Leadership and Governance

Andrew Stuart joined CDT in 2021 and first performed with GOLD in Imperium in October 2022. His early dance training consisted of rocking on to bands in pubs and bars; as well as discos (it was the 1980s!).

Andrew enjoys keeping fit, singing, making things, propagating plants and growing vegetables, and playing with his grandson.

Andrew is passionate about CDT’s inclusive vision of dance for all; and CDT’s role in the ecology of community dance in the ACT.  He is a former public servant with leadership roles in public health and social policy. He has been a Board member since 2024 and was Board Secretary from 2024 to 2026.

Photo: O&J Wikner Photography (detail)

Hiria Reppion joined CDT in 2003 in the old scout hall! Her dancing life started at about age six with Aina Reega, a Borovansky dancer from Latvia who installed a lifelong love of dance in her.

Hiria has been a ballet teacher since the 1990s, starting a ballet school in Katherine, NT and also teaching in schools. As a 37 year old, she went to WAAPA to study in their BA course. Hiria has a passionate interest in disability inclusion and has been a school leader in disability with ACT Education Directorate. She currently works at ACTDSID. In her spare time, she loves teaching her grandchildren to do cartwheels.

Photo: O&J Wikner Photography (detail)

Cameron Ong first took contemporary dance classes with CDT in 2018, after moving to Canberra from Melbourne. He has continued ever since, enjoying weekly classes at CDT alongside a passion for performing. He joined the Board in 2020 and has served as CDT’s Treasurer in recent years.

Cameron previously completed a Master of Science in chemistry and is a Member of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute (MRACI). He is an Associate of CPA Australia (ASA) and now works in public sector roles across Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander affairs and public finance.

Photo: Art Atelier (detail)

Frances Christodoulou has been a keen dancer from a young age and a member of CDT since 2021. She has a background in ballet, contemporary and Greek dance, and experience teaching preschool dance. Frances believes CDT is an important organisation, providing a safe and welcoming environment for adults of all ages and abilities to socialise, participate in and enjoy dance. She is excited to be on the Board helping CDT to fulfill its mission and grow its reputation in the Canberra region. Outside of dance, Frances works as a renewable energy engineer, advising businesses and governments on reducing emissions in the energy sector. 

Kirsty Hilson’s career as a secondary school dance teacher took her to the UK, Papua New Guinea and East Timor in addition to over 20 years in Australia.

In the 1990s, she performed and taught with CDT and now that she finally has the time, she is delighted to be back working with GOLD.

Yvonne loved dancing and dressing up before she even started school. In the late 70s-early 80s, she trained at the Trevor Dodd and Terri Charlesworth Ballet School in Western Australia. Inspired by her teacher, Alison Dodd, she hoped to become a ballet teacher. Instead, her parents encouraged her to become a schoolteacher.  Even so, Yvonne taught ballet in some of the small country towns where she worked.

In the late 1990s, Yvonne moved to Canberra, where she worked in a range of roles in the public service and community sector. She sat on various Boards and Committees.

After retiring, Yvonne became a certified barre teacher and completed the Creative Ageing Through Dance Skill Set with VicDance. She joined GOLD in 2022. Yvonne now teaches barre to older people and volunteers with CDT’s ZEST program.

Susie van den Heuvel has been a resident of Canberra for almost 60 years. Susie worked for 20 years as a journalist/editor and another 20 years in the Commonwealth Public Service before retiring in 2008.

Susie has enjoyed volunteering with several community organisations, including the Australian Migrant English Program, Palliative Care ACT and most recently, Meg’s Toybox lending library. She’s a past board member and acting chair of Toora Inc which supports vulnerable women. 

Susie’s introduction to Canberra Dance Theatre was through collaborations between GOLD and the Worldly Goods choir (the latter of which she is a member).

While not a dancer herself, Susie was attracted to CDT’s vision to provide inclusive, accessible and diverse opportunities for the ACT community. She values good governance and believes she has the skills and commitment to help CDT achieve its goals.