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Trained and skilled in dance, gymnastics and hip hop/breakdance, Maikolo is one of the most exciting up-and-coming artists to watch in Australia!

After completing his Certificate IV in performing arts at Dance Force in Queensland, Maikolo began working professionally all over the country. His credits so far include performing at the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards, on Channel 7’s Dancing with the Stars, and for Disney Channel music videos. He has competed in national gymnastics championships and the Hip-Hop International world championships and was a championship winner in Las Vegas.

Maikolo was also a cast member of Carmen (Opera Australia) directed by John Bell and has had leading roles for the renowned Dream Dance Company in Prodigy, Untold, Goddess and Icon.

Most recently Maikolo made his musical theatre debut playing Mark in A Chorus Line (Darlinghurst Theatre Company).

Jervis is a performer and choreographer who began his journey in the Western Sydney Hip-Hop crew scene which led to him competing nationally and representing Australia Internationally. He then undertook intensive training in all facets of performing arts and graduated from ED5INTERNATIONAL in 2017 with an Advanced Diploma in Performing Arts.

Jervis’ credits include working with artists such as Rita Ora, Keith Urban, Vera Blue, Guy Sebastian, Keiynan Lonsdale, Jessica Mauboy and Casey Donovan. Jervis was a cast member in the acclaimed Dirty Dancing (The Immersive Cinema Experience) and has performed on screen for The Voice Australia, Dance Boss and Channel 7’s The All-New Monty: Guys and Gals as well as appearing in television advertising campaigns for Westfield, Ebay and Bonds.

Jervis’ choreography credits include creative and choreographic works for Warner Music Australia, Afterpay, Arnotts, Red Bull Music, Bonds and The 20/20 Cricket Thunderettes.

Neon Lyulph Fan (they/them) is a non-binary collaborative pianist who is under the tutelage of Associate Professor, Dr. Jeanell Carrigan at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. They have been majoring in collaborative piano for two years; prior to that, they had been focusing on solo piano for twelve years from 2007 to the end of 2019 under the incredible guidance and tutelage of Judy Sun, Natasha Vlassenko, Aaron Liu, and Natalia Ricci throughout the years of their development.

In 2020 they found their love in creating music and art with many other talented artists, beginning their journey in the collaborative industry. Needless to say, they have had many notable successes in their career. Performing in Carnegie Hall, Weills Recital Hall for the first time in January 2019 as a guest performer in New York, whilstbeing able to grasp the incredible opportunity to visit distinguished music schools; Manhattan School of Music, Juilliard, and Curtis. During their time in New York, they were also fortunate enough to be able to have lessons from professors Juilliard and the Manhattan School of Music; Joseph Kalichstein and Dr. Solomon Mikowsky respectively.

In 2021, they were given the opportunity to perform at the National Institute of Dramatic Arts (NIDA), in the co-production, A Midsummer's Night Dream, performed by final-year students from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and NIDA. Neon was the keyboard (harpsichord and celeste) member of the orchestra which accompanied the vocalists of the production along with the orchestra. After gaining this incredible experience, Neon was certain in what they wanted to achieve in the world of music.

Neon is the recipient of many scholarships throughout their education from high school to tertiary studies. They were the inaugural recipient of the Emily Reinhardt Piano Scholarship in 2019 awarded by the Griffith University, Queensland Conservatorium of Music. Since 2020, they are current recipient of the Major Music Scholarship awarded by St. Andrew's College, where they continue their tertiary studies in Sydney. Within the college, they have been a significant part of the community in creating music and art to share with their colleagues. Their most recent project planned and created during the 2021 pandemic lockdown period was with the college piano trio, The Makeshift Trio. This trio consisted of a violin, double bass and piano who have brought much success to the college, despite the difficult period of social distancing. Neon created a project idea, in which their trio were professionally filmed and recorded within their college chapel where the natural acoustics and emotions of music could be felt by the musicians, Ariana Ricci, Adrian Whitehall and Neon Fan. Accompanying the performance recorded were a drawing depicting the picture the trio painted together in their mind and a poem written by Neon themself.

This is a taste of who Neon is as a collaborative musician. They have many future endeavours in collaborating with the industry of opera, dance, and art. Neon likes to keep life interesting and now focuses on what is to come, while balancing a healthy life outside of their studies and career. They are an artist of many forms and hopes to be able to discover what they truly are on their journey in meeting and building themselves and those around them.

From a young age Nat found her love for dancing training at local her dance school Hornsby Dance Centre/ IPA. Further realising her passion she completed her final years of high school at Newtown High School of the Performing Arts and Brent Street and continued training full-time at Brent Street attaining a Certificate IV in both Dance and Musical Theatre.

Natalie’s professional credits so far include performing in Gravity Guts for the Sydney Fringe Festival, on The Voice AU for Channel 9, Locreado pro dance company “Pause”, numerous corporate events in Australia and Singapore and most recently working on Opera Australia’s AIDA. A gifted actor, Nat has also featured in many TVCs for brands such as HSBC, Telstra and Mazda.

Most recently, Nat made her professional musical theatre debut in the role of Bebe in A Chorus Line (Darlinghurst Theatre Company).

Ryan is a versatile performer who grew up on the Central Coast of Sydney.

He graduated from ED5 International in 2017 under the guidance of the William A Forsythe.

Most recently Ryan was seen as “Greg” in A Chorus Line (Darlinghurst Theatre Company) and prior to this in Aladdin The Musical (Disney Theatrics).

Other credits include Don Quichotte, Rigoletto, and Don Giovanni for Opera Australia, Amazon, The Voice, Australia’s Got Talent and Carols in The Domain.

Ryan is also a highly sought-after choreographer and teacher at Sydney Dance Company and is thrilled to be a part of the original cast of LEAP.

Neel Shukla is a drummer, session musician, producer, and teacher based in Sydney (Australia). From a young age he has connected to music through a diverse range of musical styles such as jazz, hiphop, indie rock, and experimental fusion. Bringing a unique sound singularity with artists at iconic venues throughout Australia, UK, Canada, and Sweden.

After completing his Bachelor of Music at the Australian Institute of Music (AIM) in 2008, Neel has been involved in the local music scene via a diverse range of musical styles collaborating with local and international artists.

While based from Arthur Street Studios during the lockdowns, Neel worked on mixing and production with Sydney based artist releases: Kool Vibration’s ‘Party Time’, No Cigarettes’, and Liam Gale’s ‘The Desire Lines: Redux’.

Recording credits include The Blind Hot Gems x DOBBY, TILDA, Bek Sarkoezy, Silver Love Club, Dan Romeo, Cass Greaves and The Ragin Cajuns, and Mason June. TV performances with Melody Thornton (The Pussycat Dolls) on Channel 7’s The Morning Show.

Still feeling fresh from the festival circuit pre-lockdowns, Neel is continuing to create and collaborate on meaningful works in Sydney.

Neven is a variety act whose craft is rooted in live theatre experiences growing up. His creative career was born from a diverse mix of experiences as a performer culminating in the last few years dancing, acting, teasing and clowning between Cirque du Soleil and ‘The Empire Strips Back’ Burlesque overseas.

Local experiences as a creative and performer stretch from light hearted; Dirty Dancing with Underground Cinema, numerous productions with Phly Crew company, co-founding and creating two original shows with Working_Title Productions and a string of television commercials and music videos, to darker-toned productions; R+J Variations with Sydney Opera House, immersive theatre with Brand X Inc and his choreographic debut of Fates with Supply Evolution Co as well as horror film work for the likes of Russall S Beattie and Dane Hallett. Amidst a sea of competitions, residencies and community events, highlights include winning the title of Australia’s N.E.X.T Choreographer in 2018 and becoming a recipient of the Sidney Myer Foundation Grant in 2020. Recreationally, he trains and engages with street dance forms and their cultures and when his legs get tired he juggles.

Dora Maria is an in-demand acoustic/electric violinist and violist with a multi-faceted career across many genres. Currently based in Sydney Australia, Dora studied at the Royal College of Music in London before going on to work as a regular session violinist, recording for Triple J, Sony Music, Universal, NAXOS as well as feature film soundtracks. She performs regularly on electric violin as a soloist and as part of the Vixen Strings for events. She has performed extensively on Live TV, playing on Dancing With the Stars, X Factor, Australia’s Got Talent, Sunrise, the Today Show and The Voice.

Dora has performed and toured with artists including Eminem, Flume, Taku, Sam Smith, Hanson, Michael Bublé, Hans Zimmer, London Grammar, The Stereophonics, Pete Tong for Ministry Of Sound, Peking Duk, Jess Mauboy, The Veronicas, Guy Sebastian, Delta Goodrem, Rai Thistlethwayte, Vera Blue and many more.

Also an active educator she has taught Cate Blanchett’s brood whist they were travelling through London in 2012.

Watch out for her in the current Australian biopic dram ‘I Am Woman’ based on the life of singer Helen Reddy.

Shontaya Smedley was born in 2002 in Sydney, where she began dancing at the age of three. Training in a commercial background she had won Overall National Champion in Australia five times and was set to compete in America and won Overall National Champion Dancer in USA four times. Backup dancing for Pussycat Dolls Melody Thornton as well as Patti LaBelle. Shontaya transitioned into fulltime ballet and performed with Australian Ballet for Nutcracker and won various scholarships. She moved to New York to train at American Ballet Theatres Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School and performed with American Ballet Theatre for their productions of Swan Lake and Whipped Cream. Upon graduating she decided to move more into a contemporary dance direction and completed her Diploma of Professional Dance Elite Performance at Sydney Dance Company Pre-Professional Year. Now completing her second year of PPY and will be receiving an Advanced Diploma of Professional Dance Elite Performance.

Conrad (he/him) is an Australian cellist, soundscape artist and composer and since graduating the Sydney Conservatorium of Music in 2015 has embarked on a diverse musical career.

As a composer and soundscape artist, Conrad uses his acoustic and electric cellos with effects and looping pedals to create soundscapes and compositions in collaboration with musicians, visual artists and dancers. He regularly conducts cello yoga, mindfulness and meditation across Melbourne, Byron Bay, Brisbane and Sydney, provides soundscape commissions to festivals and meditation practitioners, performs solo concerts to audiences that can move, sit or lay down throughout as they choose, was a featured speaker and performer at TedXSydney 2020 on his work connecting music, mind and movement and is currently recording his first soundscape album for release in 2022.

As a commercial artist, Conrad has performed, toured and recorded with artists including Rita Ora, Darren Criss, Michael Bublé, Gang of Youths, Kygo, Ministry of Sound, James Arthur, Jimmy Barnes, Guy Sebastian, Delta Goodrem, Pete Tong, Hans Zimmer and The DMAS and in venues including the Sydney Opera House and State Theatre. He has appeared on The Voice, X-Factor, The Morning Show, The Today Show and has recently collaborated with STAN, recording cello lines for a TV-series.

As a music director, Conrad has worked across Australia and New Zealand in festivals including the Adelaide Cabaret Festival, Perth Fringe World, Sydney Fringe Festival and Adelaide Fringe Festival with companies including Darlinghurst Theatre Company, Little Triangle, Hayes Theatre Company and One-Eyed-Man Productions.