RICH HISTORY
SABA has been successfully teaching students since 1952 and has established itself as one of Auckland's top performing and most respected dance schools.
Founded by Valerie Murray, SABA quickly flourished from its base in South Auckland. With over six decades of tutelage the school has been privileged to take many students from aspiring young dancers through to competitive success and professional careers.
Upon Valerie's retirement in 2012, Emma McInnes took over the reigns at SABA.
From our purpose built Epsom studios SABA offers classes in a wide range of dance styles which include: RAD Ballet, NZAMD Jazz, Contemporary, Stretch Leap & Spin, Open Classes, Repertoire, Body Conditioning, Pilates, Tap & Hip Hop.
DANCE TEACHERS..
Students at SABA enjoy tutelage from a team of passionate and experienced dancers. Learn more about each one of our teachers below.
Emma McInnes
Director - Ballet, Jazz, Troupes, Competitions
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Emma McInnes
Director - Ballet, Competition Work
Emma began her dance training in Waihi before moving to DEC in Tauranga to continue with her vocational exams in RAD and BBO ballet Modern Jazz and Tap. During this time she had the opportunity to teach the local dancers of Waihi competition work..
She continued her studies at the London Contemporary Dance School and graduated with a BA (hons) majoring in Contemporary performance and technique.
While living in London Emma began her teacher training mentored by the late Christina Hughes at the British Ballet Organisation where she taught both grades and majors for four years as well as running a small school in North London. She obtained her ABBO and a diploma of teaching specialising in ballet during this time.
In 2006 Emma had the opportunity to choreograph a short Contemporary piece for her small company with fellow dancer and current teacher Katie Quirke for the RESOLUTION 2006 festival.
Her long term friend Saori Ishimaru had moved to NZ and was teaching at SABA so Emma’s transition into the SABA family was easy. She successfully completed her RAD registered teachers status and took over SABA from the legend Valerie Murray in 2012 and hasn’t looked back since.
Erica Kennedy
Dancesport
READ BIOErica Kennedy
Dancesport
Dancesport coach, choreographer, adjudicator, examiner and President of the New Zealand Federation of Dance Teachers.
Erica started her dance career in Ballet with the Royal Academy of Dance and started ballroom and Latin American Dance as a young teenager. Her passion for this style of dance grew and she won many New Zealand titles as a junior and youth Dancesport competitor.
As an Adult Erica has competed worldwide representing New Zealand in countries such as Japan, and throughout Europe in countries such as Finland, England and Norway at World Championship Events.
While in England she was a finalist in the United Kingdom 10 dance championships as both an Amateur and a Professional dancer. She has trained with the world’s leading experts in Dancesport and spent 10 years in London both competing and training for Professional exams. Erica has won the Adult Amateur and Professional Open New Zealand Dance championships in all styles of Ballroom, Latin and New Vogue dancing and has represented New Zealand overseas.
After turning professional Erica with her partner Peter Nicholas demonstrated and taught dance on both the Cunard and P &O cruise ships. Erica is qualified as a fellows in all 3 styles of ballroom dance and was invited to be an examiner by the New Zealand federation of Dance teachers which is the largest society in NZ. After joining the executive board as an examiner she is now the current President of the Association and heavily involved in the training and mentoring of new professionals along with running dance Competitions.
Over the years Erica has also taught Modern Jazz, hip Hop and freestyle and now specialises in training Dancesport competition dancers for ballroom, Latin, new vogue , showdance Events and mentoring Professionals for exams.
Thrilled to be part of the SABA studio.
Grace Leong
Hip Hop
READ BIOGrace Leong
Hip Hop
Grace started her dance training at the age of 6 right here at SABA, going on to achieve both her RAD Advanced 2 Ballet and NZAMD Contemporary Solo Seal with Distinction.
Grace attended dance competitions for several years, and has performed in events such as Armageddon, White Nights, K-festival and much more. She’s directed and choreographed Onehunga High School’s first K-Pop stage for Polyfest’s Diversity stage in 2019, going on to choreograph and collaborate with students for assessment work. She graduated with her Bachelor of Dance Studies from the University of Auckland in 2021 and is now training and performing in the street styles House and Hip Hop Grooves at En Beat Dance Academy.
She continues to learn and grow through her continued training as a dancer and is excited to share her love of dance with students!
Hayz Pincheira Rowe
Musical Theatre , Jazz, Lyrical Competitions
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Hayz Pincheira Rowe
Musical Theatre , Jazz, Lyrical Competitions
Hayz is a free-lance Choreographer, Teacher and Creative Director. Her professional training took place in London at The Italia Conti Academy of Performing Arts where she graduated with joint qualification’s; a H.Dip in Theatre Arts and ISTD Dance Instruction.
Professionally she has performed both with seasonal and touring companies as well as shows with longstanding residence in London Theatres, including leading roles of Alice in ‘Seven Brides for Seven Brothers’, Penguin in The Snowman at the Peacock Theatre, Elsie in ‘The Wind and the Willow’s. She also performed alongside a variety of international pop artists on stage and in Music Videos such as Rachel Stevens, Outcast, Beyoncé and The Black Eyed Peas. She has had the pleasure of working with highly acclaimed stunt performers in a various blockbuster movies such as Blood Diamond and National Treasure.
Since moving to New Zealand she has had the joys of working with many of the larger scale productions being filmed here such as Legend of the Seeker and Spartacus both in front and behind the camera, as well as working closely with The Stage Co. and KISS Theatre. performing in and choreographing for productions on a regular basis. She has since taken more of a mentoring role, forming 'The Arts Factory' Youth Dance Company offering young and upcoming dancers a chance to work in the professional forum.
She has choreographed Music Videos for NZ artists Amara Duru, Julia Turner and Arma Del Amor and Redacy. NZ Body Arts 2018 Awards, (Q Theatre) Dance Captained for the NZ dancers for Salman Khans World Tour 2017 (Spark Arena), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Pop Up Globe) 2019 - 2020, and Co-Director and Chorographer for Imaginerium with West City Band and the infamous Lesley Bandy for stage 2019. She continues to create works for both stage and screen around the country. In 2023 she will have the pleasure of Choreogrpahing for one of AMT's production of A Chorus
Kimberly Blow
Jazz, Contemporary, Lyrical, Troupe
READ BIOKimberly Blow
Jazz, Contemporary, Lyrical, Troupe
Bio coming soon.
Madison Fotti-Knowles
Ballet
READ BIOMadison Fotti-Knowles
Ballet
Originally from New Zealand, Madison is a Bolshoi Ballet Academy alumna and ex-national rhythmic gymnast trained under Olga Rudin. She is the first New Zealander to have ever studied at the Academy. She has since performed with New York Dance Project, Boston City Ballet, and most recently with Russian National ballet as a soloist on their 2019/2020 tour through Europe. Madison was featured in the gala “Russian Ballet Stars - Mariinsky and Beyond”, dancing principal roles alongside world-renowned dancers including Mariinsky Ballet soloist Alexandra Iosifidi. She has extensive experience in RAD Ballet, repertoire, Pilates and integrative flexibility/strength coaching for dancers. Madison has trained with master pedagogues including Elena Bobrova, Georgi Gusev, Svetlana Ivanova, Maria Sizova, and Tatiana Linnik. Madison is an experienced elite training coach with over 9 years of experience.
Madison Cronin
Ballet
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Madison Cronin
Ballet
Madison is an ex-ballet dancer. She trained pre-professionally in Sydney at Tanya Pearson Academy and upon graduation moved to complete her training at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague, Netherlands. Over the following two and a half years living in Holland she worked with the Dutch National Ballet Junior Company and Netherlands Dance Theatre. Madi had the opportunity to work with and perform works by world renown choreographers in both classical and modern repertoire including Hans van Manen, Jiri Kylian, and Crystal Pite. She also performed the leading role in ballets such as Giselle and Don Quixote. One of Madi’s other career highlights was premiering a new full length neo-classical ballet, Diamante by Katarina Wester, together with Julien Keulen (Swedish National Ballet) which was choreographed for them in 2017.
After a wonderful time overseas Madi returned home to New Zealand at the end of 2018. She is currently completing her Masters of Dance Studies at the University of Auckland, alongside which she works as a Producer for dance companies in Auckland, is a Group Fitness Instructor at the University of Auckland gym, and choreographs her own contemporary ballet works throughout New Zealand.
Harriet Dennison
Jazz, Ballet
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Harriet Dennison
Jazz, Ballet
Harriet is a Royal Academy of Dance qualified teacher who will be joining us in NZ from just outside of London in January 2020.
She trained at the RAD headquarters in London where she gained a first class honours degree in Ballet Education and became a licentiate of the Royal Academy of Dance. During her training, she took on various performance opportunities including dancing for the Royal Family with Dame Darcey Bussell for the Queen’s 90th birthday. Miss Harriet also worked on the juniors programme at the English National Ballet School and taught the Cecchetti syllabus for Chelsea Ballet Schools whilst based in the UK.
Following her graduation, she moved to Sydney, Australia where she worked in a dance school and taught ballet classes for a small contemporary company. After falling in love with New Zealand whilst visiting on holiday, Miss Harriet decided to continue her adventure and learn about dance in NZ. She is very excited to be moving overseas again and working with all the students at SABA.
DANCE TEACHERS.
Students at SABA enjoy tutelage from a team of passionate and experienced dancers. Learn more about each one of our teachers below.
Emma McInnes
Director - Ballet, Jazz, Troupes, Competitions
READ BIOEmma McInnes
Director - Ballet, Competition Work
Hayz Pincheira Rowe
Musical Theatre , Jazz, Lyrical Competitions
READ BIOHayz Pincheira Rowe
Musical Theatre , Jazz, Lyrical Competitions
Kimberly Blow
Jazz, Contemporary, Lyrical, Troupe
READ BIO
Kimberly Blow
Jazz, Contemporary, Lyrical, Troupe
Madison Fotti-Knowles
Ballet and Contemporary
READ BIO
Madison Fotti-Knowles
Ballet and Contemporary