Tell us about your early dance journey? Where did you start and what did you do as a child?
I started ballet when I was three years old in a very small dance school in Townsville. I danced until I was 21 and did ballet, Jazz, tap, contemporary and poorly attempted hip hop. I studied dance at school and was lucky enough to try many different dance styles as well.
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What is your earliest memory of dance?
My first ballet teacher was an old school man with a cane and I remember him whacking our legs when they weren’t straight! Also how exciting it was to get out of school for RAD (Royal Academy of Dance) exams. I remember the first time I realised I loved dance and it wasn’t a hobby when we learnt pas de chat when I was seven and I was the only one who got the concept straight away – it was like something switched on in my brain.
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Where have you trained and who were your teachers as a dancer?
I trained at ballet schools across Townsville, Melbourne, Toowoomba, Christchurch and finally at Turning Pointe in Adelaide, and now at Move Through Life.
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What is your favourite thing about dance?
How I feel when I’m moving, there is nothing else like it.
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What dance styles are you most drawn to?
Ballet and lyrical styles – but really it doesn’t matter as long as I’m moving
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What do you prefer – class, rehearsal, or performance, and why?
Class. The ritual of a dance class is almost like a structured meditation. I like the challenge of learning new exercises but within a framework that’s almost always been part of my life.
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What are your top three favourite dance movies?
All of them but Centre Stage and Dirty Dancing are clear top two!
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How many times a week do you dance? And what are they (eg class, rehearsals, where, with who?)
Rehearsals on Tuesday night, Ballet Class on Saturday with MTL. On Wednesday night I take whatever class is going this term with “That Dance Drop” where we learn dances from movies, or music clips in a really fun and supportive environment. Pre-COVID I could also be found on a club dance floor as often as humanely possible.
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Who inspires you (they can be dance or not dance related)
AOC!
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What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received (again, it doesn’t have to be dance-related)
Hard work beats talent if talent doesn’t work hard – always important when you weren’t a “natural” dancer.
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Why did you decide to audition for the MTL Performing Company?
As a personal challenge to see whether I could make dance part of my life in a more tangible way again
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How did you hear about Move Through Life?
A friend of mine asked me to come and watch her dance in “Black Coffee” many years ago and I’ve been lightly stalking ever since.
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What hobbies do you have outside of dance?
Smashing the patriarchy, purveyor of memes, sharks, parkrun, smacking down bad bosses, speed reading, travel
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What is your ‘day job’? (could be working, studying, volunteering etc)
Union Official
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Describe your personality in three (or so) words
Whimsical, determined, adventurous
