biography

Toni Stathopoulos (she/her) is an emerging dance artist based in Naarm/Melbourne, with a passion for collaboration, community building, and diversity across forms and contexts. She is currently completing a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Dance) at the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA), set to graduate in 2025. During her time at VCA, Toni has been taught by a range of established artists, including, Julie-Ann Minaai, Kialea Nadine Williams, Anna Smith, Siobhan McKenna, Jo Lloyd, Benjamin Hurley, Chloe Chignell, Lee Serle, and Kimball Wong. Her performance experience at VCA includes Fountain by Phillip Adams (presented in RISING 2025 at Martyn Myer Arena), Under Oath by Melanie Lane, and Diamond Rain by Wirastuti Susilaningtyas (Tututtuty) and Rheannan Port, presented as part of her graduation season.

Toni has also been involved in the University of Melbourne’s student-led arts festival, MUSE, performing in (un)tamed by Rikia Bell in 2024. In MUSE 2025, she co-devised and presented her first original work, SsYiNnCk, in collaboration with Flynn Dakis, Jesper Harrison, and Sarah Ceraso. In 2024, she was also selected to participate in a creative and cultural exchange to the Cook Islands through the New Colombo Plan Mobility Grant, an enriching experience that deepened her interest in exploring choreography from global and intercultural perspectives.

Outside of her formal studies, Toni seeks opportunities to broaden her practice and engage with different choreographers. She performed in Resonance by James Batchelor at Melbourne Fringe 2025 at The Substation. From 2019 to 2021, she was a member of Origins Dance Company under the direction of Jayden Hicks, performing in works such as The House by Lachlan Hall, Sensei by Jayden Hicks and Peter Koussoulis, and Omniscience by Kaitlin Malone. She also featured in the company’s virtual performance Our Own Island, choreographed by Damien Meredith, Jayden Hicks, and Paul Malek.

Before entering VCA, Toni trained at Transit Dance through the Origins Contemporary Extension Program (2019–2022) and the Origins Elevate Program (2021–2022). Her training and experiences continue to inform her growth as a dance artist.