Tell us a bit about your dance background growing up and share what made you stick with dancing.
Ever since I could talk, whenever anyone asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I told them I wanted to be on stage. My Nanna is the one who started me dancing because she made all the cousins put on a Christmas concert every year. We used to sing and dance in full costumes she made us. Performing is what I’ve always known I was born to do.
I actually nearly went to university to study biomedical science, but a week before I was meant to start, I decided I couldn’t live without performing, so I started late at a full-time dance school in Melbourne and I also completed Broadway Dance Centre’s professional semester in New York City. I trained a lot in ballet when I was growing up because I started at a dance school when I was 10, which is later than most people, and I wanted to get a solid technical foundation.
Name a standout moment (or two) from your career thus far.
A standout moment in my dance career is definitely dancing for The Kid Laroi. He is such a well-known pop star at the moment, and getting to dance to his hit song “Stay” ft. Justin Bieber was an incredible feeling.
Another standout moment for me was dancing and choreographing the music video “All I do” by Australian rapper Alpy ft. Sophiya. Not only was I one of six lead dancers, I also was given the opportunity to choreograph the music video.
Can you tell us a bit about your dance entertainment business, CTRL Entertainment? What inspired you to start it? How does it work?
CTRL Entertainment has been running for 5 years. I originally started CTRL to give myself more work as a dancer, and I am so lucky now that the business has grown and I have the opportunity to give dancers all over Australia dance work. I grew my business by staying consistent and hiring dancers who aren’t only amazing professional dancers but are lovely people who are easy to work with.
We started off just doing freestyling performances at nightclubs, which continued to grow into festivals, corporate shows, and big events. The two standout moments I mentioned earlier were both through CTRL Entertainment.
How do you maintain balance in your life as a performer/business owner?
When I first started CTRL Entertainment in 2019, I not only was running my business but I was also teaching at 3 dance studios and working at a school teaching their choreography for their musicals and directing their dance show and I was still doing professional dance gigs and auditions. I didn’t have one day off in the week. I was doing wayyyyyy too much, and I found I just kept getting sick and had no social life.
Over the years I have realized how important it is to take care of your body physically and mentally. Working 7 days a week with no break or time to rest actually is less effective because you’ll end up having to take time off to recover. I now prioritize my mental and physical health by doing a lot of reformer Pilates and hot yoga. I have found this gives me a moment to switch off my work brain and focus on giving my body what it wants.
How do you maintain a positive body image and well-being as a performer?
When I first started my professional training in 2017, I suffered from body dysmorphia quite severely, comparing my body to others and only looking at the physical appearance of my body, not focusing on what my body can actually do. I have grown to fall in love with my body because as a dancer your body is doing incredible things and you need to love and nurture it to be able to dance your best.
I stopped looking at the physical appearance and focused on how grateful I am that I have an athletic body that is strong and healthy enough to dance at a professional level. I try never to focus on the number on a scale or measuring tape and just focus on the way my body is feeling.
What inspires you to keep pushing when your career gets tough? How have you built resilience in this field?
Whenever I am having a down day, I watch a musical either in person or online to remind myself what I want to do and what my goal is. It is normal to have down days. You need to just accept that not every day is going to be the same; just give yourself inspiration and remind yourself that your hard work will pay off.
Another thing I like to do when my career is feeling tough is I go and take a dance class with either my favorite teacher or in my favorite genre to give me a little confidence boost and joy. I used to feel very upset if I ever got cut from an audition, but I’ve learned every job is like a big jigsaw puzzle and my spot is only one last little piece and they need that piece to fit into the puzzle that they’ve nearly completed.
I understand this more now since I have been on the other side of an audition panel; it’s very rarely personal or sometimes even about talent. It’s about finding the right fit for the rest of the cast or brief.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
In 5 years I see myself living in New York City having a few broadway shows under my belt and transitioning to choreographing for big shows.
What is your favorite way to wind down/self-care activity?
My favorite way to wind down is definitely hot yoga. My brain is constantly running 100 miles an hour, so yoga forces me to switch off thinking about work and focus on my breathing. I also love getting massages for self-care to restore my body.
What is your favorite meal?
My favorite meal definitely is sushi. I eat sushi nearly every day for lunch. Sushi is soooo big in Australia, and you can get it everywhere. I love it because I can eat it nearly every day and not get sick of it because there’s so many different variations and combinations.
If you could tell your younger self one thing, what would it be?
There is no rush. I thought my dance career was going to be over at 30 because that’s old…I’m now 25, and I feel like it’s only just beginning. There is no time or age limit, and everyone’s paths are different. Just because it happens quicker for someone else doesn’t mean it will never happen for you.
