Lucinda Sharp BSc(Hons), MPsych(Clinical) - Student Health and Welfare Director, The Australian Ballet

Lucinda has been involved in the performing arts profession since she joined The Australian Ballet as a dancer in 1974. Since the end of her own stage career, Lucinda has helped many young dancers achieve their performing arts dreams through her work in teaching, staging productions and more recently as a psychologist.

Lucinda trained as a psychologist during the mid to late 90s and, immediately upon graduating, was employed as the first full-time psychologist at Australia's national vocational dance training institution. The Australian Ballet (ABS), in Melbourne. Lucinda saw this as an amazing opportunity to help young dancers prepare for the emotional rigours of the dance profession and to assist those whose lives would ultimately take different directions.

Lucinda devised and delivered a 5-year performance psychology curriculum for the ABS and has been recognised as instrumental in changing the culture of elite dance training. Lucinda has also conducted workshops for dance teachers, written articles for Australian and international dance magazines and regularly presented at national and international conferences.

Lucinda is currently combining work in her own psychology practice, Sharp Perspectives with her role at The Australian Ballet School as Student Health and Welfare Director.

Presentation: The teacher's self-image: What makes you the teacher you are

Saturday 14 Aprol (2.10pm - 2.55pm)

Throughout childhood and adolescence genetic and environmental influences lead to the development of individual thinking patterns - patterns which determine emotions and drive behaviour and become deeply ingrained with repetition. Thinking patterns are underpinned by core beliefs which develop as adaptive responses to childhood events and are strongly connected to one's sense of self-worth. Core beliefs, often deeply hidden and out of one's conscious awareness, can lead to many thinking errors that directly influence emotions and behaviour. This presentation will focus on the development of core beliefs, how core beliefs impact thinking patterns and ultimately how core beliefs influence teaching style.

Presentation: Effective communication and resolving conflict

Saturday 14 April (3.25pm - 4.10pm)

Communication, verbal and non-verbal, is probably the most important skill for a dance teacher. No matter how much knowledge you have about dance or how adept you are at performing dance, unless you can communicate effectively with your students, accurate learning will not occur. As a dance teacher you also have to communicate effectively with parents and the broader community of stakeholders. This presentation will look at different communication styles, stragtegies for effective communication, barriers to effective communication and how to turn conflict into opportunities for growth in relationships.

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