A Dancer’s Dream: Auckland to LA

A Dancer’s Dream: Auckland to LA
Anjileen Daji

Amelia Lynch, a well–respected professional dancer from New Zealand, is set to follow her dreams and pursue her passion and love for dance — which is to make her unique mark in the distinguished LA dance industry! She has already established quite a name for herself in the Australasian domains. Having danced for top Kiwi artists such as Dei Hamo, Chung Nee, Jermaine Leef, Fou Nature and Lady Sheeq; several television appearances including NZ based music shows ‘Top of the Pops’, ‘Coast’ and ‘Haa’ (Maori TV); as well as dancing for the likes of Brisbane crews ‘I heard a Rumour’, ‘Freestyle Phugitives’ and Australia’s champion ‘Trick Nasty Crew’.

She has performed with a number of professional dance groups here also, including the SkyCity Cheer Team, the New Zealand Breaker Girls, Mika Haka, and Urban Beat Hip Hop Dance Company.

Internationally, Ms. Lynch has danced and battled on ‘The Drop’ (a US music chart show), toured/performed with Australian R&B singer Xy Latu, starred in the American commercial ‘Sunkist’, and danced with ‘Urban Poets’ at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland last year. She has also been fortunate enough to have trained at the prestigious, world-renowned dance studios: Debbie Reynolds, Millennium, Edge (Los Angeles), and Broadway Dance Centre (New York).

In addition to her strong dancing background, Ms. Lynch should also be commended on her academic credentials, having respectfully graduated with a Bachelor of Law and Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Auckland. She has danced with and choreographed for the well–known Auckland crew ‘Triple8Funk’, whom she greatly enjoyed working with because of the strong emphasis they place on the value of education as well as dance. The university based company took out an impressive 5th place at the 2007 World Hip Hop Championships. Quite an achievement!

Ms. Lynch has also had the pleasure of working as a full time dance teacher for some well–known studios, such as Mad Dance House, Industrie 1, and Fresh Elements (Brisbane).

More recently though, back in Auckland, the talented dancer held a workshop at City Dance studio (where she has also been teaching classes) to fundraise for her travels to LA. Her extensive array of training and experience was apparent in the diversity of the styles taught (dancehall, streetdance/hip–hop, house, break–dancing), and the manner in which she connects and is able to engage with her students, combined with the immense level of respect they have for her and the high regard in which she is held, is a true testimony within itself.

The dream, she says, is to live and work as a dancer in the States, training, teaching, and gathering valuable skills and knowledge to bring back home and share with the people of Aotearoa; inspiring the next generation of young dancers so that they too can follow their dreams, and helping to add to the ever-expanding calibre of hip-hop dance present here in New Zealand.

Amelia Lynch is one Kiwi you will certainly want to watch out for. With her smooth moves, her charming character and her unwavering passion and determination to succeed, you can expect to hear great things from this star dancer in the coming future. The hype and glam of the LA dance industry awaits her, and she is more than ready to take it on!

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