Welcome to AP Family.
Welcome to AP Family
Feel alive, passionate and be you.
AP Performers Team
Introducing the AP Performers 2025 Faculty
Welcome to another incredible year at AP Performers! Our 2025 faculty is made up of passionate, skilled, and experienced professionals dedicated to nurturing the next generation of performers. Each member of our team brings a wealth of expertise, energy, and creativity to the studio, ensuring every student feels inspired, supported, and empowered to achieve their goals.
From seasoned dance educators to accomplished industry professionals, our faculty is here to guide your child through every pirouette, leap, and moment of growth. Together, we strive to foster a safe, inclusive, and encouraging environment where talent flourishes and lifelong memories are made.
ALECIA PICKEN - PRINCIPAL
Alecia Picken is the proud owner and founder of AP Performers. Dancing since the age of 3, Alecia developed a lifelong passion for all things dance, which grew into a love for choreography and teaching.
With decades of experience as a performer and mentor, Alecia has dedicated her career to inspiring young dancers and sharing her knowledge. She takes pride in watching her students grow, improve, and build lifelong friendships, creating a supportive community that feels like family.
ISOBELLE PAPA - ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
With over 11 years at AP, Isobelle is entering her 12th year as Assistant Principal and a dedicated teacher. She leads our Ready Set Dance programme, which she has run successfully for 5 years, and has performed at numerous events, enhancing her teaching expertise.
Currently studying a Bachelor of Dietetics, Isobelle is passionate about combining dance and nutrition to support her students’ growth. She’s excited to continue inspiring and bringing joy to her students in 2025!
ASHA ROSTRON
Asha is an internationally recognised performer and finalist on America’s Got Talent, her credits include School of Rock: The Musical, multiple productions with Bonnie Lithgow, Guy Sebastian’s “Love on Display” music video, the NBA Finals in Abu Dhabi, and The Morning Show.
Asha trained at AP Performers and Brent Street, graduating as Brent Street Academy’s first Honour Roll student and receiving the Overall Most Outstanding Dancer award. She holds a Certificate IV in Dance Teaching and Management.
JESSICA SMITHSON
Jessica completed her Certificate IV in Dance at Brent Street and trained under some of Australia’s top choreographers. A graduate of the Dream Dance Company’s Show Business Course mentored by Marko Panzic, she made her professional debut in Billy Elliot the Musical and is represented by Jeep Management.
Her Performance Credits include Ricki Lee, Guy Sebastian, Samantha Jade, Young Talent Time, X Factor, Australia’s Got Talent.
CHLOE HARGREAVES
Dancing since she was 4 in Port Macquarie, Chloe relocated to Sydney and graduated from Ettingshausens PRO with her Certificate IV in Dance after being mentored by Australia’s best choreographers.
She has performed for New Ground Collective and has since began her training with the Royal Academy of Dance in the UK to soon receive her Certificate in Dance Teaching (Ballet).
JAMILA ESCOBAR
Jamila Escobar is a recent graduate from Brent Street who has been dancing for 18 years, training in all styles, having her own unique commercial style. Her impressive career highlights include performing for Sampa the Great and dancing on the Justin Bieber Purpose Tour in 2017.
Jamila also appeared in Dance Academy: The Movie and was part of Brent Street’s America’s Got Talent Top 10 Finalist team.
ZAC DE GERSIGNY
A passionate performer from Sydney, Zac fell in love with dance at age 5 and hasn’t stopped since.
Highlights include performing in Guy Sebastian’s “Love on Display” music video, the Grand Finale of America’s Got Talent with Brent Street, and this year’s ‘Guys and Dolls: Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour.’
Currently in his second year of full-time training at Brent Street, Zac brings creativity, curiosity, and play to every project.
We are the Best Dance Studio in the Sutherland Shire.
AP has been operating successfully for 20 years. Over this time we have had many great and memorable achievements.
Each year we consistently achieve fantastic results in both our ballet exams and our competition teams. Our performance teams work hard every year to create dances representing all styles and every year are always rewarded highly in Eisteddfods across Sydney.
