MEET THE STAFF
Dedicated Professionals
KATHLEEN CURWEN-WALKER LCBA (Cecchetti)
Kathleen is an internationally recognised dance school instructor and choreographer, teaching and choreagraphing dance performances since 1980. In 1976 she was a Cecchetti gold medal winner and in 1982 was awarded the coveted Enrico Cecchetti Diploma…
MARI YAMAZAKI BFA, RAD RTS
Mari received her primary ballet training in her hometown of Tokyo, Japan.Moving to the USA, she then obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts in ballet teaching and performance at the University of Utah, Boston Ballet and American Ballet Theatre. She has danced with companies…
Rose Macgregor Dip RBS (TTC) ARAD
After graduating from the Royal Ballet School Teachers Training Course London in 1995.
Rose returned to NZ bringing along her passion, enthusiasm and knowledge of teaching
ballet and accepted her first position at a prominent Auckland ballet school…
KIMBERLEY COUSINS
Kimberley has 40 years of dancing experience and has trained in ballet (RAD), jazz, and contemporary, and spent her pre-adult life performing in New Zealand dance competitions and performing arts shows and ballets. As an adult, Kimberley has performed and choreographed…
ALYSHA HARDEY B.DanceST
Alysha started dancing at the age of four. She studied Ballet, Jazz, and Contemporary & began teaching at sixteen. After being awarded a dance scholarship, she went on to gain a Bachelors in Dance at the University of Auckland. In 2017 Alysha…
Mikaela Jacob
At the age of four Mikaela (nee Berney) came home from kindy and begged her mum to put her into ballet lessons. Gaining distinction in all RAD examinations to Advanced 2, Mikaela was also a member of the New Zealand […]
Merenia Gray DipDP (NZSD) ARAD AISTD
Ngāi Tahu Rāngitāne Tainui DipDP (NZSD) ARAD AISTD Merenia is an award winning arts sector leader with thirty years experience both nationally and internationally in the performing arts, graduating from the New Zealand School of Dance in 1990. Merenia’s […]
Vienna West BAppSC
Vienna has been involved in the dance world since the age of five and studied a variety of styles including ballet, jazz, tap, contemporary and musical theatre. Her training had a strong emphasis on ballet where she completed Advanced 2 in both the BBO and RAD…
DANIEL COOPER
Daniel trained at The New Zealand School of Dance and graduated in 2001. After graduating he understudied and danced in Douglas Wright’s 2002 season of ‘Inland’ then went on to dance with Black Grace Dance Company. During his time with […]
LIBBY THOMSON
Libby Thomson is a high school trained French and Dance teacher. After completing both her Bachelor of Arts and her NZAMD Advanced Ballet and Jazz examinations, Libby went on her OE and lived in France for four years teaching English to a variety of age groups. When she came back…
Rachel Kitchens
Rachel is originally from Atlanta, GA, USA where she trained in ballet with The Atlanta School of Ballet. She was invited to perform in The Atlanta Ballet’s Nutcracker and Romeo and Juliet and continued her dance training in contemporary and […]
ICHIRO HARADA
Ichiro Harada is a native of Nara, Japan. He graduated from Boston Conservatory with a
BFA in Dance in 1994. He has danced with Doris Humphrey Repertoire Dance
Company, Ballet Long Island, and Geurah Abraham Dance Ensemble in New York…
Diana Kirk
Diana’s training in the U.K. included classical ballet (BBO Advanced, ISTD Advanced, IDTA Advanced), tap (BBO Advanced), modern theatre dance (ISTD Advanced), acrobatics and highland dance (UKAPTD). This was followed by formal teaching qualifications in classical ballet with ISTD (Hons) […]
Rosalie Hornung
Rosalie is originally from Melbourne, Australia. She holds a First class Honours Bachelor’s Degree in Applied Science, Master’sdegree in Nursing, a post graduate Diploma in Prescribing, and a post Graduate Certificate in Education and Management(Diabetes). She is a NZ qualified […]