A veteran dance teacher based in Sydney, Kaylene is passionate about dance and her primary aim is to make dance an accessible and enjoyable experience for her dance students regardless of age or experience.
From what age did you start dancing? A late bloomer at seven.
How many years experience do you have? Over twenty years.
Which dance styles have you had experience in? Tap, Jazz, Ballet, Hip Hop. Contemporary, Musical Theatre, Polynesian (Maori, Hawaiian, Samoan, Cook Island, Tahitian) Street Latin (Salsa, Zouk and Bachata) plus Bollywood and Reggaeton.
What style(s) of dance do you specialise in? Jazz, Funk and Hip Hop
What is your vision for Array Dance? Array Dance is evolving to provide online dance classes at a fraction of the cost of attending a dance studio. These dance lessons will be filmed professionally and will be delivered through video streaming which means instant access without waiting around for your video to buffer.
What advice would you give someone wanting a career in the Performing Arts? In order to have longevity and financial stability in the arts you need to run your own show so start your own business and when it becomes profitable, pay someone else to manage it so that you have the freedom and the money to do whatever you want. Also, don’t tell people what you are going to do… just get on with it and do it.
Which performer/entertainer inspires you? The late Bob Fosse.
Have dance programmes such as “So you think you can dance” encouraged more people to get involved in dance? Most definitely! When I started teaching hip hop in Sydney in 2003 no one knew what hip hop was. Now people say to me “do you teach lyrical hip hop or krump street style” which is a direct result of shows like SYTYCD.
How do regular dance classes improve health and wellbeing? I would say that the majority of people who choose to attend dance classes on a regular basis do so because they want some “me time”. Dancing is more than just a fun way to exercise, it is pure escapism. It’s also a way of combining mental agility with physical coordination which according to scientific studies, reduces your chances of getting Alzheimers in later life.
In your opinion, which performer is constantly evolving and changing the way of dance? I think in the present day Napolean and Tabitha (Nappytabs) have definitely changed the way people choreograph hip hop. They have created a more theatrical storytelling dance style full of character and emotional interaction as opposed to just a few dance steps put together to music.
Which is the most popular song or dance routine you have been asked to teach? It would be a toss up between Michael Jackson’s Thriller Dance and Beyonce’s Single Ladies dance.
Is the world of entertainment bitchy?
I wouldn’t say bitchy, I would say competitive. It’s cutthroat. There are very few vacancies and a heck of a lot of applicants, and that creates a pressured environment, which unless you’re used to it, can be quite intimidating.
Why did you start ARRAY DANCE?
I don’t have the typical dancer body and was never singled out in dance class as the one who would succeed. I basically, through years and years of hard slog can do what I do now. That is why I’m really passionate about helping people be the best dancer that they can be regardless of whether they start at the age of 7 or 70. Learn to dance online with Kaylene
