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Laura Ackerley: dancer

Year 7 student, Laura Ackerley auditioned successfully to join Jenina’s Dance Workshop (JDW) on their USA tour in April 2017. She was the youngest member of the team.

Not only did Laura attend classes with the world’s best teachers, she also took part in one of America’s top 3 Dance Conventions.

Jenina was overwhelmed and thrilled when Laura made it into the top 10 dancers in her age division and came 8th overall. This was very unexpected as she was up against some of the best dancers in the world.

Profile: Laura Ackerley

Tell us about the tour you have just returned from.
America was fantastic, everything I had dreamed of and more. It was an amazing experience for all. This trip has definitely been a highlight of my year already.

What did you do and where did you go?
We travelled to Los Angeles and Las Vegas, as well as Anaheim where we went to Disneyland! We also had a few dance classes at some famous studios such as Edge, Millenium and Mather Dance Company. My top 3 highlights were Disneyland, the class we had at Mather which was very inspiring. and thirdly sightseeing everywhere around Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

Was everything as you expected?
Everything and more! Everyone was so nice and welcoming at the dance classes and competition. The food was pretty much the same (although I prefer Australian food).

Have you coped with the jet lag?
The first day I thought I was fine but ended sleeping at 6.30pm and feeling as tired as ever. Jet lag is not the worst but you do feel really tired for the first few days.

How high was the standard in the competitions you participated in?
Pretty challenging. I believe the director of the competition said that it is the smallest competition in Las Vegas but the highest standard. Every dancer was amazing at every style such as tap, hip hop and contemporary.

What has the experience taught you about dance and performing?
To always try your best and believe you can do it and just encourage every dancer who is going to perform on stage because they will really appreciate it. I learnt to not always care about what other people think and just to dance how you feel.

What do you see as your future as a dancer?
I hope I can travel to Sydney or Melbourne dancing full time and maybe after that travel to America and work as a dancer at a studio. But right now I am just a girl who loves to dance and works hard to achieve my goals for dance.