Our Family – Advance With Health
Our Service Providers
Dianna Lee – Owner at Advance With Health
I have run my own dance company for the past 10 years and have always felt a desire to expand into new areas, which incorporate the skills I have gained through becoming a mother and health practitioner. I came up with Advance With Health, to offer both practical advice and hands-on treatment for women in general, and mothers in particular. We all need tools to help us improve our health, and sense of wellbeing and mental balance.
I have chosen a group of very dedicated, down-to-earth Dance and Yoga teachers to join me in this journey. Also included in the program are highly-qualified professionals covering a wide spectrum of health-related issues which we will be seeking to address. “Advance with Health” has put together online health forums, seminars, dance workshops and classes to help facilitate and lead the way to optimal health.
Originally from New Zealand, I took to athletics at the age of 5. This very quickly grew into a passion for gymnastics and dance. I began training at the Karen MacLeod School of Dance and went on to compete nationally in my early teens.
I moved over to Australia when I was 18, studying at the Australian College of Natural Therapies, where I trained as a sports injury therapist and remedial massage therapist, I have worked alongside chiropractors and osteopaths for nearly a decade. I have always strived to help educate people about the benefits of postural awareness and a healthy lifestyle. In 1998 I started to teach dance to children and eventually opened my own dance studio in 2000. This included therapies under the umbrella of “Advance with Health” in 2001.
I love working with children, seeing them delight in movement. Having children of my own has opened my eyes to the difficulties of motherhood and their precarious struggle to keep a work-life balance within the wider community.
Looking after mothers, and attending to the need of them and their children must surely be one of the most important jobs in the world! Yet I am seeing so many having difficulty giving time and attention back to themselves. I have started these workshops for teens, young adults and professional Sydney women – but most importantly we are devoted to all the incredible mothers. These workshops are there to uplift and enlighten, to bring the balance back – returning the mothers to themselves and their joie de vivre.
Jan Roberts
Jan Roberts has spent more than 40 years in the health care industry, 25 of those working in the area of women’s reproductive health. She is a Pharmacist with a postgraduate diploma in Clinical Nutrition and the Australian representative for Foresight the UK Association for the Promotion of Preconceptual Care. As co-author of the international best-selling series The Natural Way to Better Babies …Better Pregnancy … Better Birth & Bonding … and Better Breastfeeding, Jan has presented ‘preconception’ workshops and seminars to the general public and health professionals around Australia, NZ and USA since 1987. She has made frequent appearances on radio and TV and is a regular contributor to magazines and journals. “Providing the most current and easily accessible information is the foundation of my work. Through all my years of presenting on this topic, I’ve been consistently aware that most people just wish they’d known what a huge opportunity (and responsibility of course) actually rests with them!
This information is for anybody and everybody who might ever become a Mum or a Dad – your fertility is a gift that must not only be preserved, but can be enhanced and supported by your own efforts before conception.
Truly beautiful, healthy, happy babies don’t happen by accident!”
Tabitha McIntosh
Awaken Your Health is a complementary medicine & natural health clinic based in Woollahra that offers expert Nutritional services for mum’s, mum’s to be and all women planning a pregnancy. Tabitha McIntosh – the Naturopath who runs Awaken Your Health – specializes in Women’s reproductive disorders, Pre-conception & Pregnancy support, Labour preparation & recovery, Breastfeeding support, Newborn care and Children’s health.
“Getting the right advice and support around this time is essential, and can help to change the way you experience your pregnancy, birth and beyond.”
Tabitha presents at conferences and seminars throughout Australia on Pregnancy Nutrition, Post-natal Support and Infant Care. As part of the greater Advance With Health team, she regularly takes referrals from surrounding Obstetricians and is happy to work in conjunction with your GP or Obstetrician in supporting you and your baby throughout your pregnancy, birth and beyond.
Shwetambra Barar
Shwetambra Barar’s love of Chiropractic was inspired after her experience as a dancer with ongoing back pain; after trying several therapies she saw a Chiropractor who was able to manage and treat her symptoms. It was this event that highlighted the power of Chiropractic care to Shwetambra and so her journey began. After completing her Medical Science degree majoring in Anatomy and Neuroscience from University of Sydney she decided to do her Masters in Chiropractic from Macquarie University. During her years as a chiropractor Shwetambra has developed a passion for Chiropractic care for the whole family from babies and toddlers to grandparents. In addition, Shwetambra has been teaching Bachelor and Master of Chiropractic students for the past 4 years.
Her training is truly a mixed bag of arts and disciplines. She’s fully trained in Classical Ballet (BAL & RAD syllabus) Contemporary and Jazz dance as well as Bollywood. She has done several workshops through the years in salsa, Latin, lyrical and Broadway and hip hop. At present she is a resident Choreographer and dancer for Australia’s biggest film production and casting company working with India – Film and casting “Temple”. Some of her dance career highlights are: Choreographed/diverformed in honour of Queen Elizabeth on her visit to Sydney in March 06’ represented Australia in USA for “Dance Excellence” choreographed top ten rated music video clips for MTV and Channel V for India. Having represented Australia at a National Level in dance, she knows how important it is to care for the human body and for it to function in an optimum condition for life.
Dance is Shwetambra’s passion, she wants to pass it on to all the young dancers to help them flourish and feel the beats of music.
Courtney Walter
Though her interests are many, dance tops the list of passions for Courtney Walter. She earned an impressive top 20 spot on Australia’s ‘So You Think You Can Dance’. Her training began when she was just four years old. By the tender age of 11, she was performing on stage. Her talents led her throughout Europe as a dancer and teacher for many years to follow. In spite of her success, she remains as fun and free-spirited, as we all once were in our youth. It should come as no surprise that Courtney even made a foray into the world of acting at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts. Dance, however, remains her life’s passion. She has been with Dianna Lee for the past few years as an additional instructor of dance under Dianna’s Advance With Health program.
Recently, Courtney has been filming a children’s television pilot which has led her to teach and work across Australia. Her current project, the government funded ‘Vibe Alive’ , is an Aboriginal Festival that takes Dance, Art, Culture, Sports, Singing etc…into rural areas and encourages kids to finish school and follow their dreams.
Jennifer Moalem
Jennifer Moalem brings more than 25 years of exploration and pioneering in the field of human potential and Energy Psychology. Her passion and skill is empowering individuals to attain their highest potential, both personally and professionally.
Jennifer is a qualified counselor and an accredited practitioner of Resonance Repatterning®, a process for creating positive change that merges the ancient energetic systems of healing from India and China with Quantum physics and a deeper understanding of psychology.
Her experience and approach embraces elements from a variety of complementary therapies and technologies. In sessions, Jennifer draws from her studies in transpersonal psychology, art therapy, Educational Kinesiology, nutrition, Touch for Health, reiki, autogenic therapy, shiatsu, reflexology, essential oils, Family Constellations, biorhythms, Conflict Resolution … and more.
She believes that breaking free of outdated beliefs, attitudes, and actions depends on more than just increased knowledge and willpower. She says:
“The most empowering thing we can do as individuals is to commit to growing and evolving – and that takes tremendous courage, especially when those around us fear and resist change – or perceive changing circumstances as ‘negative’.
Utilizing leading-edge right-brain technologies to ‘cut to the chase’, individuals are able to realign with their potential in a life-altering way. It’s about moving beyond limiting ‘stories’ and beliefs to create ongoing and sustainable positive change.
Are you ready to break through the invisible barriers between where you are … and where you’d prefer to be?”
Jennifer has been in private practice for more than 10 years and has clients both locally and internationally. Sessions can be done face-to-face, by phone or over Skype.
Jennifer holds a BA Dip Ed, Dip TAT (MACA) and her career experience includes teaching, training, writing and publishing.
With Gratitude
Carla Werner
Carla and I have known each other for a very long time, back in the days when I first came to Sydney. We connected when I was 21 and have had a very humbling friendship ever since. Always supporting one another and savouring the moments of coming together. Carla’s music soothes ones soul, her acoustic melodies have become a hit with my youngest daughter. “Shine” is one of her favourite songs! She went through a stage where she wanted to have it on as she fell asleep. Kids are intuitively open and sensitive to sound, this reflected the unique areas of music diversity Carla has.
Carla Werner is a singer and songwriter from New Zealand who began her music career at age 11. Growing up, Carla was exposed to a lot of music. Her upbringing would often be filled with impromptu musical parties, with guitar music and singing. “I was always singing around the house. I would go and grab something – shampoo bottles, the beads in the doorway – and mimic a microphone as I’d sing along to records.” While still in her early teens, she relocated to Australia. “I’d given up music at 16,” she confesses. “I’d done it for so long and I couldn’t handle the competition aspect. Music had to be on my own terms. I wanted to come back in a different form. At the age of 19, Carla decided to move permanently to Sydney in order to “get back to music”. “It was the first time I’d lived in a city”, she says. “It was a great source of inspiration”. Her CD, “Departure,” shimmers with consistency and depth, each song contributing to a mesmerizing totality.
With ‘Departure’, Carla Werner offers the listener an intimate self-portrait of an individual, discovering the power of self and sound.
Mark Claridge
Many thanks to Mark Claridge who provided me with the stunning frangipani and surfing shots.
Eric Meyers
Eric was instrumental in the building of my website with a lot of great advice that was invaluable. Eric has a great many skills, one of which is writing and editing. Its been such a joy to have him on board in the process of this website coming to fruition.
GM Photographics
Portrait photography with appreciation, GM Photographics did an amazing job in resonating with my vision, thank you for the amazing photography provided.
Nick Hardcastle
Nick was playing a stripper when the energetic daily group warm up at the Star City Show Room turned ugly, forcing Nick out of the show with a cracked heel, twisted ankle and knee and a very sore back… and into the rooms of an eastern suburbs osteopath.
There he met Dianna whose sunny and gentle spirit was equally as healing as the 6 months of treatment he received for his injuries.
Nick has continued to perform in Australia and abroad and has enjoyed a diverse career across television, radio, music and theatre. His work in children’s television lead him to becoming a national ambassador for Variety the Children’s Charity and Life Education Australia and launching UNICEF’S Global Parent Program. Nick continues to work with children and social enterprises in the UK as a spokesperson for MEND.
Nick works with individuals from all over the world as a coach and tutor across the technical aspects of television presenting, public speaking, performance and in helping people to gain the confidence to be their most authentic selves.
Nick loves to eat and sing…
Simona Janek
Simona Janek did my hair and make-up for some pregnancy shots I did whilst pregnant with my first child, her down to earth and warm personality made me feel very relaxed and helped me enjoy the photographic session, I absolutely loved the way she did my make – up and hair.