Hi everyone, Alexia here! <3
So at Bethlehem, we all heard the fantastic news about Mrs Gregory's interview. Being a part of the CGSSSA Dance Committee and seeing such talented girls at the college, I decided to ask one of our new and fantastic teacher's a passion of her's; dance.
1) When did you begin to dance?
I've been doing some form of dance since I was five years old...and I've never stopped! Given my current age, that's a scarily long time.
2) Did you originally want to become a dancing instructor as a potential career path?
Like most kids, I went through many phases in terms of what I wanted to do once I left school and it was actually journalism that I thought I would pursue. I taught dance full time for a year after I finished my HSC as I wanted to save money before leaving home for university (which I had to do because I grew up in Tamworth in country NSW where there isn't a university). However, I never seriously considered it as a long term career option mostly because I knew that the hours weren't really conducive to having a social life. Dance teachers work from about 4-9pm most nights and often on weekends preparing students for exams and eisteddfods, which is when everyone else is finishing their working days and socialising. Having said that, teaching dance is something I did all throughout university and for the first few years of both my legal and teaching careers, so although it was never a full-time job, it was certainly a job that I did for a long time (ever since I was 15) and it was always something I could rely on to help me pay the rent.
3) Why did you want to become a teacher? Was there something (an event? movie? conversation?) that made you change your mind about your career?
Ultimately I studied Arts/Law at Macquarie University and then I began to work for a corporate law firm in the city, called Freehills. While I have no regrets about the few years I spent there, I just knew that the law was not for me. So, I went to see an employment counsellor who specialized in helping people figure out their next career move. From that process, it became clear to me that high school teaching was a viable option. I also made a point of calling one of my favourite teachers from high school and talking to friends of mine who were already teachers to see what they thought. One of my teacher friends told me that if I enjoyed learning, that I would make a great teacher. When I really thought about it, I realised that yes - I love to learn new things. In fact, to me, learning is one of life's greatest joys, so it was all of these things combined that led me to change profession and head into teaching. Dance teaching for so long also helped because I wasn't nervous about getting up in front of a group of teenagers. I'm now so glad I made the change - I love my job!
4) What is your favourite genre of dance? Why?
I love lyrical dance and musical theatre best. I go to classes twice a week at Sydney Dance Company and I do both lyrical and musical theatre there. Both styles come down to using dance to express emotion (lyrical) or a story/mood (musical theatre), both of which are central to why I dance. I also love that although both styles are based on classical ballet technique, there is a freedom to be creative that you don't get from ballet. I should add that I love to watch all other dance styles, but I know that hip hop, for example, is something that I just can't do!
5) I think a lot of students are wondering this - what is your favorite dance movie/song?
This is such a difficult question for me to answer because I have SO many! My ultimate favourite dance movie and the one I've watched so many times that I think I could recite most of the dialogue and song lyrics is 'A Chorus Line'. This is a Broadway musical made into a movie all about dancers auditioning for a role in the chorus of a new production. However, I have some favourite runners up - the movies of the musicals 'Cabaret' and 'Hairspray' and the dance movie Save the Last Dance (this is let down by Julia Stiles, who although she is a fantastic actor, she's such a bad dancer).
6) We have some talented students at Bethlehem College, so my final question is what advice do you give to students in pursuing their dreams?
To all the talented singers, dancers, actors, painters and other creatives - I say - go for it! We need creativity more than ever - it helps everyone feel so much less alone to hear a song, watch a film or see a sketch that reminds them of the humanity of the world. However, I would also caution anyone who thinks that being famous and making heaps of money is the end goal of pursuing a creative endeavour. I happen to know many creative people through my husband, who is a performer and writer, and very few of them make a lot of money out of it. Creative people almost always have to have a 'day job' to sustain their lives while they also work on their art. So, it's a tricky and fickle business, but is it worthwhile pursuing? Of course! Just always have a back-up job too.
･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
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