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I aways want my students to feel good and inspired and uplifted. I just want to be a little pedestal for them to reach their goals
Dance journey
I did ballet and tap when I was really, really little. I didn´t enjoy much in the beginning. But then I became so obsessed by the TV show “Dance Academy”, which lead me back to ballet classes when I was 11. By the age of 15 I started also doing contemporary. I really just love to have time for myself. I come to class for one hour to focus on myself and the movement. It´s a lovely way to connect mind and body. It´s a very freeing feeling.
I remember the first ballet studio that I went to the ballet teacher said straight away: “Oh, I´m putting you in an exam.” And I said “great”. And I loved it! Learning something to a point that you try to perfect it and getting to showcase that. I fell in love to performing and then after a couple of years I told her that I would like to become a dance teacher and she let me come to the younger girl’s class, take them to an exercise and then correct them. After she helped me to get teaching jobs. I was 16 when I first started and haven´t stopped. I just love it.
I went to Adelaide College of the Arts and I did a Certificate IV in Cance and Dance Teaching. I studied ballet, contemporary and also tumbling and partner work. I was there for a year and a half and that experience taught me how to work with people and catering for different learning needs, which are very helpful abilities that I still put into practice in my work until now.
Teaching
What fascinates me the most is being able to help people to see their potential and inspire people to start, keep going, and watch them improve. I aways want my students to feel good and inspired and uplifted. I just want to be a little pedestal for them to reach their goals. I want them to believe in themselves. I think it can be quite daunting to start any hobby as an adult, but something like dancing can be even more daunting and scary. Especially if they had any injuries or not a really good experience with dance in their lives. I want to be able to create a safe space for them to explore and enjoy dancing.
I love the way dance makes me feel, the constant strives for unachievable perfection, the discipline that always comes from that. There's always something to work towards to, to master. On top of that I love the feeling of being on stage or of watching something I choreographed on stage.
Teaching at Dragonfly Dance inspires me because it is such a welcoming and inclusive environment that anyone that wants to dance can find their place here. I find myself having a dream job because I share the same vision that dance should be for everyone, no matter who you are, what kind of body type you have and what you want to achieve with dance, every adult can find support to dance here.
I have experience teaching dance to people in so many different ages and it's very interesting to see the main difference from the adults to the other groups is that everyone that come to a class is only doing that because they want to do and want to learn. It's something really cool being able to offer them this space to practice and forget about life outside here. It's such a nice environment, and the community built around dance that everyone feels free to support each other. They come to the studio to have fun, not to compete against each other.
Biography and qualifications
Reggie has been dancing since they were 11 years old, beginning at Susan Cooke School of Ballet, and later Terry Simpson Studios and South Australian Children’s Ballet.
After graduating high school, Reggie studied at Adelaide College of the Arts, where they received their Certificate IV in Dance. In the same year, they also finished their RAD Advanced 2 exam and received their ARAD award in recognition of completing the syllabus. ARAD is a membership award in recognition of the applicants' achievement at RAD Advanced 2 level.
Reggie began teaching ballet at 16 years old, and began teaching contemporary, partner work, improvisation and tumbling in 2019 when they completed their studies at Adelaide College of the Arts. They undertook a teacher traineeship with Dragonfly Dance and additional teacher training through the Dragonfly Dance teacher training course in 2022.