"So I can say I've done that," she laughs.

But, for her, the principal at Colour City Dance, performing has never been about reaching the zenith of the dance world individually.

It's been about helping others get there.

Mrs Duffy has been in charge at Colour City Dance for a decade, moving to Orange after forging an extensive teaching career in Dubbo.

Her love of dance developed as a schoolgirl in Dubbo with Joyce Schneider and Betty Keirnan before she later attended McDonald College and full-time dance under renowned teachers and RAD examiners Joan and Monica Halliday.

Mrs Duffy is a former principal of the Dubbo Ballet Studio, and is now a mentor for teacher training for the Royal Academy of Dance.

Over nearly three decades, Mrs Duffy has trained many dancers including those who have joined the Australian ballet school and company, Queensland ballet, and Circus Oz.

So while there's that one time Mrs Duffy herself got the chance to perform under the sails of the iconic Sydney venue, the number of others - including Ella Havelka, the first Indigenous ballerina in the Australian Ballet - who have gone through the doors of her dance studios and then gone on to reach greater heights is countless.

And that's the way she likes it.

"I've not been part of a professional company. I just got to a point where I'd rather teach and I love that," she said.

"I really love it. I love seeing the kids develop and everybody improve, seeing the passion develop is great.

"(Havelka's) the first Indigenous girl in the Australian Ballet Company, and that's probably one of the things I'm most proud of, I'm proud of all my students but that's a big deal for her.

"Seeing students do well and go on to have a career is a big thing for me."

Mrs Duffy juggles her dance commitments and her "dance family" with a large clan of her own, with she and husband Damien raising seven children - Zara, Alec, Emily, Nick, Phoebe, Ruby and Layla.

She says dance classes are run virtually all year round, and even during term breaks lots of students will continue their dancing.

"For some kids it's a big commitment and they come nearly every day of the week and for others they just come once, and that's fantastic too," Mrs Duffy added.

"Everyone wants something different but whatever reason people have to want to dance it's always valid. It's all fantastic to watch."