More of our Teachers

Kia Ora, I’m Safera.

I began dancing at Rasa in 2015 and have been competitively dancing for Rasa since 2016. I started taking hip-hop classes with Lisa when I was 7, and within that time I quickly found a passion and love for dance. I am now trained in Hip-Hop, Contemporary, Jazz, and Commercial Dance.

I received the APDA Urban Ignition highest mark awards in 2021 and 2022 and I recently received a nomination for the NZAMD National Scholarship Awards.

I am a member of Rasa’s competitive hip-hop crews and duos. My teams have received many top placings and awards over the years. I have also coached/co-coached competitive hip-hop crews at Queens High School for several years.

I am a member of the Otago Dancers. I have been dancing with them since the beginning of 2023.

I loved being able to learn and teach with my students and have fun while doing what I love most. My favourite part about teaching is helping students learn and grow within their dancing. Watching their progressions and enjoyment in the movement is always so rewarding and I love that teaching is always a learning experience for me too.

My favourite thing about dance is the people. The dance community is full of amazing people who all share a love for the same thing. I’ve met some of my best friends through dancing and it’s a gift to have bonded over something so unique as dance. Being able to teach and work with people who love it too is cool and something special.

I hope to share my knowledge and love for dance with you and see you in class !!.

Kia Ora!!! I’m Alice!!

I have been a student at Rasa since 2012 and a teacher since 2017! Over my dance journey I have continued to exceed my own expectations and feel my passion for dance grow fonder and fonder!

I spent my high school years competing within the Queens High School hip hop crew, where I discovered my love for performing. Doing over the top facials and yellin’ on stage is where I felt the most powerful! After I left high school I continued within the competitive sphere, and started coaching crews. I love being able to share my love and passion for performing and dance with my students. And show, no matter who you are you can surprise yourself and truly be the star you were born to be!

I have also been a dancer and a choreographer for Otago Dancers. 2024 will be my third year being back on the squad! Dancing with Otago Dancers offers so many opportunities to dance around the city! Keep you’re eyes and ears eager to find out when and where you can see us performing this year!

I am so very excited for 2024! My goal is to make a shining star out of everyone that graces my path! It’s taken me a long time to realise that every dancer is different. Every dancer is great. Every dancer has something to learn and something to teach.

Comparison is the thief of joy! So don’t let your perceptions of other people down play your greatness!

See y’all SOON !!!

My name is Ashleigh and I am a recent graduate from the University of Otago.

I began dancing at the age of three, starting with ballet and then moving on to NZAMD Modern Jazz and Hip Hop. I began my dancing journey at RASA in 2017, and have completed the APDA Urban Ignition Syllabus.

Since 2021, I have thoroughly enjoyed teaching many different RASA classes, and absolutely love being a part of the RASA Advanced class and RASA Dance Company.

I was a member of the Otago Girls' High School Hip Hop Crews for five years, coaching, managing and choreographing the crews in 2019, 2020 and 2021.

At the start of 2024, I spent five months on exchange at Tsinghua University, where I auditioned and received the opportunity to join a competitive locking crew called DK5. It was an incredible experience being taught by some of the coolest locking dancers in China and dancing alongside some of the most talented hip hop dancers from Tsinghua and Peking Universities. I learned so much about locking, and it's been exciting to bring those lessons back with me to the hip hop community in Dunedin.

l love Hip Hop because it gives you the freedom to express yourself in any way you want. It allows you to feel and show your emotions through the music, style, and facial expressions, giving you the space to truly be yourself. The sense of community and the lasting friendships that Hip Hop creates is the absolute best, and I'm incredibly grateful to be part of the RASA family!