Studio highlights for 2023

Our studio had a wonderful year with students being offered the following opportunities:

Studio Seminar - Seussical the Musical. A fabulous day of learning dance from two wonderful tutors (Jodie Leach and Courtney Collings) culminating in a performance for all parents/caregivers. All students on the day were facepainted as their Seussical characters. Many thanks to Jacqui who designs the facepainting for our seminars and then tutors our parents/caregivers. Our yearly seminar is inclusive of students from age 3 to our seniors and is a marvellous performing opportunity and a wonderful day of interaction between our students.

Our amazing senior students facepainted as their characters for our Seussical the Musical seminar

Medal Tests and Exams - Our students were offered Medal Tests in Term 2 and Term 3. Ballet, jazz, hip hop and tap students impressed our examiners with their dance routines, all successfully attaining their medals. Jazz students achieved their grades in Term 3 with our fabulous senior student Amelie receiving a NZAMD Jazz nomination for Advanced 2 level. Term 3 was the turn of our ballet students to sit their grades under the lovely eye of Hannah Bagshaw.

Tap team students ready to sit their medal test - achieved with Honours

Junior ballet girls ready for their first medal test

Grade 1 jazz exam students ready for their first jazz exam

Abigail Boyle Workshop - In Term 4 our students had the amazing opportunity to be tutored by Abigail Boyle (former prima ballerina of Royal New Zealand Ballet) at our studio. Abigail tutored at our studio over a weekend - tutoring ballet and contemporary workshops for all levels and culminating with private one on one tuition on ballet variations for our senior pupils. Our students learnt so much from Abigail who thoroughly enjoyed being at our studio and has stated that she would love to return as she had such a wonderful time tutoring our students.

Jessica being tutored by Abigail Boyle on her Fairy Doll Variation

Achievements - We are proud of all our students' achievements over 2023 but we had two students whose achievements merit special mention :)

Jessica - who was accepted as a Scholar at New Zealand School of Dance for Level 2. Jessica had to audition for this prestigious training programme and was one of very few chosen throughout New Zealand. We are excited to watch Jessica's growth as a dancer as she attends this programme in 2024.

Amelie - who not only was awarded NZAMD nomination for her Advanced 2 Jazz exam but also awarded a PACANZ nomination for Musical Theatre (singing). We would like to acknowledge Amelie's singing teacher Phillippa Drinkwater. Amelie represented our studio in Wellington for the NZAMD scholarship weekend and also attended PACANZ in October - where she was placed in the top six competitors for musical theatre (singing) in New Zealand.

Amelie receiving her PACANZ nomination

Community Performances - Our senior students were delighted to perform in the Multi Ethnic Extravaganza in March 2023. As well as giving back to the community and performing on stage (which they love) they also enjoy learning about the different 'character' dancing styles from European countries. In this performance the girls performed Yugoslavian style dance. Our students are also offered other performing opportunities which they always enjoy. We are aiming to perform at the basketball halftime show in 2024.

Senior students ready to perform at the Multi Ethnic Extravaganza

End of Year Concert - Our yearly Dance Extravaganza was again performed at Highlands Intermediate Hall with all students from age 3 up to our seniors - and our adult ballet class - being involved. This performance is the culmination of our year with performances from all classes in front of parents/caregivers. We are always proud of how all our students perform on the day and sparkle in their 'sparkly' costumes. Watching our students perform on stage and seeing their self confidence and self esteem grow is a wonderful finish to the studio year for our teachers.