“Mum can we pleeeeease go to the meeting?” way back in April last year my daughter Grace asked me. “It’s about a really cool dance tour to L.A.”
Sigh. Hopefully the meeting will be a drag, Grace will be bored, and that will be the end of that I thought, as off we trotted to the meeting at our local dance studio one cold, bleak, mid-week night.
Well, the bleakness evaporated as quickly as a fairy godmother can turn a pumpkin into a glittering carriage when Kim Davey appeared like a vision in front of us. I kept looking to see if there were Disney birds following in her wake.
She had us all absolutely entranced. Enthusiastic, articulate, beautiful, radiant, gentle, organised, sincere, intelligent, genuine… this woman glows with a passion that only living one’s life purpose can give. Kim told us about her dream to provide young kiwi teenagers with the opportunity to experience the performing arts outside of NZ. An opportunity that she never had (as a young girl with an absolute passion for performing). Her dream turned into a business, law was subsequently ditched, and before long ‘World Class Dance Tours’ was up and running and young teenagers interested in the performing arts now get to experience the trip of a lifetime.
Grace and I signed up immediately after that meeting. My thought was: here is an incredible female role model that I (without a doubt) want Grace to have in her life.
What impressed me was how everything that Kim outlined in that first meeting was exactly how it was. Actually it may have even been better. She promised and delivered, massively.
I loved and was hugely grateful for the attention to detail, the efficiency, the low (actually No) stress, but most of all the FUN! Kim knows teenagers AND parents so she nails the fun for the teens and the superb organisation for the parents. Actually the parents enjoyed the fun too 🙂
The experience the students gain is outstanding, opportunities to learn with top of their game choreographers very few would ever get a chance to learn from, dancing “stages” to perform on like Disneyland (!!) and Hollywood Boulevard (!!) and even the U.S. television programme Dancing With the Stars (!!!!!) Does it get any more fabulous? I have never seen a group of young teenage girls so excited, so happy, so optimistic, forming such close friendships, developing incredible skills, and having an amazing holiday at the same time.
I also loved the chance to go away with my daughter, just focussing on her passions and dreams. Magical. It’s not an opportunity that presents itself often, for that length of time. I loved being a witness to her literally maturing in front of my eyes. Seeing her blossom in the workshops, gain confidence, work hard, I loved listening to her talk about some long term goals she now had, and see her utter contentment at being amongst “her tribe”. I loved seeing her be herself.
I also really enjoyed being a chaperone! I decided while at Universal studios (Oh did I mention that? Amongst all the dancing we also got to play at theme parks…) Anyway, 13-17 year old teenage girls are perfect theme park companions. Still with the excitement of a young child but with the maturity of an adult, it was just constant joy, fun, and laughter, but if they disappeared it was not a drama. Also they can manage their own food, hydration, sun block, and go on the really scary rides by themselves. It’s excellent.
I need to mention the tour guides, as they were another highlight for me. Kim has a little team working with her and the 3 tour guides on our trip I now consider good friends. Passionate about what they do, they share the same interests and skills as the teenagers, so the bonding was instant. Again they quickly became role models for our daughters and had such a refreshing freshness and optimism about them that I came away from the trip feeling as though the world is an exciting place for our kids to be becoming adults in. I think that was the biggest gift for me, when the world can feel a bit bleak and the outlook seem a bit grim, World Class Dance Tours shows you that this is definitely not the case.
The world is full of, and bursting with opportunities, fun and adventure.
Live one’s dream.
It’s what we are put on the planet to do.
And be kind to one another.
This was the gift World Class Dance Tours gave Grace and I.
(PS We loved the trip so much, we have just signed up for the New York one next year!)
Jo Davies, Chaperone
NZ Open Team, April 2017
I remember seeing the note from Performance Net over a year ago, to come and meet the wonderful Kim Davey and find out about World Class Dance Tours and a trip of a lifetime. Kim addressed a school hall full of mums, dads and children wannabes with a captivating presence and infectious passion for taking what you love (dance) and turning that into a career. Mia my daughter who was 12 years old at the time left this session in complete awe of Kim and pleading with me to let her and her sister (Ella age 10 yrs) go on this tour. Mia could not stop speaking about it for days ‘Mummy, dancing is all I’ve ever wanted to do, I want this more than anything, I’ll do chores!’.
From a personal point of view, it was such a fantastic experience to be able to take my Mum on tour as a family member. Kim and Tiff looked after her so well and included her in everything. She felt very special and thoroughly enjoyed being part of this amazing experience with her granddaughters. For her it was a trip of a lifetime and she is already trying to persuade her Mahjong group to sign up for the over 40’s trip to Rio!
Mia and Ella have built amazing friendships with everyone who went on tour, friendships to treasure and nurture for a lifetime. I’m sure we will all be planning our next tour so we can build on our first one. Thanks to Clare our amazing dance teacher at Performance Net for investing so much of yourself in coaching our children to be the best they could be. Thanks to Tracey & Mike Stretton for an incredible performance school that has exposed Mia and Ella to a wonderful family and incredible experiences – thanks for taking the risk to sign Performance Net up to the L.A. Dance Tour.
The opportunities on tour were unbelievable! I loved that we got to attend so many classes, workshops and personal development sessions with such incredible, professional and inspiring people. I had so much fun taking classes, sightseeing, going to the theme parks, and lots (and lots) of shopping! We danced at amazing studios that, before the tour I had dreamed of dancing at, like IDA, Edge Performing Arts Centre and Millennium! I also absolutely looooved all the shopping! And I loved going to the theme parks like Universal Studios and Disneyland, and doing the must-do’s in LA like Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Hollywood Boulevard and the Abby Lee Dance Company was all pretty amazing. Not to mention going to a live taping of Dancing with the Stars, and actually getting to be in it! The level of dance over there is so intense and it was so much fun to be a part of it. It was also crazy to come home and see TV shows/ads, movies, celebrity posts from LA and be able to say “I’ve been there!”!
I am so grateful for the people I met and what they taught me. I met my best friends while training for this tour, and became so much closer with them on the tour. I love that WCDT was what allowed me to do so! The dance teachers and instructors we worked with were so inspiring and we learned crazy amazing things from them. Everything from the life lessons to the choreography to the way of thinking in LA is so fresh and new and unlike anything else. I had so much fun getting to talk to people that live in LA like waiters at restaurants and shop keepers on the boulevard! They were always so fascinated by us Kiwis and we had some really interesting conversations with them.
It really will change your life! I came home feeling, and still feel so inspired and I’m buzzing with everything I learned. You meet so many inspiring people and learn so so many things and the experiences and memories will truly last you your life. I can’t thank WCDT enough for giving me the experience and opportunity they did. I will always always remember everything about this tour and continue to apply it to everythingI do. It is absolutely worth doing, I 100000% recommend it and can guarantee it will change your life as much as it changed mine.
classes of Otumoetai College touring to LA in 2015. So who’s this World Class Dance Tours I say? Lots of questions and anyway a few weeks later a very excited lady called Kim gave us an AMAZING presentation. Yes the word amazing has come up lots, before during and after this trip. Chaperones where also required and to cut a long story short I joined in and in July 2015 off we went! I was excited about the tourist attractions but as I learnt, this trip was soooo much more than that!
As Isla has written she since been back to LA and studied for three months at one of the studios you get to dance at on tour (IDA). I am very proud of her development along with the on going support Kim offers. The even bumped into each other in LA!!!
But it wasn’t just about taking part in a lesson, it was about meeting insanely talented dancers and choreographers who got to share their knowledge and their journey with us, how they got to where they are now. Everyone’s journey is so different and it’s so amazing to be able to learn from these people. I really wanted to take in all this information and let it inspire and motivate me to become nothing but the absolute best I can be. I loved every class I took, from ballet to hip hop to burlesque and even twerking! But my favourite class I took was Jazz funk with the incredible Michael Silas, seen in the photo on the right.
Another highlight of the tour would have to be dancing on Hollywood boulevard. The fact that I got to dance on Hollywood boulevard itself was amazing but the amount of people that stopped and watched us was even crazier. It was an experience I will never forget. Dancing aside, we can’t forget about the tourist activities! Because this was my first over seas trip it was my first time going to Disney Land, so I was very excited as I’m sure you can imagine. Getting the opportunity to dance on the stage there was pretty special too. It’s true what they say, it really is the
happiest place on earth. I also loved universal studios and the Warner Bro’s studio tour. The shopping was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed our day at Santa Monica, soaking up the beautiful Cali sun on the beach and exploring the Pier.
The motivational coaching sessions we had were an extremely helpful touch, sometimes you just need that little reminder that you are good enough and you can do anything you set your mind to. Too much positivity definitely never hurt anyone and I loved the constant inspiration and motivation.
cherish very much. I improved and grew so much and not only as a dancer but as a person. I hope to go back as soon as possible and maybe one day even get a working visa.
Thank you to Kim for giving me and many other young dancers such an amazing opportunity and unforgettable experience. And thank you for the constant love and support even two years after doing the tour.
on each tour. There were opportunities to experience dance classes from world class choreographers, at many different well known studios. In Sydney these included Urban Dance Centre and Brent Street, and in LA The Edge, Millennium and IDA Hollywood. Not only were multiple classes in a range of different genre scheduled daily, we also had the freedom to choose classes which we wanted to take. Add in plenty of extra time for sightseeing in these incredible places, and we found ourselves a part of an incredible tour. As part of the Sydney tour, you visit places such as the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Opera House, Bondi Beach, and Taronga Zoo. In Los Angeles, the group accommodation is a meer two-minute walk from the bustling Hollywood Boulevard. Here you get to experience tours around Beverly Hills, Warner Bro’s, visit Universal Studios, the Hollywood sign, and of course, Disneyland, CA.
I found both tours to be absolutely fantastic, and one of the best opportunities I have ever had. Once on tour, daily schedules were prepared and handed out the evening before, which outlined the plan for the next day (which dance classes we would take, approximate times, what we needed to bring with us etc). I always felt prepared for what was coming next. Kim has a real gift with people which allows her to communicate effectively with many different ages. Her organisation is impeccable, which meant I was always well informed about what was required and expected of us at all times. Her bubbly and outgoing personality made me feel comfortable and relaxed, which resulted in many laughs throughout the tour.
teachers taught a lot faster than many in New Zealand, however I found myself thriving in the classes and really being challenged. Amongst many dancers from all over the world, I also managed to find myself in the same contemporary class as the lead female dancer in the movie Step Up: Revolution. She is one of my idols so getting to dance in the same class was inspiring. Having the opportunity to dance with someone of her importance and passion was incredible, and something which I will never forget.
While on the LA tour, Kim managed to organise a private audition with Princess Cruises for selected members of our tour group who potentially had a future interest in working in the entertainment industry on board ships. She also managed to find the time in our tour for us to go to a live open dance audition which Royal Caribbean Cruises were also holding over the two-week period which we were in America. From taking part in these two auditions, I learnt very quickly how intense and particular the dance world really is. A lot of the time, whether you are offered a professional dance job or not isn’t anything to do with how you dance.
being in real audition situations, I could watch other dancer’s techniques for standing out, and who was offered professional contracts. This meant that when the time came for me to audition again, I had a head start over others who had never experienced an audition before, and apply these techniques which I learnt on the tour.
I am now currently three months into my second cruise ship contract as a production dancer, working for Costa Cruises. Working on ships is proving to be everything I thought it would be and more. Being able to do what I love in front of thousands of people every night, while travelling around Italy, France and Spain for 7 months at a time is amazing. I hope to continue working on ships for a year or two more, so that I can discover even more places in the world.
a trip to Santa Monica Pier, theme parks and dance shows – including being in the live audience at Dancing with the Stars! Each of these activities were exciting, fun and allowed us to see a whole lot of LA. They were all very well organised and I would love to go back and do them all again. Some activities also included team bonding and personal development which were directed by the tour managers themselves. These activities allowed us get to know each other better and really inspired myself and the other dancers to aspire to the best we can be. For the Twin Cities team, the team bonding was especially useful as the Auckland and Wellington dancers on my team did not meet in person until we all arrived in LA.
we also participated in were held at Disneyland. One was held as a mock audition, which also added to the knowledge we were gaining about dance in LA. The other was based on an aspect of dance and performance. The teacher spoke with me beforehand about our upcoming performance at Disneyland and asked if there was anything I think my team needed to work on. I suggested expressions and performance attitudes which she took on board and delivered the whole workshop around. This helped my team and I hugely not only for our performance but for each dancer individually beyond the trip also.
around other dancers and teachers, and being immersed in the dance industry also inspired me to become a better teacher, and to continue to challenge, motivate and nourish my students in any way I can. As a dancer, I was given a huge insight into the dance industry and dance world in LA. With the industry being much larger and very different to the one in Auckland and throughout New Zealand there was so much to learn and take in while on tour. In two weeks I learnt many things as mentioned – different genres of dance, aspects of dancer/choreographers’ lives and the ways agencies work. This knowledge is useful in considering my own place in the dance world, but also useful to pass on to other students who may hold an interest in becoming a professional dancer. As an individual, I believe the entire trip contributed to many aspects of my professional development. This includes leadership skills through leading the
and Edge Pac) with top choreographers where artists such as Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Chris Brown and many more have danced and trained, you name the artist i can guarantee you they have stepped foot in these studios!
in LA and pretty much how to make it as a dancer over there as its tough because every single person is good. Myself along with another girl from the tour had the chance to take one of our most favourite of all time choreographers classes, i was literally trying so hard to keep my cool and not be to much of a fan girl, his name is Matt Steffanina.
done the hike a second day at 6:30 to watch the sun come up over LA and my goodness it is one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen, I’m not even exaggerating.
Not only were we just going to Disney Land but taking a class/ experiencing a mock audition at BACKSTAGE Disney, when i say backstage i mean strictly nobody but the staff are allowed back there as thats where all the magic happens, no cameras allowed no nothing so we all felt very honoured and privileged to experience this. The mock audition at backstage Disney felt so surreal, i felt so extremely nervous it felt that legit. Definitely a push out of the comfort zone, especially for me as i was the only one in the tour group having only done Hip Hop my entire life, so doing jazz routines etc was challenging but i enjoyed every moment of it, this was a once in a lifetime experience i couldn’t not participate!
continues to inspire me, and we were taken to the Magic Castle Hotel, also known as “The big banana”. Here, we were welcomed by the staff immediately and being around the other side of the world from your family didn’t seem so scary anymore.
Millennium Dance Complex was an incredible place where the dancing was intensified. We were put to the test as we danced alongside some of LA’s best dancers. My fitness rocketed from these classes and I could grasp the expectations of dancers over in America. Combinations were taught at a fast pace and we were encouraged to pick things up as quickly as possible so that our bodies got used to things such as muscle memory. Once classes were over we were mesmerised by the number of pictures on the wall all signed by famous people such as Justin Bieber.
forget. As someone who intends on doing musical theatre as a career it was a great challenge for me when we were put through a mock audition at the Disneyland Performing arts studios. Here, I was put to the test and it gave me an idea as to where I sit on the world scale, being marked just as you would in a real audition. Not only that, but we had normal dance classes with amazing tutors who had been working with all the Disneyland performers for years and before that had professional careers as dancers so were full of wisdom and advice. Then to top it all off my best friend and I finally had our dreams come true as we performed a duo on the Disneyland stage and it gave a feeling that you wouldn’t understand unless you witnessed it yourselves.
once in a life-time opportunities such as performing at Disney Land, dancing on Hollywood Boulevard, and meeting high scale dance and drama professionals, which I will treasure for the rest of my life.
Yet, I found it to be so much more than just a dance tour with the aforementioned once in a lifetime opportunities. I found that it was also a tour focused on personal development, one that aimed for everyone to go home a better person, dancer, and all round artist. This combination of personal development tasks and immersive once in a lifetime opportunities was awe-inspiring and made the tour have a very powerful and lasting effect on me.
First was the variety of workshops offered to us during the trip. The abundance of choice we had and the quantity of such amazing workshops and tutors placed at our fingertips was every dancer’s dream. Whether you were an advanced dancer, passionate about making a career out of it, a beginner who just dances for pure enjoyment, or someone in between, there was a workshop for you. All of the workshops allowed you to try something new and step out of your comfort zone, and I ended up doing workshops like one for twerking that I very much enjoyed, but would have never tried had I not been on the trip. It was therefore, a tour that very much encouraged you to be brave 
and embrace things that you would not normally do, the motto being, ‘you never know when you may be graced with an opportunity to take a class like this again so why not do it and make the most of it,’ which lead to a very enriching experience. Also, as someone who has grown up doing a lot of dancing and loves the choreographic side to it as well, the exposure to the industry professionals taking the classes and their choreographic process was incredible and very insightful for myself as an inspiring choreographer and dramaturge. I would not trade my participation in those workshops for the world.
frequently used over the past year. While again it was danced focused, the things I learnt were easily transferable to acting and every other aspect of the arts (and in fact, life in general). Audition skill workshops are something I think get overlooked by many people, but are extremely valuable (especially when you are being taught by a Disney Land casting director who has the power to employ you if you stand out enough). From only a one hour workshop I came away with the knowledge that in an audition you should always ask questions, as it makes you known to the casting director and they begin to relate to you as a person rather than a number, and when possible you must always put your hand up to go first, as it shows bravery and it is an automatic way to get a call back. These are some of the secrets that contribute to a successful audition, which I would have never learnt if I hadn’t had the opportunity to attend the workshop. Therefore, the tour made me a more well-rounded and knowledgeable dancer/drama student about the entire performing arts world from auditioning to performance work, and applying these skills since in University drama work and in job interviews has lead to some amazing results.
evening, which taught us a lot about the power of the mind in manifesting what you want to get out of life – otherwise known as the Law of Attraction. This evening was an eye opener for me as she emphasized (in short) the importance of creating a career that you will love doing rather than one that will bring you wealth. She made the point that with hard work and the right mindset it is possible to do what you dream of doing, to create your dream job and that often you will end up making the most money that way – from something you love doing, so why settle for a job you do not enjoy. I think what she said is very true, money cannot buy happiness, but doing what you love can and I have lived by this mantra since as I have started to develop my career pathway. Not only was this evening very helpful to me and lead to me being able to accomplish all of my set goals for 2016, but since the tour Kim has continued to provide me with very generous support and advice. For instance, at the end of 2016 I had trouble deciding which university courses I should be taking to get to where I want to be and after seeking out Kim for some advice, she replied with a very detailed email with tasks for me to complete to help me with my decisions. She is a very busy woman and this would have taken substantial time out of her day to reply to. Thus, the tour provided me with the opportunity to meet a very inspirational mentor who infects everyone with positivity and hope, and I am very grateful to have met her and to have her continued help and support.
participating in the tour and it brought home the fact that no matter how hard it may seem my career in the arts is achievable. Consequently, my dreams had never felt more in my reach than after I finished the tour and I owe that to the experience offered by Kim and the open advice she continues to give me. That, to me, is something you cannot put a price on. Plus how many people can say they have danced at Disney Land? Not many, and this is why World Class Dance Tours is worth every single dollar and is an experience every lover of dance should embrace. Travel is known to make a person richer, and this trip does exactly that, enriching you in the area you are passionate about the most.