Our team - Rain & Lucky

Meet our Team

How do you know you’re getting the best possible dance classes for your child at Rain & Lucky?

Something that sets us apart from other dance schools is that we continually invest in our team — with teacher training during every single school holiday break.

It’s something we take seriously, because when our teachers keep learning, growing and sharing ideas, our whole faculty gets stronger — and our students thrive.

We are passionate about our artform and aim to inspire and encourage our students in every lesson. Rain & Lucky team members are carefully selected for their expertise and their warm and friendly natures. We also take pride in training and mentoring young teachers to create the next generation of leaders. All our staff hold First Aid certificates, Working With Children Checks and dance teaching qualifications.

Rain Francis

Founder & Director

Meet Miss Rain

Miss Rain trained at Shirley McDouall School of Dance, Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School and the New Zealand School of Dance. She has worked as a dancer, choreographer, teacher and writer in the USA, UK, Australia and Ireland, primarily with the National Ballet of Ireland and Opera Australia. She has won several awards for her choreography, including 1st place in the Australian Choreographic Competition, and was a regular contributor to Dance Europe magazine, Dance Informa and other dance publications. She holds a Diploma in Dance Performance, a Diploma in Dance Teaching & Management, has completed all of her Royal Academy of Dance examinations and has over 20 years of teaching experience.

Miss Rain started Rain & Lucky Academy of Dance in February 2016. The school’s mission is to provide a nurturing space for children to fall in love with ballet and performing arts, while providing the finest quality in training.

Lizi Bright

General Manager

Meet Miss Lizi

Lizi brings a unique blend of dance, movement science, and leadership experience to her role as Academy General Manager at Rain & Lucky Academy of Dance. With an extensive background in dance training across ballet, jazz, tap, acro, and music theatre performance, Lizi’s greatest passions remain Commercial Jazz, Broadway Jazz, and Ballet. After completing both a Certificate III in Dance Performance and a Certificate IV in Dance Teaching & Management, recurrent injuries inspired Lizi to deepen her understanding of the body, movement, and athletic performance. This led her into the world of sport science, where she spent the past decade working in elite sport environments including AFLW, AFL, FIFA, and the Victorian Institute of Sport. Lizi holds a Bachelor of Exercise and Sport Science (Honours) and is currently completing a PhD specialising in Sports Biomechanics and Performance Analytics. Alongside her academic and professional work, she has several years of experience strength training women and developing athlete performance programs.

At Rain & Lucky, Lizi oversees academy operations including parent communication, student enrolments, and staff management, while also supporting and mentoring the teaching team. Her extensive knowledge of movement science and performance training helps ensure the academy remains current, progressive, and focused on helping every student train safely, confidently, and to their full potential.

Geraldine Lett

Head of Aspire – Elite Classical Ballet Extension Program

Meet Miss Geraldine

Miss Geraldine is a professional artist; dancer, teacher, choreographer and rehearsal coach. She was amongst the first 100 students to study at the Victorian College of the
Arts secondary school upon it’s opening. Her studies continued at the Australian Ballet school and then The West Australian Academy of Performing Arts, where she received a Bachelor in Performing Arts. As a performer Geraldine has both danced and choreographed for the West Australian Ballet Company, the One Extra Dance and Theatre Company, The Cologne Dance Company, the Bonn Opera House Germany, The Opera de la Monnaie in Brussels and The Australian Opera. The first piece she choreographed as a young artist, ‘Whaling’ was bought and performed by the West Australian Ballet Company. She has worked and studied with multiple artists and teachers such as Anne Woolliams, Lucette Aldous, Noelle Shader, Reyes de Lara, Kai Tai Chan, Kim Walker, Barry Moreland and Jochin Ullrich. Geraldine has been a scholarship recipient at the American Dance festival and danced as soloist for Maggie Willson’s duet piece received from a Victorian Art’s Grant. She has also worked as soloist and choreographer of The Seven Deadly Sins, playing opposite the renowned Anja Silja in the Brussels Opera House: Theatre de La Monnaie. Geraldine has danced and taught internationally for most of her life and has had many unique roles created for her. At the conclusion of her dancing professionally, she became Lecturer and Choreographer in Contemporary Dance at Cologne’s professional School of Dance and Music in Germany.

In 2005 Geraldine returned to Melbourne to continue her teaching in the areas of classical ballet, pointe and variations, contemporary dance, private coaching and mentoring, as well as choreography, as both a freelance artist and staff member. She works as teacher and Ballet Mistress for The Victorian State Ballet Company, The Victorian State Youth Company and pre-professional course, as well as sharing her knowledge and love of dance with students at Transit Dance, where she teaches both the Diploma, Origins Youth courses and High School Academy.

Geraldine has been part of the Rain & Lucky team since 2019 and in 2024 is very excited to be heading the Aspire Elite Classical Ballet Extension Program.

Alex Sheely

Teacher & Wardrobe Manager

Meet Miss Alex

With two decades of dancing and over nine years of teaching under her belt, Miss Alex has taught dancers of all ages, from 18 months to adults. Her training includes ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, and contemporary, with ballet being a personal favourite. She has experience in SFD, Cechetti, and ATOD syllabi, helping her to provide a well-rounded education for students. She has completed her PBT certification and prioritises building a strong technical foundation in each dancer. Additionally, she has trained a number of student teachers, and loves watching them grow in confidence and step up as leaders. Her experience includes working at Energetiks, where she completed various training sessions, including pointe shoe fitting. She has also enjoyed teaching classes at The Starlight Room. She cares deeply about creating an encouraging and supportive environment where every student can thrive, build confidence, and develop a lifelong love of dance. It is a joy to get to be a part of each student’s journey, and to get to see them grow as dancers and achieve their goals!

Claire Minney

Teacher & Program Coordinator

Meet Mx Claire

A highly dedicated and passionate teacher, Claire has obtained all RAD ballet examinations, including Advanced 1 in 2023. In 2018, Claire completed VCE Dance, refining choreographic skills and achieving excellent results, and she now coordinates the VCE Dance program at the University of Melbourne VCE Summer School. Claire has a wide range of experience through intensive training in ballet, jazz and contemporary styles, and also recently completed a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Science. During 2019 Claire undertook teacher training which involves mentorship and class observations, working alongside senior teachers. Claire thoroughly enjoys working with the next generation of young students to share her knowledge and enthusiasm for dance.

Eli Daly

Teacher & Program Coordinator

Meet Eli

Eli is a passionate dance educator with full-time training from Theatre Blacks, specialising in musical theatre. They teach jazz, tap, ballet foundations, Singing for dancers, and pre-school dance, bringing performance quality, storytelling, and strong technique into every class. They strive to create a positive, inclusive environment where students build confidence, creativity, and a genuine love for performing. Eli is also one of Rain & Lucky’s Program Coordinators, organising some of biggest annual events – from Presentation Day to end of year Concerts.