Jane Khoo founded the University of Melbourne Flare Dance Ensemble in 2000 and staged its highly successful first major production, Ignite, in 2002. Her efforts were appreciated by the university and she was awarded the Louise Homfrey Prize for outstanding contribution to Theatre and Dance in 2003. She was artistic director of the ensemble up until 2006.

From its humble start in 2000, Flare Dance Ensemble began with just five dancers. It officially became established in the University of Melbourne in 2001, with a vision to provide young people with an opportunity to express and perform their dance talent, and achieve their passion and dreams through the founding of this dance company.

Flare aims to inspire and encourage students to achieve their individual artistic potential through experience and exposure to different dance styles and performing arts. Flare dancers hence are able perform a fusion of urban, jazz, hiphop, contemporary, cultural and ethnic dance forms. Flare Seniors Dance practices are led by fellow student dancers interacting weekly with their own choreographic works and ideas. 

As a result of this openness, Flare has grown by leaps and bounds to its current size of over 300 members and 60 core dancers and has staged eight successful full-length stage productions from 2002 to 2009.