OUR TEACHERS
TOP EXPERTS
Our staff were carefully handpicked to ensure you get the best experience. They are experts of the industry and must have tertiary education, Blue Card, prior experience and spotless reputation. Above all, our teachers are caring, enthusiastic and positive individuals who always have our student's best interests at heart.
Ms Olga Lissovskaia
Director & Principal Choreographer
Classical Ballet & Prep Dance program
Ms Olga is a recognized teacher and principal choreographer of the studio with over 30 years of experience in teaching ballet and other forms of dance. She recalls discovering her passion for ballet as early as at 3 years old. She started dancing at the age of 6 at the studio that she many years later overtook as a director and principal choreographer. Ms Olga’s early love for ballet made dancing the case of her entire life.
After dancing all her childhood, Ms Olga went on to study the art of dance further. She successfully completed a Graduate Diploma in Cultural and Educational Work majoring in Dance at the State College of the Arts. She continued her studies in the field of Choreography and went on to study Ballet Choreography and Production at the Kemerovo State Academy of Culture and Arts, expanding her knowledge and skills as a choreographer and teacher. After a few years of teaching, Ms Olga returned to study again and completed a Master equivalent degree further expanding her knowledge and skills in pedagogy.
After moving to Australia, Ms Olga accepted the challenge of working in a completely new dance environment and attained positions at two different dance schools in Queensland. She proved her natural talent for teaching when her students received excellent results at Examinations and at local Competitions.
After gaining extensive experience at local dance schools and learning the environment, systems and local standards, Ms Olga decided to combine her experience in running her own studio in the past with local knowledge. In 2004 Ms Olga laid the foundation for what is now Maximo Dance Studio and began teaching independently again. Throughout the years Ms Olga inspired many of her students to become professional dancers, choreographers and teachers and she continues her work at the studio providing highest quality of dance education and sharing her passion for ballet with her students.
Ms Alessandra Palmisano
Dance Teacher
Contemporary, Lyrical, Jazz, Prep Dance Program
Choreographer, dancer and dance teacher Ms Alessandra has dedicated her life to the art of dance. She began dancing since a very young age and quickly developed a life long passion that turned into a career, both as a performer and a dance teacher/choreographer. Ms Alessandra studied in several prestigious dance schools in Rome, Italy with some of the best choreographers and teachers in the world, exploring different styles and cultures, and developing a special passion for Contemporary style. Her later Classical Ballet training was in the Vaganova method, which she finds is the best method for Classical Ballet and other style dancers alike.
Upon reallocating to Australia, Ms Alessandra continued her journey in the dance industry and remains very involved, keeping up to to date with new trends and developments. She has furthered her education by completing Certificate 3 in Teaching at the Australian College of Dance and received an Award of Excellence for outstanding level of determination and commitment towards her studies and passion for art of dance and dance teaching. Ms Alessandra is currently involved in a number of dance projects, teaches at several schools across Brisbane and is working on developing her own teaching method that combines over 30 years of her experience in the field of dance, in order to improve the performance and experience of the dancers.
Ms Nicola Lim
Dance Teacher
Contemporary, Lyrical, Hip-Hop, Acrobatics, Prep Dance Program
Nicola has been dancing since the age of three and has performed both nationally and internationally, scoring highest as soloist in many competitions. She has began her career as a Choreographer at the early age of 14, choreographing both group and solo dances and was awarded Best Choreography award.
Nicola has a strong passion for various dance genres including lyrical, contemporary, jazz and acrobatics and has undergone rigorous training in these fields. Nicola is currently studying a double degree in Dance and Education at Queensland University of Technology and is excited to share her knowledge and love of dance with the students at Maximo Dance Studio.
Ms Emma Nowochatko
Dance Teacher
Contemporary, Lyrical, Jazz, Musical Theatre, Prep Dance Program
Miss Emma commenced her dance training at an early age, which quickly grew from a serious hobby, where she was taking most classes available for her level, to later a dancing and teaching career. She has completed Bachelor of Fine Arts majoring in Dance at Queensland University of Technology with Distinction in 2022. Ms Emma is currently teaching at her home school where she took her first dance steps and at Maximo Dance Studio. Her soft and caring approach to students ensures a positive and encouraging learning environment in class and a steady progress in technique and mastery in dance.
As part of her ongoing dance practice Ms Emma performed in the Wizard of Oz, Grease, at the Disneyland LA, Universal Studios City Walk, and Hollywood Boulevard, as well as many local Eisteddfods and community events, giving her a lot of experience and knowledge to share with her students.