Richard
Hansen
Business Manager
Richard is Anneliese's husband and manages the day to day business affairs of the academy. He is a multi award winning TV producer. His producing credits include New Zealand Idol, New Zealand's Got Talent, 2000 Today (Global Millennium Television Special), and The World Of Wearable Art Awards TV Specials.
Julia McKerrow
Contemporary, Improvisation & Choreoraphy Tutor
Julia is a contemporary dance artist and passionate teacher. She studied at Unitec School of Performing and Screen Arts where she graduated with a major in contemporary dance. Julia has danced and choreographed for some of New Zealand’s leading festivals including Footnote Dance Company, Michael Parmenter, Fleur de Thier, The Christchurch and Otago Arts Festivals, The Body, The Fringe, and Tempo festival.
Ekaitz
Espino
Contemporary, Improvisation & Choreoraphy Tutor
Ekaitz hails originally from Spain and holds a diploma of dance performance from the London Studio Centre. He has performed professionally in Europe with companies including The European Ballet Company (UK), Santamaria Dance Company (Spain), and Nordhazer Stadebundtheater (Germany). Since settling in Christchurch in 2014, Ekaitz has tutored at a number of schools and recently established a school with his wife. His professional experience is a real asset to the school.
Maureen Coulter
PhD, MA, PGDT, ARAD, RTC, LTCC: RAD Tutor
Flamenco, Dance History, Dance Aesthetics, Classical
Maureen is a registered RAD teacher, qualified secondary school teacher, and flamenco dancer. She holds a PhD on the influence of dance aesthetics on 19th and 20th century literature. She spent 11 years in Hong Kong teaching classical ballet, National dance, dance history and aesthetics, and dance anatomy. Maureen also studied flamenco at the Clara Ramona Danza Flamenca school and delighted to promote this passionate dance form.
Lana
Panfilow
Guest Tutor
Lana graduated from the Australian Conservatoire of Ballet in 2006 and joined the Royal New Zealand Ballet shortly after. For the past decade, she has danced for professional companies all over Europe, focusing on ballet, contemporary and jazz. She trained with some of the world’s best dance teachers at Broadway Dance Center & Steps on Broadway in New York City. Lana is excited about sharing her knowledge and experience in the professional dance scene with the next generation of Kiwi dancers.
Gemma Kearney
Guest Tutor
Gemma studied contemporary dance full time for two years at Hagley Dance Company and was awarded her Certificate in Dance with Excellence. She then moved to Sydney to study full time dance and performing arts at ED5 International. Gemma has vast experience as a choreographer and performer worldwide and for the last 10years has been a tutor at NASDA and Impact Dance & Stage School here in Christchurch whilst also attending classes in London & America.
Georgina
Barr
BA, Dip Journ, BHSc (Podiatry)
Tutor: Anatomy and Biomechanical Physiology
Podiatrist, Merivale Podiatry
Custom Pointe Shoe Fitter, Barrina Ltd
Georgina owns Barrina Ltd, providing Juon Pointe Method Ballet Pre-Pointe Assessments, All Dance Styles Biomechanical Mentoring Assessments, and a Custom Pointe Shoe Fitting service. She also works part time at Merivale Podiatry in Christchurch. She lectures on anatomy and biomechanical physiology and presents on preparation for pointe work and original research at medical and dance conferences throughout New Zealand and internationally. She is an affiliated committee member of the Christchurch Ballet Society, a Friend of the Royal Academy of Dance, and a member of the International Association for Dance Medicine & Science, the Australian Society for Performing Arts Healthcare, and Podiatry New Zealand.
Anneliese
Gilberd
ARAD Dipolma in Dance
PRINCIPAL
Director: Full Time Classical
Coach & Mentor
Anneliese began her full and part time coaching and mentoring programme in Christchurch in 2011. Previously she had performed with the Royal New Zealand Ballet for 15 years and toured the world with the company. Her experience and wisdom in the world of professional ballet is at the core of the AGA programme.
Her academy is intended to emulate the environment of a professional company or full time tertiary performing arts faculty. Anneliese's full biography can be found on her page here >
Eve
Condon
Classical & Conditioning Tutor
Eve is a graduate of AGA and trained at the New Zealand School of Dance as a Classical Major. While there she gained knowledge, expertise and wisdom from many world class tutors and artists. She graduated from the NZSD in 2019 with a Diploma in Dance Performance. Eve is now sharing her own wisdom, expertise and passion with the next generation of dancers and plans to combine her dance training with the health and fitness industry.
Therese Coffey
Dip Sports Education
Stott Pilates Tutor
Therese is a qualified Stott Pilates practitioner and holds a sports education diploma in personal training, sports nutrition, sports therapy and aromatherapy. She tutors Pilates to assist dancers with strength and flexibility while also improving muscular balance, co-ordination and injury rehabilitation.
Faculty
We are very proud of the wonderful tutors involved in our school.
They all have a rich background in their chosen professions and come to our school with a wealth of experience, knowledge and skill. It is their combined talents focused on fully developing our students in their chosen art form that sets us us apart.
Kelly
Webster
Contemporary, improvisation & choreography tutor
Kelly studied ballet, jazz and contemporary from an early age completing her Advanced Certificate in Commercial Dance in 2001 at the Wellington Performing Arts Centre (now Whitireia). From there she spent a few years performing on cruise ships throughout the Caribbean with Carnival Cruise Lines before returning to New Zealand where she began her teaching career. In 2012 Kelly travelled to Los Angeles with the NZ team to compete at the World Championships of Performing Arts where she took out the senior dancer title. Lyrical dance has become Kelly’s passion and is excited about the opportunity to pass on her love and knowledge to the young dancers of Christchurch.
Christchurch, NZ