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Director - Adriana Vegas (Harper) ARAD & Solo Seal BBO Rts Adriana grew up in the small town of Coromandel where her passion for ballet started at age 4. She was accepted into the New Zealand School of Dance at 16, graduating with a Diploma in Dance and attaining her Solo Seal Award, the highest qualification of the Royal Academy of Dance. She was awarded the Todd Scholarship and a place in the Royal New Zealand Ballet Company as ADRIANA HARPER, where she danced for 11 years appearing in all Company’s full length repertoire and in Tutu’s On Tour since the first tour. She travelled overseas with Company to the USA, UK, Europe, China and Australia. Leading roles included Kitri in Don Quixote, Clara in The Nutcracker, Les Sylphides, Concerto, Verdi Variations, Napoli Pas de Six. Little Step Sister in Cinderella and her favourite, Lucy Westenra in Dracula. Since retiring from dancing full time Adriana has been teaching at various schools around Auckland. Mount Eden Ballet Academy, Norris Studios, Dance West, Auckland Academy of Dance and Auckland Academy of Adult ballet. Teaching Preschoolers though to Seniors (65+) RAD ballet, contemporary, jazz, barre fit and conditioning. Adriana’s wide experience will bring to the Academy of Ballet Arts a new preschool ballet program for Under Fours and continue our New Beginner Entrant classes for five & six year olds. She will teach often requested Adult Ballet Classes and introduce the popular BarreFit concept. She will be a part of Dance On Saturday teaching Open Ballet Classes and Contemporary Repertoire. |
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Founder - Louise Hawke ARAD Rts. BBO Rts “It is a privilege to be part of a child’s life. Each day in the studio is a challenging adventure for me, physically, mentally and spiritually. Working with tiny bodies, to win hearts, to install self esteem and confidence, to inspire with love and knowledge the sense of will power that enables the expression of a unique sense of self through dance.” Louise is former Principal dancer of the Royal NZ Ballet, the Hong Kong Ballet and a soloist of the National Ballet of Portugal. She has been Ballet Mistress for the Singapore Dance Theatre and a Guest Ballet Mistress of the Royal NZ Ballet. In Portugal Louise was chosen for principal roles by legendary dancers of the Ballet Russe, Serge Lifar and Leonide Massine. In Hong Kong she danced principal roles for David Bintley, a Director of the Birmingham Royal Ballet, for Choo San Goh of Washington Ballet and for Jack Carter from Festival Ballet London. Roles included full length Giselle & Cinderella and Grands Pas de Deux from Sleeping Beauty, Nutcracker, Paquita, Le Corsaire, Don Quixote, Swan Lake and in Bournonville repertoire in Napoli and Flower Festival at Genzano. After a career in international ballet, teaching at seminars in NZ, HK and Malaysia, training professional dancers in Singapore and undertaking teaching study at the Royal Academy of Dance in London, Louise established the Academy of Ballet Arts in NZ in 2003 |
