Meet our Teachers

Kia Ora I am Yanling. I am a choreographer, contemporary dance teacher and dancer. I studied Dance Performance in China, Dance Education and Science in Edinburgh and am now a PhD in Dance at the University of Otago.I have been studying dance for nearly 20 years and I specialise in contemporary dance, musical theatre jazz and dance teaching. I have taught contemporary dance at the University of Edinburgh. I have also worked as a choreographer for musicals and as a dance teacher for three years at the Shanghai Oriental Art Centre and the Shanghai City Theatre. During this time I have led students on tours and competitions. I am very happy to be joining RASA to bring a different international background and style of teaching. My teaching style is a blend of contemporary dance and Chinese elements with a lively and fun approach. I hope to bring the passion and love of dance to my students.

Mauri ora koutou, ko Thomas tōku ingoa.

My dance journey started in Welly as an uncoordinated Pākehā teenager. I started dancing in studios and then joined a crew called Hopskotch, falling in love with hiphop choreography, freestyling, and battling. I am now a part of a crew called Projekt Team. These guys hail from different dance backgrounds and live all over the country and some all over the world.

I specialise in freestyle and battling but have also created some awesome shows and performances. Other parts of my dance journey have included studying at Excel School of Performing Arts for 2 years - hiphop, contemporary and jazz. Krump in Welly with all the dancers in CapCity. Dancing and teaching at Anomaly Studios for 4 years, during which time we went to HHU Worlds and placed 3rd. Finally, I moved down to Ōtepoti and have been at Rasa since 2022 and started teaching in 2023.

Hiphop is such a vital element for my wellbeing and I have been lucky enough to learn from some of the best. I love passing on what I have learned, but also learning from all the dancers I’ve met at Rasa, young and old, experienced or just beginning, you can learn from anybody. I genuinely just enjoy dancing and sharing space with others. Looking forward to jamming with everyone this year!

Kia ora, I’m Mona!

I started dancing in 2017 when I took up Hip Hop classes as an after-school activity in high school. From there, my love for dancing began and I then auditioned for my school competition crew that went to Nationals. In 2018, eager to further my dance training, I joined Rasa and was keen to get myself involved in a range of syllabuses, extension classes, and genres such as Hip Hop, Musical Theatre, and Contemporary. I have completed the Hip Hop APDA Urban Ignition and RBM syllabuses, as well as gained scholarship in NZAMD. I have had some awesome experiences through dance - in 2019 I went to Nationals with my Rasa crew, in 2021 I had the opportunity to dance in a professional squad with Otago Dancers, and I have been performing with Rasa Dance Company (RDC) since 2020.

I started training to be a teacher in 2020, and have had awesome opportunities to teach a range of age groups - I love seeing student’s confidence in their skills and passion for dance progress throughout the year, and I look forward to this year of dancing and teaching.