About us
St Kilda Ballet School was founded in 2014 and our aim is to inspire and encourage any child who loves to dance!
Our ethos is that our students feel safe to express themselves, encouraged to try and leave our classes feeling energised, happy and confident in themselves.
We promote inclusivity, safe practice and offer a rounded and holistic dance education.
All SKBS teachers have been trained to the highest standards, with dance teaching being their profession for many years.
Creativity (ie. improvisation, choreography) and an appreciation of the Arts are introduced from a young age.
We do not enter competitions; performance opportunities include our mid-year Choreographic Showcase and our end of year Concert.
Examinations and assessments are offered but not compulsory.
We teach dancers from aged 3 to 83 yrs.
Please see our Classes page for more information.
SKBS TEACHING TEAM
HELEN GUSCOTT RAD RTS, AISTD Royal Ballet School Affiliate Teacher
(Ballet Teacher & Owner)
ERIN COGHLAN BA (Hons), MA, ISTD
(Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Musical Theatre)
TEACHER NEWS
An Australian first!
Helen Guscott was selected by the Royal Ballet School as one of only 30 teachers worldwide to be part of the first cohort to train in a pioneering new teaching method; the Affiliate Programme.
In July 2022, she travelled to London for the on-site intensive training at the Royal Opera House and following more online training and assessment, Helen was awarded full affiliation in January 2023 and became Australia's first Affiliate Teacher of the Royal Ballet School.
In April 2025, Helen returned to London as part of the first cohort to learn and qualify in the brand new ATAP Levels 4, 5 and 6. A highlight of this training was learning from repetiteurs from The Ashton Foundation, who have created solos exclusively for ATAP students.
Photo: Helen Guscott, SKBS Teacher/Owner
Helen's Qualifications
Royal Ballet School Affiliate Teacher 2023
Royal Academy of Dance Teaching Certificate (3 year course) 2001
RAD Teaching Diploma 2002
ISTD Associate (Classical Branch) 2004
ISTD Advanced 2 Tap 2007
Zumba Instructor 2010
Modern Jive Teacher 2010
Continued Professional Development | Royal Ballet School | RAD
Working With Children Check
First Aid Trained
Helen has 30 years of ballet teaching experience, starting as a Teaching Assistant (at 14yrs old) to her childhood teacher, Denise Winmill (former Teacher, Royal Ballet School Teachers' Course, former Vocational Graded Examiner, Royal Academy of Dance). Helen went on to become Associate Principal of the Denise Winmill School of Dance for 9 years, before moving to Melbourne in 2007.
ERIN COGHLAN
Erin Coghlan is an Irish performer, educator, and choreographer whose career spans stage, screen, and studio.
Erin's Qualifications
First-Class Honours graduate of The Institute of the Arts Barcelona with a BA (Hons) in Musical Theatre
First-Class MA in Theatre Practice from University College Dublin, in partnership with the prestigious Gaiety School of Acting.
Teaching Qualification: ISTD (Imperial Society of the Teachers of Dance)
Working with Children Check
First Aid Trained
Recent teaching engagements: 2024/2025: Music Theatre Lecturer - Maynooth University. 2021- 2025: Dance and Musical Theatre Specialist - Doogan Dance Academy, County Antrim
Professional performance credits:
Original cast of Emerald Storm UK Tour, created by Adam Garcia, Out To Tea (Northern Ireland Opera), Emerald Storm (UK Tour), Cinderella Pantomime (The Civic Theatre Dublin), Almost Never (CBBC), Shea & Hannah (21 Artists), Drawing The Ring of Steel (Kabosh Theatre Company), and See You in The Encore (Abbey Films).
Choreography includes the prestigious Dance World Cup, where she is a previous Tap World Champion.
Consultant for Northern Ireland - UK Young Dancer Competition
