Bringing childhood a dream to life
A passionate performer in Waikato is making her adolescent dreams a reality.
Since the age of 12, Rebekah Robertson has always dreamed of launching her own performing arts school, but she never quite made the leap.
Now the 28-year-old is listening to her own advice – ‘‘practice what you preach’’ and ‘‘do what you love’’ – and kickstarting dance and drama classes with a positive difference.
Positive Performing Arts Method [PPAM] will start in Hamilton, Cambridge and Te Aroha from February 2.
PPAM is a competition-free and safe classroom environment, for adults and children wanting to avoid the pressure of the traditional performing arts schools, Robertson, PPAM’s founder and creator, said.
In the end, she hopes to take the initiative nationwide. ‘‘I found a gap in the market and I filled it.
‘‘I want this to be New Zealand-wide, there are kids and adults all around the country who need this.’’
The classes help people find their unique personalities, with a lot less pressure. You don’t need to be talented to join, she said.
‘‘A few years ago, I had a neighbour who desperately wanted to dance. But because of a knee injury, she couldn’t enrol in a dance school.’’
Robertson is a fully qualified, registered and certified teacher with performing arts experience. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English, Theatre and Screen & Media at the University of Waikato, a Diploma of Musical Theatre at APO Arts Academy in Melbourne and a Graduate Diploma of Teaching in Secondary at the University of Waikato.
‘‘I knew I had to teach from experience, so I went out and go it.’’
Dancing since the age of five and doing drama classes since age 10, performing quickly became part of Robertson’s life. She toured as a professional actor across New Zealand and Australia, performing in over 700 shows in two years, and worked at Maeroa Intermediate as a specialised dance and drama teacher.
❚ Enrolments can be made through PPAM’s website: ppamnz.com/ourjourney