Dance Styles / Jazz Funk, K-Pop
ABOUT ALLIE
Allie (she/her) is a dancer, instructor and choreographer from Halifax, Nova Scotia. Allie began her dance training at the age of four in the styles of ballet, jazz, tap, modern and contemporary. As an adult dancer, her training expanding into commercial styles, with a focus on jazz funk and heels, while her love of K-pop has lead her to instruct covers and performances of popular K-pop dances. Allie dedicates herself to weekly training at House of Eights, and has been a member of the faculty since 2021. In addition, she is an active member in the Romiosini Dance Group’s senior division, active in developing and performing traditional Greek folk dance.
What do you want people to get from your class?
My goal is for everyone to walk out of class with a smile on their face. To me, it does not matter if you have been technically trained your whole life or if you’re taking your first steps into the studio; all I want is for you to have fun in the hour we have together! Dance can be about so many things; expression, athleticism, technique, and memory just to name a few. Whichever aspect of dance my students choose to focus on for that hour, I want to foster an environment where they feel excited and comfortable to explore this, with no pressure to be perfect. Feeling good and having fun is always my priority!
What motivates you to dance?
Dance has been a constant in my life since before I could even properly understand what it was. As I have grown, I have always had dance with me. It has been a vehicle for me to stay active, release my emotions, find a community, and have fun. The studio and the dance floor are some of the few places where I feel completely myself, and where I feel comfortable to let everyone else see who I am. Whether I’m performing a choreographed jazz routine on stage, or I’m in the circle at a party folk dancing the night away, I always feel happiest when I am dancing. No matter where life takes me, I know I can always find a place that feels like home if there’s a good beat to groove along to!
What are some highlights of your career as a dancer/choreographer?
As cheesy as it sounds, dancing and teaching at House of Eights is one of my biggest career highlights! Although I have danced my entire life, and knew it was important to me, House of Eights has allowed me to understand how much dance as shaped my life and continues to give me the opportunity to discover myself and inspire others through movement. I have had the ability to train with the other incredible staff, as well as take classes from choreographers like Keenan Cooks, Neil Schwartz and Jake Kodish. Outside of House of Eights, I have been fortunate enough to attend class from Lia Kim at 1Million Dance Studio in South Korea.
Within my folk dancing career, I have been a member of the Romiosyni Dance Group for upwards of 10 years, and in that time have been able to travel to national Greek dance conferences, perform at countless cultural events, and assist in choreography and training for the dancers at the annual Halifax Greek Fest.