Meet the Team
Lisa Howell
Founder & Creator of The Ballet Blog
Lisa is the owner and creator of Perfect Form Physiotherapy. She started the practice in 2005 with the mission to create the highest quality physical therapy care in a nurturing environment. Lisa has a strong history in classical dance and is well respected both nationally and internationally for her work with young dancers, professional dancers and dance teachers. Lisa’s focus is on education to prevent injury and maximise performance rather than waiting for injury to occur. At the 2007 IADMS conference her poster on pre-pointe assessment was joint-winner of the award for the poster making “The Greatest Contribution To Dance Medicine” and continues to develop programs to educate and inspire young dancers to become the best that they can possible be. Lisa is also a qualified instructor in The Pilates Method and has had extensive personal involvement in various forms of Dance and Yoga. Throughout her professional studies and career she has continued her involvement with dance and uses her personal experience as a constant learning tool to advance her knowledge.
April Ager
Executive Assistant, Workshop Organiser, Marketing Manager, Product Creation
April gradated with a Certificate IV in Dance & Drama with the I.D.TA . Since then she has gone on to do several dance & modelling contracts in Europe before settling down in Australia. During this time she has worked as a dance & musical theratre teacher in and around the Hills district, (Sydney) alongside running her own dance School. After many years of teaching, she wanted to continue her love for dance and so she joined 'The Ballet Blog' team. April, loves the fast paced role as workshop organiser and executive assistant to Lisa Howell and is always happy to go the extra mile to help. In her free time she loves to go 4wding and follow her passion for health & nutrition.
Sammy Cessario
Customer Media Representive, Social Media Manager
Sammy Cessario began dancing at the young age of 3 and quickly fell in love with ballet, achieving distinctions in all of her RAD ballet exams. At the age of 10, Sammy was accepted into the Australian Ballet School’s Interstate Training Programme, which she was a part of for 4 years. Her first professional role was performing with the Australian Ballet Company in their 2014 season of ‘The Nutcracker’ on the beautiful Sydney Opera House stage. Whilst training in fulltime classical ballet from 2017-2021, Sammy travelled extensively overseas to participate in various Summer programs including the Joffrey Ballet School and the English National Ballet School. After completing her fulltime classical training, Sammy successfully auditioned and was accepted into multiple international pre-professional schools including Akademie des Tanzes Mannheim (Germany), Die Hochschule fur Musik und Darstellende Kunst Frankfurt am Main (Germany), Ballet de Catalunya (Spain), Ballet Cymru (Wales), Brussels International Ballet (Belgium), Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre (USA), School of Ballet Arizona (USA), Nevada Ballet Theatre (USA), the Rock School of Dance Education (USA, scholarship) and the Joffrey Ballet School (USA). Due to Covid-19, Sammy's training was postponed. Sammy has a passion for studying anatomy and using this information to help with classical ballet. She has a Certificate IV in Allied Health (Physiotherapy), making her a qualified assistant physiotherapist and has studied a partial Bachelor of Food and Nutrition keeping a perfect 7.0 GPA. Sammy is currently completing a Certificate IV in Dance Teaching and Management. Sammy loves The Ballet Blog Team as it allows her to fully develop her interest with dance and anatomy.
Jade Marquez
Product Development Assistant
Jade began dancing classical ballet at 3 years of age and has achieved distinctions in all of her RAD ballet exams. She attended Newtown High School of the Performing Arts before transitioning into fulltime ballet with The Conlan College, where she graduated with an Advanced Diploma of Dance (Elite Performance) and received her Solo Seal in 2020. Due to Covid-19, Jade has decided to place some amazing opportunities on hold at international ballet schools, whilst she currently studies to achieve her Bachelor of Arts (Dance) at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA). Jade has loved working with Lisa for the past few years and has had the privilege of filming her flexibility intensive videos with her.
Sarah Rose
Product Development Assistant
Sarah began dancing at the age of 5, and commenced full time ballet training through The Jane Moore Academy of Ballet coaching program at the age of 15. Sarah studied her dance teacher training with Lisa Howell in 2016 and demonstrated for Lisa in subsequent training courses and training books. In 2018 Sarah moved to Washington, DC to take up her position in the professional track program (PTP.A) with The Washington School of Ballet, and the following year was promoted to trainee with The Washington Ballet under the directorship of renowned ballerina Julie Kent. Sarah remained in this position till implications of COVID-19 saw her return to Australia in mid 2020. Sarah is currently studying her Advanced Diploma in Elite Performance through Sydney Dance Company (PPY2) and holds a regular teaching position at both Valerie Jenkins Academy of Ballet and Seaforth Dance Co, as well as teaching open classes for Sydney Dance Company.