Jacinda Richards

Founder & CEO

Jacinda is the founder and CEO of L2R Dance, which she established in 2009. Jacinda has extensive professional dance experience spanning many genres, including, jazz, ballet, hip hop, contemporary, Latin and West African styles. Jacinda has had the opportunity to work as a dancer and choreographer both in Australia and internationally, including performances and workshops in remote Aboriginal communities in the Kimberley’s, Ghana and Korea. 

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Since 2009, Jacinda has worked as the Community Development Officer at Western English Language School (WELS) in both the Braybrook and Wyndham campuses where she is responsible for community outreach, fundraising and the design and development of the free afterschool activities program.

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In 2014, Jacinda graduated from Deakin University with distinction, completing an Honors degree with her research project, The role of Hip Hop dance in young people’s sense of well-being. In 2019 her research was published, co-authored with Dr Sally Gardner in "Dance and the Quality of Life" edited by Professor Karen Bond and published by Springer, 2019. In January 2018, Jacinda was awarded the Brimbank Australian Day award - Educator of the Year.

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Jacinda is excited to lead L2R into its fifth year of operation as registered Australian Charity. Jacinda is looking forward to building the capacity of L2R while developing and refining her role as the CEO to ensure that L2R continues to make noise, promote health and wellbeing and bring people together to celebrate through the universal language of DANCE!

Efren Pamilacan

Youth Arts & Community Development Coordinator

Efren Pamilacan is a Melbourne based community arts worker and creative producer with Filipino heritage.

Having recently received a Masters in Art (Art in Public Space) from RMIT, Efren’s arts practice is informed by pedagogical methodologies that are rooted in Hip-Hop culture - hailing from internationally renowned freestyle street dance crew Jigsaw Sneakers.

As a producer and dance maker Efren’s work is diverse in content and form, working collaboratively in creating productions for site specific, new-media and stage. Recent works have been presented at Playhouse Theatre, Big West Festival, bOing! Festival (UK), Victoria’s Multicultural Art Festival and Dance Massive.

Efren will bring to L2R’s Pathways Leadership program a wealth of knowledge and experience in hip hop based art as a longstanding subcultural participant in dance and as an advocate for the cultural development of the community in Australia. 

Hena Memishi 

Community Development & Events Coordinator

Hena first began her dance journey at age 11, and in contrast to most 11yo girls she was instantly drawn hip-hop and had no desire to put on ballet slippers. Hena’s dance repertoire spans many genres including hip hop, contemporary and jazz, and she completed her formal studies of Performing Arts Training with Patrick Studios Australia in 2011. With an unyielding desire to evolve as a dancer, Hena frequently travels internationally to further develop her skills. Hena has recently joined the cast of the Tony Award winning “In the heights” musical as a member of the dance ensemble. She has also been on tour with upcoming Australian artists Banoffee and Paces, and has performed at major Australian festivals including Laneway, Falls Festival, Beyond the Valley, and Meredith. Hena has a profound passion for dance, and it’s how she identifies herself, where she is free to be an explorer, a creator, an innovator, an acolyte, and a master. The invaluable experiences and possibilities dance has offered her throughout her practice have been instrumental in making Hena the person she finds herself today.