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Chris Clegg - Professional Dancer

September 10, 2021 at 9:28 AM

Chris graduated in 2015, having found his passion as a dancer whilst at College. He excelled in this art and was a key performer in the Dance Showcase under the tutelage of College Head of Dance and former New Zealand Ballet dancer, Mr Geordan Wilcox. Chris reports on his first year as a dance student in Wellington.

My first year at the New Zealand School of Dance in Wellington has been a fascinating adventure filled with exciting and difficult challenges that have pushed my body to its boundaries.

The physicality of the course has done so much with engraving my body with new skills and movement styles that over time, I have come to learn the way to move like a New Zealand contemporary dancer, under the teachings of Jarek Cemerek, Paula Steeds-Huston and Tor Colombus.

Jarek has taught our class a very fine European styled of moving to physical law and making our movements seem effortless and easy from floor work to partnering. Paula has impressed us with the way she finds fluidity in her body to produce beautiful movements which she has passed onto us and, last but not least, Tor Colombus has enveloped each of us with skills we thought we never had; skills to create and modify our own individual and group pieces to an extent that it can be performed professionally in front of an audience, finding different ways to affect and involve those watching.

Tor has also given our class the opportunity to be involved in the World of Wearable Arts Awards Show, in which we discovered the professional working environment and were able to interact and entertain the crowds which attend this magnificent event.

These new-found skills have compelled me to further pursue this career as an art form, for not only my body, but also my mind. Other than the school and specific dance styles, living in Wellington has been excellent for all my other skills to improve in skateboarding and breakdancing to keep me sane during the long weeks there away from friends and family. Overall the year has been an amazing experience and I would have loved to have started this style of dance earlier in my life now that I can see where the potential leads.

Thank you to my teacher at Saint Kentigern College, Mr Geordan Wilcox for taking the patience and interest in me to lead me into this life, the journey is hard but a fulfilling one and an amazing experience.

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