Laycock St Dance
About Us
A bit about
Laycock St Dance
Opened in 2014, in Laycock Street North Gosford, our performing arts studio is well recognised for it’s strong ethos, proud history and brave new work spread across the many genres that we teach. Including multiple forms of dance, we extend our Students performance experience with vocal and drama classes aiming for a well rounded, confident performer that can use their performing arts education to enhance their adult life.
Currently operating out of our 6 studio facility in Manns Road West Gosford, our Teachers are dedicated professionals who aim to teach each student to their individual strengths. Class spaces are limited to enhance the students learning opportunity and our in house policies are written with care, experience and legislative consultation to ensure a safe, friendly and competent environment for our members.
We specialise in Highland and Scottish National Dance, through the Scottish Dance Teachers Alliance (Glasgow) and conducted under the Veronica Law School of Highland and Scottish National Dancing, which has been a leader in this genre since 1963.
Our Tap classes use the Tapatak OZ syllabus, our Ballet is conducted under the Royal Academy of Dance syllabus.
All our classes work across an integrated time table and our Directors personally design each students program to ensure they can reach their true potential. We believe in teaching more than dance and are dedicated to producing #AnythingBUTOrdinary
Laycock st dance
Our Core Values
Celebrate and embrace each individual’s uniqueness
Instill a great love of dance, while inspiring self-confidence, discipline and respect of the performing arts
Providing opportunities to express yourself in a safe enviroment
Douglas McFarland
Director
Douglas ‘Dougie’ McFarland is a Fellow of the Scottish Dance Teachers Alliance and Royal Scottish Official Board of Highland Dancing Judge.
Starting his dance career as soon as he could walk, he competed successfully around the globe becoming the British Overseas, Australasian and Australian Commonwealth Champion amongst his scores of Championship wins.
He was certified to teach Highland Dancing in 2002, teaching for the Veronica Law School of Highland and Scottish National Dancing before opening Laycock St Dance. Many of his students have won National, State and local titles, including over 100 Central Coast Title winners.
Dougie has performed with major acts around the world, including touring with the Wiggles and featuring in a number of their series and film clips. He is also an accomplished Bagpiper and toured and recorded extensively with both the Wiggles and Jimmy Barnes.
He is much sought after around the globe for workshops and judging appearances. A respected choreographer, his work features throughout the studio as well as choreographing for major projects including musicals, festivals and large commercial events.
Together with Joshua Lucas, they have built Laycock St Dance to be a place of strength, pride and unity, where inclusion above all else is at the heart of community.
Joshua Lucas
Director
‘Mister Josh’ Lucas has established his brand of Tap and Musical Theatre through an extensive career which spans over 20 years.
Originally taking classes in Jazz to improve coordination, he shifted to Tap and Musical Theatre where his passion saw him teaching for some of the most reputable studios on the Central Coast from the age of 16.
Introducing Tapatak Oz by Christine Denny, Mister Josh built a strong Tap corps which remains over 100 dancers strong.
This complemented by his genuine love for all things Musical Theatre, studying the West End, Broadway and Global industry. Taking parts in local productions of A Chorus Line, Crazy For You, Spamalot and Thoroughly Modern Millie as well as choreographing for the local company.
Bouncing these passions beside a double degree in Law and Communication, Mister Josh is a rare, unique local treasure known to many and loved by all whom he teaches. Mister Josh is particularly renowned for his work with neuro divergent students, collaborating with many local service providers to ensure dance is accessible.
Owning and operating Laycock St Dance with Douglas McFarland, he believes passionately in diversity and makes the studio ‘Anything but Ordinary’