The Apollo Theatre School was established in 2006 by Sarah Boocock with the vision of providing New Zealand with an inspirational and internationally recognised training facility for performers aiming for a career in performance, musical theatre and teaching.

The school is proud to have a caring and professional faculty who provide excellence in dance, musical theatre, and teacher training.   In addition to the core staff listed below, The Apollo Theatre School brings in a variety of Guest Tutors to hold workshops in a variety of disciplines to further expand the students’ knowledge, experience and learning.

 

Sarah Boocock  Dip. RBS (T.T.C), A.R.A.D, A.I.D.T.A, A.I.S.T.D.
Apollo Theatre School and Apollo Theatre Company Director

Sarah is a graduate of the Royal Ballet School - London, and has 21 years experience in performing, teaching, choreography, production, TV commercials and examining. She is technical advisor and examiner to the American Jazz Affiliation and an active freelance choreographer.

Until 2008 Sarah spent 15 years as the Director of the highly successful recreational dance school L’Academie de Danse - Auckland, developing the school to a roll of 900 students and 12 teachers before handing over the reigns to focus completely on The Apollo Theatre School and to develop the Apollo Theatre Company, a new initiative which provides professional performance opportunities for graduates and selected students. Sarah currently teaches the following subjects at the Theatre School: classical ballet, jazz, audition technique and performance.

Sarah is passionate about preparing performers for the professional industry and works hard to provide Apollo Theatre School and Company performers with opportunities to use their skills both through her freelance choreography appointments and through her various professional Company activities.

Margot Darragh (Bbus)
General Manager

Margot has over 12 years experience working in Auckland, London and Toronto for organisations that are leaders in their field.  Working mainly in the corporate environment for financial organisations and within the Project Management arena, she has been responsible for developing as well as implementing procedures, project management methodologies and quality management systems.  Margot graduated from AUT with a Bachelor of Business in 1998, but embarked on her O.E shortly afterwards in January 1999.  While overseas Margot was able to sample the exciting international dance scene and upon her return to NZ in 2004 reconnected with her dance background by enrolling in dance classes and taking on a new role as a part time hip hop and jazz dance teacher.

Margot was finally able to combine her business background with her passion for dance when she joined The Apollo Theatre School team in 2006 and now has the role of General Manager of The Apollo Theatre School.

Julia Barry MCI (Dance Teaching), Dip. R.B.S(T.T.C), A.R.A.D. Adv. Teaching Dip, A.I.S.T.D.
Tutor – Ballet, Choreography, Repertoire

Julia graduated with Diploma of the Royal Ballet School Teachers’ Training Course, London, in 1977 and emigrated to New Zealand.  She spent two years as a dancer and Ballet Mistress in Russell Kerr’s “Dance in Schools” performance company, whilst also establishing her teaching career.
Julia holds the Royal Academy of Dance Elementary, Intermediate and Advanced Teaching Diplomas, Associate teaching qualifications in the National Dance, Modern Theatre Dance, Imperial Ballet and Cecchetti Ballet Branches of the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing, a Teaching Diploma in Benesh Dance Notation and is a certified Pilates Matwork instructor.

Julia has run her own highly successful large ballet school (the Auckland Ballet Academy, 1984-1995), has taught free-lance at many dance schools and seminars throughout New Zealand and has been very involved with training dance teachers.  Many of her former students have gone on to professional dance performance and teaching careers.

Julia has been a tutor at the Apollo Theatre School since its inception and is also involved with course development.  Julia is a Tutor and Practical Teaching Supervisor for the Royal Academy of Dance Certificate in Ballet Teaching Studies and is currently the Chairperson of the Industry Advisory Committee for the AUT Bachelor of Dance degree.  In 2008 Julia was very proud to receive her Masters in Creative Industries (Dance Teaching) with Distinction.

Catherine Carr DIP ABRSM, AIRMTNZ
Tutor – Vocals, Musical Theatre, Ballet Accompaniment

Catherine’s passion is Musical Theatre. She has worked as a repetiteur, Vocal Coach and Musical Director around Auckland and the Manawatu, in both professional and community theatre for the past 20 years.  Favourites to name a few include Fame, Les Miserables, Dames at Sea, Big River, The King and I, Tilly, Cabaret, Stretchmarks, Guys and Dolls, Oliver, Annie, A Funny Thing Happened on the way to the Forum, The Buddy Holly Story, and most recently the New Zealand Premier of Titanic the Musical. Currently she is Musical Director for Centrestage Theatre Company’s production of Les Misérables.

Catherine has taught Piano and Theory of Music privately and as an Itinerant in Secondary Schools since 1992.  As a Dance Accompanist, she plays regularly for a number of studios around Auckland, providing accompaniment for graded examinations for Royal Academy of Dance and graded and vocational exams of the Imperial Classical Ballet syllabus, and plays for dance companies when on tour in NZ. She is employed regularly to play for auditions and master classes, for English National Ballet School, New Zealand School of Dance, Australian Ballet School and a highlight last year, accompanying company classes for The Mark Morris Dance Group from New York.

IQ Pilates - Raewyn Hing BA/LLB, B.COM, B Sport and Rec, Dip. Tchg
Tutor – Pilates

Raewyn Hing is the owner of IQ Pilates and has been working in the human movement field since 1989.  She began her formal Pilates instructor training in 2000 with Polestar International and is now a NZ Instructor, Educator and Mentor and assists on Polestar International training courses.  Her teaching experience includes group reformer teaching, Mat classes, semi-private, private and group equipment classes.  Her special interests are sports performance and injury rehabilitation.  She provides services to many of NZ’s elite Olympic and Commonwealth athletes.  Raewyn is the first in NZ to both teach gyrotonic and gyrokinesis and offer both exercise techniques at her studio.  Raewyn’s achievements include:

  • Polestar International Practitioner: Post-Rehabilitation Equipment, Mat and Reformer
  • Bachelor of Sport and Recreation (major Sport Science), Commerce, Law, Arts
  • Diploma of Teaching
  • Sports Science NZ and Academy of Sport provider
  • Netfit and AUT certified trainer and group exercise instructor
  • SAK Level 3 Anthropometrist (Science of Body Composition).

FlexaClinic - Murray L Hing MNZSP, RNZP DipPhys, MNZMPA, Reg Physio, ACUP
Tutor -  Integrated Health & Fitness Training Programme

Murray Hing and his team from the Flexa clinic deliver the Integrated Health & Fitness Training Programme at The Apollo Theatre School.  Murray is a well-renowned physiotherapist with extensive experience in professional sports medicine, musculoskeletal, manipulative medicine and corporate and lifestyle health.

Murray has recently completed his Masters in Manipulation and his Post-graduate Diploma in Acupuncture, qualifying with Honours. Murray is looked upon as an expert in his specialist field of physiotherapy and leads the team of physiotherapists at FlexaClinic who provide physiotherapy to the students of The Apollo Theatre School.

Flexa Physiotherapy specialises in musculoskeletal, sports medicine, post-operative and injury rehabilitation, lumbar and spinal injuries, muscle balancing and hands-on physiotherapy treatments.

The Flexa Clinic Physiotherapy team are proud to have treated some of New Zealand's finest sports men and women, including athletes from NZ Rugby League, NZ Basketball, NZ Aerobics, NZ Rugby NPC, Super 12, Kings Soccer teams and many Olympic and Commonwealth Games athletes.

Sally Stockwell
Tutor – Acting, Vocals

Sally Stockwell has worked extensively as an actor throughout New Zealand in television, film, and radio for the past 12 years. Her most notable credits include The Women (Silo Theatre, Auckland), Top Girls (Downstage Theatre, Wellington), Insiders Guide to Happiness (TV2) and Shortland Street (TV2).
Sally graduated from Toi Whakaari/New Zealand Drama School in 1995.  In 1997 she won a Chapman Tripp Award for Best Female Newcomer (Taking Sides, Circa Theatre) and was nominated for Best Actress (Proof, Circa Theatre) in 2002. She was also a nominee for Best Television Actress in 2005 (Insider’s Guide to Happiness).
Whilst living overseas in 2000, Sally was awarded a Summer School acting scholarship with the Royal National Theatre Studio in London.  She followed this with further study in Voice and Physical Theatre (with Pantheatre Company in Paris, 2000).
Sally has also studied Voice with the Roy Hart International Voice Centre (in France 2007), and Clown (with Philippe Gaulier, 2004; Creative NZ funding).  Other high profile voice teachers she has studied with are Kristin Linklater, Patsy Rodenberg, Bert van Dijk and Robyn Payne (NZ Drama School)
Sally has been teaching voice privately for the last 18 months to both groups and individuals. Currently, she is performing (singing) with an Auckland originals band "Ghostyhead”, and is a reader for The Royal Foundation of the Blind (Auckland, N.Z).  In June this year, she  travelled to France to work her two-hander theatre show Gravity Hotel under the direction of Peruvian director Enrique Pardo (Roy Hart Voice teacher/director).  Sally produced, wrote and performed this project herself, and was funded by Creative New Zealand.

Sally’s teaching style draws eclectically from her 12 years’ work and study within performance.  She has consolidated a unique teaching style that is multi-faceted, active and engaging.  This incorporates the voice, body, imagination and soul, along with a philosophy that embraces any voice regardless of age, gender or experience (Roy Hart Voice philosophy).  Classes are supportive and constructive whilst encouraging risk-taking and play.  Fundamentally the classes are a judgement-free zone that encourages all sound and exploration of voice within structured exercises.

Arini Going
Tutor- Tap, Jazz, Teacher Training

Arini graduated from The Apollo Theatre School in 2007 with a Diploma in Musical Theatre.   Arini has more than 8 years teaching experience in jazz, tap and hip hop and is now working professionally as a freelance dancer, teacher and model. 
Arini's professional accomplishments include:
Successful audition for Moulin Rouge, Paris, cast as a dancer in Scribe Music Video, Hootchy Kootchy Burlesque  Dancer, dancer for Diamond Dance Company, dancer for Candy Lane Dance Company, dancer for Apollo Theatre Company, ‘face’ of Girls’
Big Day Out, various TV Commercials including Moro, 2008 model for Nike and 2008 Lucie Boshier model for Fashion Week.

Arini brings to the school a wealth of professional performing experience in both stage and tv.  She currently teaches Jazz and Tap heads the Hip hop teacher training department.

Joel Fuentes Gallarde
Tutor – Hip Hop

Joel is the Founder, Director and head choreographer of  The Company of University Dancers(CUDZ) and the TRiPLe8FuNK dance company which is one of the biggest HIP HOP street dance companies in New Zealand.

Joel is a graduate of The University of Auckland with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Film, Television, Media and Spanish.

In 2006, he traveled 5 continents around the world to train, expand and do research on the latest hiphop and funk styles. From Korea, Japan, Paris, Pineapple studios in London, Do Dat studios in Toronto, to Los Angeles, San Diego and Broadway Dance Center in New York, to name a few.

As well as his teaching Joel has judged Hip Hop dance competitions and taught dance workshops in the Philippines, USA, Argentina, Australia and Brazil.

Astrid Stevanon
Tutor - Ballet

Astrid  graduated from  The Victorian College of the Arts at Melbourne University in 1995 with a Bachelor of Dance. She then spent  10 years teaching and choreographing in full-time and part- time dance schools in both New Zealand and Europe. 

When Astrid returned to New Zealand in 2006 she took up the position of full-time Teacher at L´Academie de Danse - Auckland, teaching: Ballet, Jazz, Tap and Contemporary.

 Astrid now teaches classical ballet at  Apollo Theatre  School and holds the position of assistant to the Director at The Apollo Theatre Company.

Natalie Blucher BCS, A.T.C.L Trinity Guildhall London
Student Welfare Officer

Natalie Blucher has a background in performance and speech & drama and enjoys her role of Student Welfare Officer at The Apollo Theatre School.  Natalie regularly attends professional development workshops in mentoring and in 2003 was awarded an AUT scholarship for her strong leadership skills.  She graduated from AUT with a Bachelor of Communication Studies where she has learned about television, journalism and in her final year majored in Creative Industries and Public Relations.
Natalie has an incredible passion and zest for life, communication, people and the performing arts.  She loves encouraging students to reach their full potential & challenging them to live outside their comfort zone and pursue their dreams.

Aveley Tonks
Administrator

Aveley joined the team in 2009 as Administrator of The Apollo Theatre School.  Aveley has worked in a number of administration roles in a variety organizations and enjoys the new and exciting environment of the Apollo Theatre School.