Every man and his dog offers a bootcamp these days. Well not his dog, that'd be tricky...but cool…read more Anyway, I'm the kind of gal who loves bootcamps, I love being pushed and feeling my body reach its limits. But, I do know that they can be pretty intimidating. This boot camp is perfect for women who want to work out but don't like the scariness of a typical boot camp. Run out of a well-established dance school, this boot camp provides a welcoming environment where you feel comfortable to push yourself without being judged. Every session is different so you'll always be surprised and will work all different parts of your body. There are three different studios to choose from so there won't be any of those cold morning trainings outdoors. But what's the best part about it? The sessions are set to music. So rather than just listening to myself puffing away, I find myself getting lost in the music and finding strength in the rhythms. A great option five times a week. Go on, just do it. You'll feel like a million bucks.

I've been coming here for the majority of my life. It used to be known as L'academie De Danse but…read morehas recently spiced itself up with a new name, a revamp and a new lease on life. I've trained very hard here in classical ballet, American Jazz and contemporary. I've also dabbled in some hip hop (haha) and more recently I've done their yoga and bootcamp classes. I've got everything I've ever wanted from this dance studio. And I don't just mean good exam marks and stage performance experience. I've laughed, cried, been injured and experienced heartbreak within the walls of this building. I've made friends that I know will last a lifetime and been given opportunities that have changed me forever! If you want to push a dance career this is an awesome place to start! The hip-hop crews strive for world championships each year and the exam results of many students show the quality of teaching. But really this is also the kind of place where it doesn't matter if you don't know what a plie or an arabesque is. It's the kind of place you can be yourself, express yourself and learn about yourself. I've seen kids accomplish things I only ever dreamed of, like storming stages in Las Vegas, and I've seen adults shake it (a little bit too much) in their zumba classes, with absolutely no inhibitions. Overall I think my whole spiel can be summed up by Neverlands motto: a place to connect.

Victoria Phillips is where my siblings and I have come to dance a large portion of our lives. I…read morehave thoroughly enjoyed every moment of being part of this dance studio. The dance routines are always fun! The end of year shows are phenomenal!! And it's also a great place to come and meet new friends! At Victoria Phillips they specialise in jazz, hip hop, contemporary, stretch, strength and conditioning and ballet technique. Offering classes to both boys and girls from as young as pre-school age. This studio is not only for children, but they also offer adult classes in both hip hop and jazz. There are three studios at Victoria Phillips, also a waiting area for parents, and a dance store to purchase the uniforms. There is also a securely locked front door that requires a 4 digit passcode for. I don't mean to be bias, but no word of a lie, Victoria Phillips put on the best end of year shows! All the children get a chance to be on stage and show off all the new skills they have been learning.

Really did not feel welcome at this studio at all. I'm a professional dance from New York who…read morehasn't taken class in awhile and just wanted to get back to basics and take a class to really focus on my technique so I went to a beginner ballet class. I knew what I was getting into and what I signed up for but for some reason the teacher felt that I shouldn't come back and take her class again and wasn't shy about telling me that. I was super upset because it's already hard being so far away from home and not having my usual spots to take class. I was just looking for people who were into doing the same things I was but I guess this isn't the place for that.

This is a really wonderful venue with the primary function of a performing arts school, rehearsal…read morespace and performance venue. It also runs seminars, has a café and is now home to The Actors Programme. It runs a full range of evening and weekend part time classes, with programmes covering all the performing arts with everything from acting for screen and stage, singing, dance and if you want to run away and join the circus, you can learn the tricks here. There's something for every age group and a lot of well respected industry professionals run workshops out of here. It's a really wonderful space that is intrinsic to Auckland's artistic community and even if you are more of an observer than a participant, TAPAC has something for everyone, so at least come and see a show. There's school holiday programmes as well as term time programmes and the facilities and tutors are top class. Bloody marvellous!

TAPAC is a bit of an Auckland institution. Virtually any kid growing up in central Auckland with an…read moreinterest in the performing arts will have heard of TAPAC, even if they didn't attend any classes there. TAPAC is recognised as one of the best performing arts facilities in the area, with an extensive range of classes available -for all ages and abilities - as well as great studios and mini theatres for rehearsals and performances. In my early teens I participated in an acting class at TAPAC. The class was great. It covered a variety of styles of acting, whether for screen or the stage, and it was really good for boosting my self confidence and leadership qualities - though I didn't realise it at the time of course! Whether dancing, acting, singing or even circus skills and acrobatics are your forte, or you've just always wanted to give them a try - TAPAC is the place for you. Tip: TAPAC also host school holiday programmes, so if your child is unsure about signing up to regular lessons this is a good way to see whether they want to pursue these classes any further!

I went to the Basement Theatre for the first time in the weekend and was immediately annoyed that I…read morehadn't been earlier. It's preeeetty cool. Tucked off Greys Ave, The Basement backs onto a public car park and is hidden from the street. While this adds to it's "underground" appeal it can make it tricky to find if it's your first time. My advice is to enter from the Q Theatre on Queen St, head down the LHS stairs at the back and then keep an eye out for the brightly coloured stools and blue barrels, which are used as tables outside. As others mentioned, The Basement is known for giving emerging artists a platform to perform. They host a wide range of acts from comedy to acting to poetry to dance. It's also home to SNORT, an improv show that's on every Friday at 10pm. It's supposed to be hilarious but word on the street is it regularly sells out so if you're keen to go, definitely get there early. In fact, I would recommend getting there early no matter what show you go to to have a drink beforehand. The bar is stocked with delicious beer, wine and spirits and there's a cool area out the front for you to sit and drink.

"I think there is no world without theatre." - Edward Bond…read more I totally agree. Gosh, I remember when 'Basement Theatre' when it was a rundown, grungy space used by Silo Theatre! How times have changed. There have been many new developments recently with the space, to encourage emerging artists to perform at the theatre at affordable, community-friendly rates. There are 2 theatres - upstairs studio seats 65 people & downstairs seats 100 patrons. The bar has a good selection of craft beers and NZ wines. Please note there is limited space to stand or sit around the bar, however you can go outside when the weather permits. Tickets prices start from $10-$25. I have attended many plays here over the years from the absurdist to apocalypse to comedy to classic drama. Definitely worth a visit to experience something different! Yelp!

I used to do Barre classes in San Fran so I was stoked when I heard that Marysa was opening a…read morestudio here. Located above Richmond Road, the studio is open and light with a gorgeous view out west. As for the class itself, don't let the description fool you - it's hard! I'm always amazed at how such small movements can make your legs (or arms) shake so uncontrollably. As for co-ordination, you don't need it....well, not really. You do use a ballet barre but it is surprisingly unballetic bar the pointing and flexing of toes. Marysa is doing a 2 for 1 offer at the moment and also an introductory $150 unlimited month so if you looking for a new regime heading into Summer I'd definitely recommend giving this a go

I was so lucky to have the chance to join in on a studio class recently, meet Marysa who is so…read morefriendly and made me feel excited and happy. The class combines, yoga, Pilates and barre work, and from the warmup to the workout and finally the relaxing stretch out at the end, your heart is pumping away and your body reaping its toning rewards. I along with my good friend, glanced over at each other, not knowing what we were in for, but never daring to slow down. I really love the tempo and movement of the class it was as though we were in our very own dance routine workout. I always like a good music soundtrack, and I definitely approve of the song choices, all very current dance tracks. The studio is very easy to find up some stairs from a well signed Barrefigure at 166 Richmond rd. Parking was not hard to find at all across the road. Inside the studio, carpet lines the studio floor which faces floor to ceiling mirrors, and to the other side is Marysa sign in desk/reception and a block of cubby holes perfect for storing away your bag etc. Views out the window, to glimpse as I noticed during workout a beautiful church up on Ponsonby rd. This is the definite winner of a class for women, it targets all those areas we want toned up and perky- abs,thighs,and bum of course! I want to be back in soon for this amazing class as the feeling of revival and stamina I got from just one class I am actually begging for more!

Want to try something completely different, fun and physical? Then give Altitude Pole a go! A…read morefriend and I rocked up to our first Aerial Yoga class, the introduction class on a Saturday morning and had an absolute blast. Aerial Yoga is a class with various yoga poses done on hammocks that are hung (securely we were assured - up to 500kgs!) from the ceiling. We were warmly welcomed by our class instructor and taken through the basics before the class started, such as an explanation of the hammocks. We were then placed at the front of the class so she could keep an eye on us, and away we went! We went through a number of really cool yoga poses with the slings, stretches, relaxation poses, whilst gradually building up the difficultly over the class until we were doing inversions and more! Was brilliant fun! Altitude Pole also offer Pole Dancing (definitely on the books) and Hula hoop classes.