2026 Adjudicators

We are very pleased to welcome our Eisteddfod Adjudicator, Susan Sargison and  our Hip Hop Night Adjudicator, Gina Michael.

Susan Sargison

Susan Sargison’s dance career began early, starring as Clara in the Tasmanian Ballet Company’s Nutcracker production.  After graduating from the Australian Ballet School and performing with the Company, her professional stage appearances included Coppelia, Carmen, Giselle, The Three Musketeers, Poems and City Dances.  She led roles with the Heidelberg Ballet Ensemble, Rex Reid Ballet Company and The Victorian State Opera.  Continuing her dance journey, Susan proved herself a reliable Australian dancer by transitioning into musical theatre.  She worked regularly in the West End’s Commercial and Musical Theatre industries, performing in London, Portugal and Vienna.  Her Australian performances include the original cast of Seven Little Australians and Countdown.  For 25 years, Ms Sargison operated her own dance school in metropolitan Melbourne as Artistic Director.  More recently, she served as Associate Director of the National Theatre Ballet School from 2018 to 2023.  During this time, she also taught at tertiary level from Certificate IV to Advanced Diploma.

Since 1991, Ms Sargison has been an active adjudicator at numerous dance competitions and Eisteddfod’s across Australia and overseas.  She has extensive experience adjudicating Classical Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Musical Theatre, Lyrical, Contemporary, Song and Dance and National Character. In addition, Ms Sargison is an examiner for The Royal Academy of Dance.

Gina Michael

Gina Michael is a renowned dance educator and choreographer with over 10 years of experience in the dance industry. She has taught in over 40 countries around the globe. With a deep passion for cultivating artistry and technical skill, Gina has influenced and mentored a wide range of dancers, from beginners to professionals.

Gina brings a wealth of experience having been a World Finals Judge at Hip Hop International, technical director of Hip Hop International Australia and Head Judge of HHI Australia.  She also has performance credits including Robbie Williams and Delta Goodrem performance in the AFL Grand Final 2022, Snoop Dogg AFL grand final performance 2025 and Grand Finalist on Australia’s Got Talent. Gina has been a Choreographer for artists including Bliss n Esso, Fatai (The Voice) and Ecca and she is Founder and Director of Ascendant Dance Company.