ADCRG, TCRG, TMRF, BA Mus Th Perf, Dip Dance NZJDA

Whilst it’s definitely rare for a qualified Irish dance adjudicator and teacher to be an original cast member of Motherhood The Musical, Miss Ziggy toured around Australia originating the role of Brooke in this comedy for many return seasons after a career treading the boards as a professional dancer and performer for over 3 decades.

Ziggy’s professional career started at just 16 years old in the cast of Gypsy at Auckland’s Mercury Theatre whilst still at high school and has gone on to include national tours of musicals such as Mamma Mia!, Les Misérables 10th Anniversary Tour and Godspell. Overseas tours include hosting Disney productions, playing Queen Ursula from The Little Mermaid and Mrs Potts from Beauty & the Beast.

In her work as an operatic vocalist, Ziggy featured in the operatic comedy duo Yummy Opera, written & produced by Glynn Nicholas and her acts, Miss ZuzuYooHooLala & swing/jazz act Sweet Swingin’ Jazz. Originally a dancer with Head Over Heelz Dance Company in New Zealand, Ziggy was determined to polish her skills as a singer/actor and went on to graduate ‘Most Promising Music Theatre Graduate’ of her year at WAAPA (West Australian Academy of Performing Arts) and has since featured in several TV & film projects from Neighbours, to 000 -Heroes, Kerry-Anne, Good Morning Australia and City Homicide.

At the Artz Collective we hire out costumes. So if you don’t sew, it’s all OK. You certainly don’t have to do costumes!

But if you love to help we would love to have you, so let us know if you’d like to volunteer.

We have included just about everything we can think of that you’ll need for your year at the Artz Collective in your monthly membership. 

The only thing you’ll need to commence classes is your dance shoes. We can do fittings on site and we can order these in for you if we don’t have them in stock. 

Please ask us if you would like to purchase a secondhand pair as we do have some second hand dance shoes available.

Now Included in your Standard Membership package:

* Annual Class Tuition Fees

* Showcase Production Levy

* 2 Tickets to the Annual End of Year Production

* Basic Class Dance Uniform: 1 x Artz Leotard & Dance shorts or Artz

Skirted Leotard or Artz T-Shirt & Artz Dance Shorts OR

* Artz Acrotard

* Extra Performance rehearsal classes

* Costume Hire

* *Link to our Concert Recording

If your child elects to do examinations, competitions or wants to do solo lessons or private coachings there are additional costs.  Additional performances may require tickets to be purchased however these are usually very reasonably priced also.

Photographs of our concert performance are very reasonably priced and available for download.

Yes, our annual performance is held in late November / early December.

Production Class is the workshop class held to prepare students who want to take part and feature in our mid-year Musical Theatre performance. It’s held on Saturday afternoons throughout the end of Term one & term two. This is an additional and optional performance-based class.

Yes, we do hold in-house Demonstrations (in our class uniforms) for our students to showcase their latest class skills, songs & routines for parents, grandparents, family & friends.

Every so often your child’s teacher may invite parents in to watch a new skill or step that your child’s class is working on to show you their progress or even to have you assist your child in practicing at home.

Students can actually begin at any time during the term if there are spaces in an appropriate class for their age & dance level.

For these students, usually fees are worked out on a pro-rata system for the remaining weeks, however, they may not be able to participate in the full range of class items, performances, and activities due to their later start in the class during the year.

Our dance uniform is included in your membership on a Standard package, and a T-shirt is included in your No Frills Package (adults only) as well!

With Dance shoes, you can purchase them from us.

We have a second hand cupboard in reception where uniforms and shoes can be donated, so ask at reception. Second hand items handed to be given to us in a zip lock plastic bag with their owners name & how much they want for the item due to their uncanny ability to multiply and for single shoes to get lost!

If you would like to, we do put students forward for exams. We find it helps them develop to aim for a specific goal, and to understand better & expand their knowledge through learning a specific curriculum, or syllabus. British Ballet Organisation syllabus for classical ballet, the Artz Collective Popular Signing Syllabus, the Artz Collective Jazz Dance syllabus and the World Irish Dance Association for Irish dance, but we don’t do exams for the other styles of dance.

If you would like to, we do put students forward for exams. We find it helps them develop to aim for a specific goal, and to understand better & expand their knowledge through learning a specific curriculum, or syllabus. British Ballet Organisation syllabus for classical ballet, the Artz Collective Popular Signing Syllabus, the Artz Collective Jazz Dance syllabus and the World Irish Dance Association for Irish dance, but we don’t do exams for the other styles of dance.

We use the Borovansky Ballet Syllabus which is based on a russian ballet technique & system of learning. This syllabus is run by the Australian Institute of Classical Dance. It is recognised by the United Nations International Dance Council or C.I.D. and students can elect to do ballet examinations or assessments from Pre-Primary ballet onwards. 

This syllabus has been in consistent development since its inception and the concept was brought to Australia by Madame Borovansky in her classes when she joined her husband, Edouard Borovanksy in Australia in the 1930s who went on to develop the Borovansky Ballet Company which later became the Australian Ballet. 

We also use the PBT – Progressing Ballet Technique Syllabus in our classes to develop our dancers in both ballet and jazz dance as well as the International Character Ballet Syllabus for assisting in the teaching of national dances and techniques.

Yes, absolutely.  Students can book private lessons for a number of reasons. 

To build confidence, to polish or develop their skills, or for audition preparation or perhaps to get on top of competition rehearsals. Private lessons are also really great for exam preparation and developing a student’s self-belief.

Yes, on an optional scale. Our Artz Solo Team is made up of students who are confident and ready to learn and perform soloist routines, dance and songs, duos or trios in private lessons. We ask that parents please be available to watch these lessons to help their child practise at home.

If your class is doing very well, you may be asked as a class to perform a routine or song at a competition also. 

Any student who is wishing do competition pieces may contact the school to arrange lessons for competition preparation.

Irish dance competitions are called Feisanna – or a “Feis” (said “Fesh”) for short. A Feis is a super-fun day where lots of students from different schools come together to have a great day of Irish dancing and do their dances.

At a Feis Irish dance students may perform their solo dances that they learn in class, or, their Ceili team item together with their classmates at these competitions also. 

Some Feis are held online and those are super fun too!

Definitely not, everyone has to start somewhere!

If you are interested in this very specialised program, send us a quick enquiry email noting your experience & what you would like to achieve – or call & talk to us. 

We will book a Planning interview with you & your child ( if under 18yrs old)

At this interview, if the program is right for you, we will tailor your Elite Training Program especially for you, look at which times your private lesson will occur, and select the correct classes for you to attend & train in. And each term, we will see if anything needs adjusting.

If you are interested in this program and your child has experience of at least 2 years of ballet, then please give us a call to book in an interview time with us or email with your child’s experience & what goals they would like to achieve. 

After your child’s first week of classes with us you will attend an interview together where we will go through which classes and level of training to proceed with for the year.

Please don’t be put off by body shape or size, or any previous information or reports on your child, please let us decide. We are always looking to create strong, vibrant & healthy dancers and dance companies around the globe are increasingly looking for these dancers also

Once your child commences their training and private lessons with us we will constantly monitor to see if any classes, levels or styles need adjusting. 

Email, call, or simply use our contact page here, truly, it’s that simple. 

And don’t wait for another year!  

The earlier you or your child come to us, the better we can serve you in developing your dance technique, and performance skills, and helping our students to truly thrive in class and onstage.

No problem. If you have questions, we most certainly have the answers.

Simply get in touch now by clicking here, we’d love to hear from you!