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Studio Stocks

@studio_stocks

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Melbourne-based contemporary tap dance company.
✨ MELANCHOLIA - Return season ✨ OCT 1-3, 2026
Tickets On Sale Now!

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🖤 THANK YOU, MELBOURNE

It’s been a week since our final performance of Melancholia, and we’re feeling incredibly grateful for the support surrounding Studio Stocks’ encore season.

Thank you to everyone who came along, shared the work, spread the word, and helped bring this production back to the stage. It was an incredibly successful season, and we were thrilled to welcome so many new and returning people into the theatre to experience the work of Studio Stocks, Melancholia, and contemporary tap dance.

A huge thank you to @chapeloffchapel for welcoming us back and providing a space for this work to be shared with audiences.

Thank you our extraordinary dancers

@alyssafoenander
@_tiarnaleigh
@paige_pote
@tapdancingbill
@garry_stocks
@clairestubs
@iamlucasthomson
@jaydenwatsonnn
@jade_wood91

Lighting design @sidney.younger

Stage management @mikmanages @alannahattersall

Thank you to volunteers, and everyone who contributed their time, energy and support behind the scenes.

This production would not have been possible without you. ❤️

What has been particularly special is seeing the outpouring of support for tap dance within our community. It’s a reminder of the possibilities for this art form and the appetite for seeing tap dance continue to evolve, challenge expectations, and find new audiences.

From all of us at Studio Stocks, thank you for being part of this journey.

Follow @StudioStocks to stay connected and be the first to hear about our next adventure. We can’t wait to share what’s coming next.

#studiostocks #tapdance taken in Chapel Off Chapel by @studio_stocks

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7 days ago

🖤 TWO DAYS TO GO

Melancholia opens this Thursday at Chapel Off Chapel.

All three performances are selling fast, and the final remaining seats have now been released.

If you’ve been thinking about coming, now is the time to book.

1–3 October | 8PM
Chapel Off Chapel, Prahran

🎟️ Book now - final seats remaining

#studiostocks #tapdance taken in Chapel Off Chapel by @studio_stocks

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18 days ago

ARTIST FEATURE | ALYSSA FOENANDER

We’re thrilled to welcome Alyssa Foenander to the Melancholia stage for the very first time.

Alyssa was a cover for our premiere season in 2025, and we’re incredibly excited that she will now make her Melancholia debut on Friday 2 October.

Alongside her beautiful technical proficiency and artistry, Alyssa brings an exceptional work ethic, professionalism and commitment to the studio. She is a wonderful artist to have in the room, and we’re so grateful to have her joining us for this season.

Alyssa began dancing at the age of five, training in tap, jazz, ballet and contemporary, and developed a passion for musicality from a young age. She has trained with teachers including Julie Cattach, Jack Egan and Shane Preston and was a member of Tap Project Australia from 2017–2021, where she further developed her technical, musical and artistic skills and performed at the Australian Tap Dance Festival.

Alyssa has also participated in Australian Tap Dance Festival residencies from 2018 through to the festival’s most recent edition.

In 2019, she travelled to South Africa with the IDO Australian Tap Team to compete at the IDO Commonwealth Dance Cup, placing 6th in her solo, 5th in her duo, and 1st in both the small and large troupe categories.

Alongside performing, Alyssa teaches and choreographs, sharing her passion for tap with young dancers. Away from dance, she is also studying and pursuing a career in law.

Come out and support Alyssa as she makes her Melancholia debut! 🖤

📍 Chapel Off Chapel, Prahran
📅 Friday 2 October 2026
🎟️ One performance only.

#tapdance #studiostocks #melancholia #melbournedance taken in Chapel Off Chapel by @studio_stocks

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20 days ago

🖤 TWO WEEKS TO OPENING NIGHT

Our Artistic Director Garry Stocks sat down with company artist Lucas Thomson to chat all things Melancholia.

From Lucas joining the company at just 17, to Garry’s journey from The Australian Ballet back to his first love of tap, they talk about the creation of the work, the opportunities it can provide for young dancers, what surprised Lucas most about Melancholia, and what audiences might discover about tap dance when they leave the theatre.

🎥 Watch the full conversation and go behind the scenes of Melancholia.

In just two weeks, Melancholia returns to the stage.

🗓️ 1–3 October 2026
📍 Chapel Off Chapel, Prahran
🕚 8pm

Friday & Saturday are selling fast.

🎟️ Book now via the link in bio.

#StudioStocks #Melancholia #tapdance taken in Chapel Off Chapel by @studio_stocks

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a month ago

ARTIST FEATURE | JADE WOOD

Jade Wood is an extraordinary artist, and we feel incredibly privileged to have her joining us for the return season of Melancholia.

Jade brings a level of technique, artistry and experience to the stage that is truly world class.

Her career with The Australian Ballet spanned 15 years, rising through the ranks to become a Senior Artist and performing some of the most demanding and celebrated roles in the classical ballet repertoire.

She joined The Australian Ballet in 2011, going on to tour internationally to New York, Los Angeles, Berkeley, Beijing, Shanghai and London.

Jade was promoted to Coryphée in 2015, Soloist in 2017 and Senior Artist in 2018. That same year, she was awarded both the Telstra Ballet Dancer Award and People’s Choice Award after being nominated three times.

Her extensive repertoire includes leading roles such as Alice in Christopher Wheeldon’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Giselle in Maina Gielgud’s Giselle, Cinderella in Alexei Ratmansky’s Cinderella, Clara and the Sugar Plum Fairy in Sir Peter Wright’s The Nutcracker, Sylvia in Stanton Welch’s Sylvia, as well as principal roles in George Balanchine’s Symphony in C and Jewels – Emeralds.

Her contemporary repertoire includes works by Johan Inger, Twyla Tharp, Jiří Kylián, Justin Peck and Wayne McGregor, alongside an extensive collection of classical pas de deux and principal roles.

After an incredible and distinguished career, Jade retired from the stage in 2025.

So to have her returning to the stage with Studio Stocks for Melancholia is incredibly special.

Jade is not a tap dancer - and that is exactly what makes this collaboration so exciting. In the work, she brings her extraordinary ballet technique and artistry into a world of rhythm, sound and contemporary movement, creating a unique meeting point between these art forms.

We are thrilled to have Jade joining us for this season, and incredibly grateful that she has chosen to step back onto the stage with us.

It’s going to be very special. 🖤

📍 Chapel Off Chapel, Prahran
📅 1–3 October 2026
🎟️ Three performances only. taken in Chapel Off Chapel by @studio_stocks

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a month ago

ARTIST FEATURE | GARRY STOCKS

Garry Stocks is the founder and Artistic Director of Studio Stocks, and a Melbourne-based tap dancer, choreographer and educator.

His dance journey began in Bathurst, NSW, where he started tap dancing at the age of seven. At 15, he moved to Melbourne to study at The Australian Ballet School before joining The Australian Ballet, where he spent 10 years performing across Australia and internationally.

After stepping away from professional dance due to a challenging injury, Garry eventually found his way back to tap - the style he had started with as a child. That return completely changed the way he thinks about movement, sound and expression and ultimately led to the creation of Studio Stocks.

Garry has been a faculty member of the @australiantapdancefestival since 2019, including teaching masterclasses and leading an Advanced Residency in 2022. He has also taught and trained internationally through festivals in Stockholm, Chicago and Barcelona, and is returning to the Australian Tap Dance Festival faculty again in 2026.

Alongside his performing and choreographic work, Garry teaches tap and ballet at performing arts institutions across Melbourne, including @patrickschoolofthearts , @transitdance , stagedooracademybayside and is a highly sought-after private coach.

In 2024, Garry founded Studio Stocks with a vision to create professional contemporary tap dance and challenge perceptions of what tap can be. Melancholia became the company’s first full-length work, premiering in 2025.

With Melancholia returning to the stage this October, Garry is incredibly excited about the next steps for Studio Stocks - continuing to create new work, develop artists and explore what contemporary tap can become within Australia’s contemporary arts landscape.

We’re incredibly proud of what Garry has created with Studio Stocks and can’t wait to see what comes next. 🖤

📍 Chapel Off Chapel, Prahran
📅 1–3 October 2026
🎟️ Three performances only.

#tapdance #studiostocks taken in Chapel Off Chapel by @studio_stocks

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a month ago

ARTIST FEATURE | LUCAS THOMSON

Lucas Thomson is a young rising force in the Australian tap dance community.

His incredible technical and musical ability is matched by his professionalism, both on and off the stage. Lucas brings a maturity, focus and generosity to the room that goes well beyond his years, and we’re so excited to have him joining us again for Melancholia.

Tap dancing since the age of six, Lucas has trained with leading Australian tap artists including Winston Morrison, Jack Egan and Garry Stocks. He has been a fixture at the Australian Tap Dance Festival since the age of 10, performed extensively and achieved multiple competition championships, including being the highest-placed Australian in the 2021 IDO worldwide performing arts competition.

A Studio Stocks company artist since 2024, Lucas made his professional tap debut in the premiere season of Melancholia in 2025, as well as being invited to perform his exam solo at the Victorian VCE Season of Excellence Top Class concerts.

And 2026 has been a huge year for Lucas.

He has travelled to the Stockholm International Tap Dance Festival, performed with Tap NZ at the World of Dance Finals in Anaheim and the Orange County Tap Festival in Los Angeles, and most recently travelled to Chicago after being invited by Cartier A. Williams to perform in his show at Rhythm World #36.

Currently studying full-time at @patrickschoolofthearts , Lucas is also sharing his passion for tap by teaching and inspiring younger dancers.

We’re incredibly proud to have Lucas as part of Studio Stocks and so excited to see where this next chapter takes him.

We can’t wait to have him back on stage for Melancholia this October. 🖤

📍 Chapel Off Chapel, Prahran
📅 1–3 October 2026
🎟️ Three performances only.

#tapdance #studiostocks taken in Chapel Off Chapel by @studio_stocks

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a month ago

ARTIST FEATURE | CLAIRE STUBS

Claire Stubs is such a wonderful person to have both on and off stage.

She is a truly engaging and dynamic performer, bringing incredible energy and artistry to the work and the company. Claire has a beautiful quality about her as a performer and as a person, and she brings a real love of movement and rhythm to everything she does.

A triple-threat performer and skilled tap dancer from Melbourne, Claire has performed extensively across Australia and internationally in musical theatre and dance.

Her tap credits include Mickey’s Christmas Big Band at Disneyland Paris, as well as performances on some of Melbourne’s most renowned stages, including Hamer Hall in John Foreman’s New Year’s Eve Gala and, most recently, sharing the stage with the incredible Postmodern Jukebox.

Her theatre credits include Midnight the Musical at the Comedy Theatre, Peta and the Wolf at Chapel Off Chapel, Fame with Soundworks, Relate for Melbourne Fringe and Chicago with Parklife Productions.

Claire has also appeared in the feature film The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee and has performed featured tap roles in numerous short films with director Nick Kozakis of Visible Studios.

Beyond her work as a performer, Claire is also a skilled roller skater and Pilates instructor, bringing an incredible versatility and understanding of movement to her work.

Claire brings so much to Melancholia, both as an artist and as a person, and we’re incredibly grateful to have her as part of the Studio Stocks family.

We can’t wait to have Claire back on stage with us this October. 🖤

📍 Chapel Off Chapel, Prahran
📅 1–3 October 2026
🎟️ Three performances only.

#tapdance #studiostocks taken in Chapel Off Chapel by @studio_stocks

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a month ago

ARTIST FEATURE | JAYDEN WATSON

There is something incredibly satisfying about watching and listening to Jayden Watson dance.

His clean technique, impeccable timing and smooth, precise footwork create an incredible clarity of sound. Every step feels intentional, controlled and musical, and he is an absolutely great asset to Studio Stocks & Melancholia.

Jayden was part of the original Melancholia cast in 2025, and we’re incredibly grateful to have him returning for this encore season.

Jayden began tap dancing at the age of nine and has also trained extensively in acrobatics, jazz, ballet and contemporary. He worked through the Comdance Tap Syllabus, achieving the highest marks in Australia for the final grade, and now represents the Comdance Tap Workshops for Born to Perform in Melbourne, Tasmania and New Zealand, as well as representing Comdance BTP competitions.

In 2019, Jayden created a work for Grounded, combining tap dance with contemporary movement. He has also been a performer at the Australian Tap Dance Festival for the past five years and has been a faculty member of the festival in 2024, 2025 and again this year.

Jayden’s development as an artist has been shaped by the many teachers who have inspired him throughout his journey, helping him develop his own distinctive approach to rhythm and sound.

Alongside his performing career and various tap gigs around Melbourne, Jayden has also built an extensive teaching and choreographic practice, working with dance schools and performing arts schools throughout Melbourne.

We’re so grateful to have Jayden returning to Studio Stocks for the encore season of Melancholia.

We can’t wait to hear those feet on stage again this October. 🖤

📍 Chapel Off Chapel, Prahran
📅 1–3 October 2026
🎟️ Three performances only.

#tapdance #studiostocks taken in Chapel Off Chapel by @studio_stocks

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a month ago

ARTIST FEATURE | PAIGE POTE

Paige Pote is one of those performers who brings an incredible energy into the room.

She is fearless, strong and powerful, with clear, driving rhythms and a musicality that are wonderful to watch. Paige was an important part of the original Melancholia cast in 2025, and we’re so excited to have her returning for this season.

Originally from New Zealand, Paige moved to Melbourne in 2017 to study full-time at Jason Coleman’s Ministry of Dance, where she gained her Certificate IV in Dance and graduated with a Diploma in Elite Performing Arts.

Since then, Paige has built an incredibly diverse career across Australia and internationally. Her credits include Princess Cruises’ Sun Princess (2025–2026), Australia Day Live 2025 at the Sydney Opera House performing with Sheppard, the Beats on Pointe South Korea Tour 2024, the Kermond Creative AMWAY Show 2025 and dancing with the Melbourne Vixens in 2025 and 2026.

Her international credits also include Mickey’s Christmas Big Band at Disneyland Paris, the FIFA Women’s World Cup Draw on Sky Sport, the Airbus Awards of Excellence in Toulouse, France, and Elmo’s Circus Dream Australia tour.

She has also performed as a backup dancer for Mitch Tambo at the 2024 AIME Event and appeared in the AFL Footy Show Grand Final on Channel 9, alongside numerous other gigs and performances across Australia and New Zealand.

Paige is also passionate about sharing her love of dance with others, having been a faculty member of the Australian Tap Dance Festival in 2024 and 2025, as well as Sydney Tap Festival.

Dance has been Paige’s number one passion since she discovered it at just four years old, and her passion and deep understanding of musicality continue to drive her versatility as a performer, teacher and artist.

We’re so happy to have this powerhouse back with Studio Stocks for Melancholia this October.

We can’t wait to see Paige bring her energy, strength and rhythm back to the stage. 🖤

📍 Chapel Off Chapel, Prahran
📅 1–3 October 2026
🎟️ Three performances only.

#tapdance #studiostocks taken in Chapel Off Chapel by @studio_stocks

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2 months ago

ARTIST FEATURE | BILL SIMPSON

Bill Simpson is one of those artists who brings a lifetime of dance experience into the room.

With a career spanning more than 20 years, Bill is an accomplished tap dancer, choreographer and educator, and his experience is evident in every step. His clear, precise footwork and incredible musicality make him a joy to watch, but it’s his generosity and collaborative nature that make him such a special artist to have in the room.

Bill was a key member of the initial creative workshopping process for Melancholia and an integral part of our premiere season in February 2025. His contribution to the work began long before he stepped onto the stage, helping us explore, question and shape the piece through its earliest stages of development.

His career includes both the Australian and North American premieres of Derek Deane’s Strictly Gershwin, as well as Red Hot Rhythm’s Rhythm Junkies, which Bill also produced and which earned him an Australian Dance Award for Outstanding Achievement in Commercial Dance or Musical Theatre. His many other credits include Dein Perry’s Tap Dogs.

A regular faculty member of the Australian Tap Dance Festival, Bill has also helped thousands of people around the world discover tap through his acclaimed Just TAP instructional series. He is also the co-founder of Taptopia, a global community for tap dancers.

His short film The Rehearsal has recently been selected for presentation at the Inspired Dance Film Festival in Sydney this October.

Most importantly, Bill is a wonderful human being, and we’re incredibly happy to have him back with us for this season of Melancholia.

Always very special having him back on stage. 🖤

📍 Chapel Off Chapel, Prahran
📅 1–3 October 2026
🎟️ Three performances only.

#tapdance #studiostocks taken in Chapel Off Chapel by @studio_stocks

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2 months ago

ARTIST FEATURE | TIARNA LEIGH

There’s so much to admire about Tiarna Leigh as an artist.

She is an incredible tap dancer and performer, with a beautiful musicality and an exceptional attention to detail.

But what makes Tiarna such an important part of Studio Stocks is everything she brings beyond the stage.
Her thoughtfulness, curiosity and articulate approach to the work have made her an incredible asset throughout the creative process.

Tiarna was a key member of the team behind the very first iteration of Melancholia, contributing to the development of the work from its earliest stages and helping shape what the piece ultimately became.

A graduate of ED5 International and co-creator of Taptopia, Tiarna is an emerging performer, choreographer and teacher whose credits include Derek Deane’s Strictly Gershwin - including both the Australian and North American premieres - as well as Sydney Tap Dance Festival and Australian Tap Dance Festival.

In 2024, she was also accepted into the Verdon Fosse Legacy professional training program in New York City.
We’re incredibly excited to have Tiarna back with us for the October season of Melancholia.

It has been wonderful to see how she has continued to grow as an artist since the work’s first season, and we can’t wait to see what she brings to the stage this time around.

We’ll see you in October, Tiarna. 🖤

📍 Chapel Off Chapel, Prahran
📅 1–3 October 2026
🎟️ Three performances only.

#tapdance #studiostocks taken in Chapel Off Chapel by @studio_stocks

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2 months ago