mordine and Company Dance Theater, Ballet Theater of Chicago, Minnesota Ballet, Demetrius Klein Dance Company as well as his own company Cerulean Dance Theater in addition to several independent choreographers such as Bob Eisen and Randy Duncan.

After extensive performing, Scott returned to the academic arena at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) where he received his MFA exploring the parallels of modern physics and eastern philosophy as a vehicle of expression and physical training.

Directly after his time at UCI he was invited to join the faculty at Virginia Commonwealth University in the department of Dance and Choreography as a visiting professor which turned into a 22 year run as a tenured professor teaching across the curriculum in both the technical and creative tracks. During this time he continued to develop his choreographic vision with Amaranth Contemporary Dance and shared EBAS levels I and II with the student body.

Most recently Scott has turned to weaving his skills in Neuro-Kinesiology, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Thai Body Work and Equine Assisted Learning under the umbrella of Emerald Energetics which focuses on movement, sound, light and equine assisted wellness. He continues to create three dimensional kinetic landscapes for professional dance companies and universities world wide.