Top of her class

By Kelly Yates
A BERWICK dancer will chasse, grand jeté and pirouette across the floor as she performs at the Top Class Dance concert this month.
Monique Johnson will perform in front of hundreds of VCE students at the event on 19 March after getting top marks for the routine in VCE dance last year.
The 17-year-old Year from Narre Warren South P-12 College got 42 marks out of 50.
“I didn’t expect to make it through to Top Class. I’m really excited,” she said.
The performer has been perfecting her dance skills at the Cathy-Lea Academy of Performing Arts in Narre Warren for the past 13 years, specialising in ballet, jazz and contemporary.
The up-and-coming dancer, who is currently in Year 12, plans to do a full time dancing course at Patrick Studios Australia in Melbourne after her secondary school studies.
“Dancing helps me escape from everything,” she said.
“It’s fun and a good way to exercise. And it’s also challenging at times.”