The SteppingOUT Academy of Dance, previously located in Somerset West, has relocated to the Old Tannery complex on the outskirts of Wellington.
Owner and principal, Ru Fitz-henry, started her life in dance at the age of three in Port Elizabeth. She has received formal training and qualifications in ballet, modern, tap, jazz and hip-hop dancing.
During her 27 teaching years, SteppingOUT has staged many productions and won a number of awards in various eisteddfods and competitions. During her time as an international choreographer, Ru co-choreographed the opening ceremony of the African Cup of Nations in Ghana in 2008.
She was also involved in performing and teaching dance sequences to the cast in the 2003 Cricket World Cup, held in Cape Town. Ru co-choreographed a commercial in Romania, Bucharest and choreographed and appeared in local television commercials.
She was part of the original cheerleading team for the Stormers rugby team in 2003, and in later years, Ru focused her knowledge and experience on lecturing at an arts college, qualifying dancers in the profession. “My vision for the academy in Wellington is to feed the arts by ultimately offering drama, music and dance, all in one academy in this beautiful town,” says Ru.
“We offer modern, tap, jazz, pilates and hip-hop dancing. We are also in the process of getting a Zumba and ballroom and couples dancing instructor to join our team. The Old Tannery is in a stage of early development, but the owners are passionate about the arts and their vision for the Old Tannery promises to make it one of Wellington’s most exciting new venues.”
Contact Ru Fitzhenry on steppingoutdance@gmail.com