about us
As a boutique dance school in Adelaide, we trust in our student’s potential.
We offer small class sizes to ensure that each student receives personalised attention and instruction, and we believe in building strong relationships between students, teachers, and families. At The Dance Pad Studio, we strive to create a welcoming and inclusive environment where our students can explore their creativity, develop their technical skills, and build meaningful connections with their peers and teachers
We offer a wide range of dance classes, including Samba, jazz, tap, hip hop, contemporary, and more, for students aged 3 to adult. Our studio is proud to have two locations to better serve our community. Both locations have ample free parking, making it easy for families to attend classes without worrying about parking fees.
Over the years, our studio has been recognized for our commitment to excellence in education and performance. Our students have performed at prestigious venues including Gluttony during the Adelaide FRINGE Festival.
Who We Are
Our Mission
At The Dance Pad our mission is to transform lives through the power of dance by providing exceptional education and training to kids, adults, and performers of all levels, including those seeking recreational classes. We believe that dance has the ability to inspire, challenge, and empower individuals, and we are committed to helping our students discover the transformative impact that dance can have on their lives. Our experienced and passionate instructors foster a love of movement, creativity, and self-expression in every student, while also imparting a strong foundation in technique, artistry, and performance. We are proud to offer a welcoming and inclusive learning environment that encourages our students to explore their full potential as dancers and as individuals, and to leave our school with the confidence, discipline, and life skills to pursue their dreams both on and off the dance floor.
Our Vision
Our vision is to be the premier dance institution in our community, recognized for excellence in education, performance, and community outreach. We strive to inspire and empower our students to become confident, skilled, and passionate dancers, and to make a positive impact on the world through the art of dance.
Our Values
Creativity
We encourage our students to explore their unique artistic voice and to express themselves through dance in a variety of styles and genres
Respect
We promote a culture of mutual respect and inclusivity in our studio, and expect our students to treat their peers and teachers with kindness and consideration.
Discipline
We instill a strong work ethic in our students, and expect them to approach their training with focus, determination, and a willingness to learn
Community
We prioritize building a supportive and collaborative community within our studio, and encourage our students to work together and support one another as they grow and develop as dancers.
Excellence
We strive for excellence in all aspects of our studio, from the quality of our teaching to the level of performance and professionalism that we expect from our students.
Meet our dynamic duo of dance
Emma & Piter
Together for over a decade, Emma Dawson and Piter Pantoja Lopez are the owners of The Dance Pad and TDP Productions. From Adelaide to the world, they’ve conquered the dance scene with their unmatched talent, expertise, and passion. They’ve created sold-out productions and captivating performances, collaborated with top artists and shared the stage with legends. Together they have built a dance family that thrives on passion and professionalism.
Emma Dawson
She’s trained in contemporary dance at the Centre of Performing Arts in Adelaide, in Latin Dance with Eddie Torres the ‘Salsa King’ in New York, in Rumba and Cuban Folkloric in Havana and in Samba in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.
Emma is well known for her extensive knowledge in ballet, contemporary, salsa, samba, hip hop, jazz, cheerleading, showgirls and cabaret.
Her impressive technical skill, combined with her deeply-rooted creative instinct makes her one of Adelaide’s most accomplished teachers, performers and choreographers.
Through her passion and professionalism, Emma has created far more than a dance school at The Dance Pad. She’s created a family.
Career Highlights
- Managed and choreographed sold out live productions ‘Cuban Flow’, ‘La Fiesta’, ‘Feel the Rhythm’, ‘Tropical Heat’, ‘Magic Cuba’ at the Adelaide FRINGE – nine years running.
- Managed and choreographed sold out live production, ‘Cabaret Allsorts’ at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival.
- Performed with artists such as David Campbell, Paulini Curuenavuli and Sean Paul.
- Worked as a choreographer/ teacher for both the Television Ballet Company & Havana Queens in Havana, Cuba.
- Performed alongside artists such as Dave Scott ‘You Got Served’, Lil C ‘Krump pioneer’ and Rhapsody James (Dreamgirls) in Los Angeles USA.
- Toured Shanghai and Beijing with the ‘Fabulous Follies’ showgirls, and Taiwan with the National Dance Institute of Taipei.
Piter Pantoja Lopez
Born, raised and trained in Havana, Cuba, Piter grew up with music in his heart and dancing in his blood.
A professional dancer and teacher in all Cuban styles and street hip hop, Piter is an outstanding performer, having danced for some of Cuba’s biggest internationally recognized stage shows.
While his rich career has seen him teaching and performing across Cuba and Europe, now, Piter brings his energy and unique street style to the Adelaide Stage.
Passionate about teaching the authentic street style of Cuban Dance, Piter’s influence reaches far beyond the studio walls, and spills out into Adelaide’s ever-evolving salsa scene.
Career Highlights
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Dancer with Pinos Nuevos Company
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Dancer with Eduardo Veitia Company
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Mundial Del Yoruba Festival – Havana, Cuba
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Toured with Folklore Dance Festival – Netherlands, France, Belgium and Germany
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‘Kings of Salsa’ International Tour
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‘Lady Salsa’ International Tour 2009
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‘Cuban Flow’ Adelaide FRINGE 2016, Cabaret FRINGE 2016
meet our experienced
TDP Team
Our experienced faculty is comprised of industry professionals and certified dance educators who are passionate about nurturing the talents of our students.
Laura
Age 3-9
Jazz
Hip Hop
Latin Dance
Laura
Laura began dancing when she was 3 with a variety of classical styles. She went on a hiatus during high school before finally coming back to dance through her culture and exploring folkloric styles from Latin America with Chonkai. Since then, Laura has explored many unique styles from all over the world including; Bollywood, Salsa, Oriental Dance, Brazilian Samba, Cuban reggaeton and Commercial dance. Currently, Laura continues to regularly train and perform with Chonkai and The Dance Pad, and is now sharing her wealth of experience with the younger generation by teaching various kids classes at The Dance Pad. Laura has a lot of experience working with children as she has taught kids workshops in both Spanish and English and she regularly volunteers supporting children going through bereavement.
Laura is a passionate performer and a caring teacher and supports students of all ages within her classes and in the Novas program.
Career Highlights:
Trained in Brazilian Samba in Brazil 2024
Trained with Shahzrad (Egyptian Professional) at WAMED 2025
Competed several years in a row at Tropicana with both Chonkai and The Dance pad, 1st and 2nd place winning choreographies.
Regularly performs at the Adelaide Multicultural festival
Performed as official entertainment during the Women’s FIFA World Cup hosted in Adelaide
Regular dancer all over South Australia at cultural, community and corporate events with Chonkai, TDP Productions and Club Farah
Dancer with TDP Productions Fringe shows 3 years – and the face of Queen Latina 2025
Dancer with Club Farah fringe show 2025
Dancer at the Adelaide Cup 2025
Dancer at the National Pharmacies Christmas Pageant
Choreographed two kids pieces at the 2025 Cabaret Fringe show with TDP Productions.
Coral
- Age 10-Adult
Jazz
Hip Hop
Samba Fundamentals
Coral
Coral has been a dancer since she was 4 years old, training at Desteno Dance Centre (now Velocity) in Jazz Ballet Technique in her primary years and GrooveXone in Hip Hop through her high school years in Adelaide. In high school, Coral was a performing arts student through the Performing Arts Program at Charles Campbell and trained in Contemporary technique, falling in love with this style and eventually joining The Dance Pad at age 20, where she has been a part of the Contemporary, Reggaeton, Commercial, Fusion, Styling and Samba classes and performance teams.
At TDP, Coral has had incredible opportunities to develop, progress, travel and compete in various styles and her performance and technique has grown exponentially and refined her passion, love and skills for performing and teaching. Over the last 7 years, Coral has been passing down her knowledge, skills through nurturing the next generation of TDP performers, teaching our Rising Stars (age 10-13 years) class.
Coral’s performance love and specialty lies within stage performance, especially Samba and has performed in the Adelaide Fringe Festival for 10 years under Emma Dawson’s creative directon and stage shows.
Career Highlights:
1st Place Tropicana Dec 2015 – Fusion Team – Adelaide
1st Place Samba Team Sept 2016 – Gold Coast
3rd Place Samba Team Sept 2017 – Gold Coast
3rd Place – Fusion Team – Brisbane Latin Dance Festival – Brisbane Nov 2018
4th Place – Samba Solo – Brisbane Latin Dance Festival – Brisbane Nov 2018
Dancer & Performer – TDP Productions – Adelaide Fringe Festival:
Cuban Flow 2016
Cuban Flow La Fiesta 2017
Feel the Rhythm 2018
Tropical Heat 2019/2020
Magic Cuba 2020
Feel the Rhythm 2021
Turn the Beat Around 2022/2023 Tropicabana 2024
Dancer – National Pharmacies Christmas Pageant – Nov 2022/2023
Diana
Age 7-Adult
Tap
Diana
Diana Scalzi an Adelaide based performer, singer and dancer.
A producer in her own right, Diana has directed and performed in her own sell out shows, including Bacharach ‘n’ Tap, Midnight Soul and Diamond Lives Picture Books. Within these roles she has been nominated for Best Cabaret Fringe Performer in 2018 and performed at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival Piano bar in 2015.
Diana has worked with Emma Trinette Dawson and The Dance Pad for over a decade including shows such as Turn the Beat Around and Tropical Heat for the Adelaide Fringe Festival, Cabaret Fringe Festival and Gluttony Lights Up new years eve events and many other corporate events.
She has worked and toured with producer Brendan Fitzgerald, where she choreographed, danced, and sang in SWING – The Beat That Shook the World and Mojito. During these shows she worked alongside artists such as Nancy Ruth (Spain), Charmaine Jones (Adelaide Gospel singer), and Anita Wardell (London).
A songwriter who now has her debut pop album available on all streaming services using her stage name Dee Anna, featuring her hit song Follow. Her pop music debut featured Alexander Flood on drums and local rap artist NER$H, at Holden Street Theatres as part of the Umbrella Music Festival in 2021.
Other dance work includes being a backup dancer for Kat Jade’s Five Foot Gaga, Lady Gaga tribute show and corporate shows for local entertainment company Ding.
Diana originally trained through Sydney’s Brent Street Studios, studied RAD ballet through Sheila Laing Academy of Performing Arts and is a qualified Personal Trainer and Pilates instructor through the Australian Institute of Fitness and Studio Pilates.
April
Oriental
April
Drawn in by the richness of Middle Eastern music and beautiful costumes, April discovered ‘belly dance’ in her late teens and was instantly addicted. More than a decade later, the incredible depth of the dance continues to drive her passion for learning, having studied with an impressive list of local, interstate and internationally recognised dancers across a variety of Middle Eastern folkloric, oriental and fusion styles. For 10 years she had the privilege of being trained and mentored by one of Adelaide’s most knowledgeable and experienced international Oriental dancers and teachers, Keke, and then studied intensively for a number of years under the star international, award-winning dancer, Kadia.
April has been performing Oriental style for 10 years as part of multiple Adelaide-based troupes and as a soloist, and is the producer of Club Farah – Cairo Cabaret, which sold out it’s first season at the Adelaide Fringe in 2023. As a teacher, it is her absolute joy to share her passion for Oriental dance with her students and watch them grow in confidence as they gain new skills and collect those ‘light-bulb’ moments. April aims to educate her students in the important cultural aspects of the dance as well as safe technique, and to create a supporting, welcoming and fun environment for all.
Career Highlights
Adelaide Fringe soloist and featured Artist with TDP Productions Queen Latina
Soloist and Performer with TDP Productions at the Royal Adelaide Show