mission statement
At Pocket Rockets we aim for a balance of structured and creative dance experiences. Providing dance classes that encourage individuality & prepare students for performance opportunities in a fun and safe environment.
grow. explore. interact. boogie.
The benefits of dance classes for kids are HUGE! Here is a wee list of some of them...
Improved self esteem & confidence
Social & communication skills
Coordination & kinaesthetic memory
Musicality
Fitness
Strength
Body awareness & alignment
Development of creative skills
Positive effect on literacy & numeracy skills
and .... increased radness.
benefits
testimonials
"Thank you again – Our daughters love your classes and I love knowing how your classes help develop our girls confidence in themselves."
Claire Green
"Huge thanks for your amazing work Jane. You are just fabulous with the kids! My daughter comes home and shows me all the cool new dance moves, some of which require quite a bit of strength and balance too! I'm really thrilled with the new skills she's learning and how much fun she's having . And she is so looking forward to being part of another one of your brilliant end-of-year productions! Thanks again."
Michaela Sangl, Yogi Kids
"He has loved Pocket Rockets and it really has helped him grow, we are grateful for everything that you do."
Rixt Brownlow
"Dear Jane
Thank you for being the best dance teacher ever (we love party dance)."
From the Jazz team
Jane
Jane Carter
Director
Jane grew up in Stanley Bay, Devonport on Auckland’s North Shore. Having caught the travel bug from her adventurous family (and a stint at an international high school near Milan) she studied Italian at Auckland University and then travelled in Europe during her early 20s. She returned home to complete a Bachelor of Dance at AUT University, graduating in 2010.
While at AUT Jane’s performance experiences included the AUT Dance Company, Trip Stumble Fall and The White Wall. She performed at festivals such as Tempo Dance Festival, Fringe Festival (Auckland and Dunedin), Prana, and Viva Eclectika 2009 (Grand Prize winners).
She has since been involved in several dance teaching projects as well, including the YMCA Dance Youth Project (2013) and the Orere Beach Dance Project (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015).
You can also find Jane at Les Mills Takapuna as a qualified group fitness instructor, certified in both CXworx and Bodybalance. She has also completed the advanced instructor modules 1&2 for Bodybalance.
Along with teaching Pocket Rockets Jane’s current passions include her bunny rabbit Kenwood, her nieces and nephews, her family and friends, gardening, travelling by train and boogying on beaches.
Celia
Celia Hext
Dance Teacher
Celia is a dance artist who recently graduated from the University of Auckland with a Bachelor of Dance Studies. In 2021 she was cast in Footnote Dance New Zealand’s ‘Choreo-Co’ and as an understudy for Foster Group’s ‘Double-Goer’ after receiving secondments with both companies in 2020. She was awarded a 2020/2021 Summer Choreographic Research Scholarship by the University of Auckland and has been a finalist at HHI World Hip Hop Dance Championships.
Celia has undergone community dance residencies with Pakuranga College’s ‘Pegasus’ unit, Sarah Selwyn Retirement village and within the psychiatric department at Starship Hospital. She has taught across multiple highschools and studios in Auckland and has held professional level classes under Momentum Productions.
Celia loves being outdoors and if she's not dancing you will probably find her at the beach, camping, swimming or hiking.
Rocco
Rocco Conaghan
Dance Teacher
Rocco is an incredibly sassy, charismatic and energetic student. He absolutely adores Dancing and Musical Theatre. Any song becomes an absolute jam whether he is rocking it in the car, at a dance class or in the shower!
He was born and raised on the North Shore, educated at Hauraki School & Belmont Intermediate and is now attending Takapuna Grammar School.
He has been dancing since the age of 5 and has experienced a huge array of styles including Hip-Hop, Contemporary, Musical Theatre, Jazz and is a self taught Contortionist!
Dance in school has been a big part of Rocco’s education. He hopes to continue life with dance being a major part of it, as both a teacher and a student. Rocco has featured in many productions including: Beauty and the Beast, Shrek, The Little Mermaid and Suessical... he is always a part of many dances!
As well as dancing Rocco’s hobbies include: Teaching and attending Taekwondo which Rocco has a Black belt in, Choir, Musicals and extra voluntary chemistry study.
Abi
Abi McDonald
Dance Teacher
Scottish-born Abigail grew up in Auckland, and moved to Ōtautahi in 2019 to study. She is a triple threat performer who recently completed her Bachelor of Performing Arts, specialising in Music Theatre.
Since the age of 7 Abi has been performing in musicals, and she began taking dance classes not long after.
Abi has since trained in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Contemporary, Musical Theatre, and a little bit of Salsa. She has experience with multiple dance syllabi, including RAD, NZAMD, AJDA, Trinity and Glenn Wood Tap.
Abi has taught at dance studios across Auckland and Christchurch, including Made To Move Dance Studio in Devonport, and assistant taught at the 2018 Junior
Musical Theatre Festival in Atlanta, US.
Abi had the privilege of learning from
Jane at Pocket Rockets when she was in primary school, and she has now come full circle and is thrilled to be joining the team.
She cannot wait to meet her students, and share her love of dance and performance with them.
Angie
Angelina Lovison
Dance Teacher
Angelina is a happy, out-going student. She absolutely loves drama, dance and musical-theatre.
She was born in London, England, raised in Queenstown for a bit, but has lived in Auckland for the majority of her life. Angelina attended Queenstown Primary School, Milford Primary School, Belmont Primary School, Belmont Intermediate and is currently in year 11 at Takapuna Grammar School.
Angelina has been dancing basically ever since she could walk! For most of her life she did Ballet and a bit of Contemporary. When she got to intermediate she started Pocket Rockets Hiphop classes and instantly fell in love.
She performed in many dance recitals growing up, Pocket Rockets end of year shows, Beauty and the Beast, Seussical, Aladdin, Mulan, is currently preparing for Madagascar Jr. and will be doing Into The woods later on this year.
As well as dancing, Angelina's other hobbies include: playing Ultimate Frisbee, eating, going to holiday camps, hanging with friends and family.
She is very excited to be on this journey and seeing how far the dancers will go!
Kisha
Kisha September
Dance Teacher
Kisha is a dancer, choreographer and dance educator who moves between Hip Hop and Contemporary Dance. Kisha has worked at the University of Auckland over the past four years as a teaching assistant for the Dance Studies department.
With most recent experiences of teaching the contemporary dance workshop for DANZ’s 2018 Dance Week for Northern Dance Network at Aotea Square.
Kisha enjoys teaching in different realms of
dance and where it can take you.
Kisha is a Master’s student in the University of Auckland Bachelor of Dance Studies, where she is researching the relationship between the body and an object in choreographic environments. She is currently furthering the depth of her practice-led research in this field
for her Master’s thesis.
Georgia
Georgia Nicholls
Dance Teacher
Georgia is a dancer with a passion for contemporary dance and inclusive dance practices. Georgia studied dance and philosophy at the University of Waikato under the Sir Edmund Hillary Dance Scholarship.
During her studies, she taught dance at a local primary school, and was co-president of the university’s Unity Dance Club. At Unity she helped to facilitate weekly varied genre dance classes for students of all experience levels. Her performance highlights include dancing at the Tertiary Dance Festival 2016 and in the Waikato Contemporary Dance Trusts shows Handmade and Museology.
When she isn’t dancing, you’ll find Georgia, writing, marking, or researching for philosophy papers, as she is also a philosophy tutor!
Heloise
Heloise Phillips Smith
Dance Intern
Helo is a crazy, funny, witty extrovert with lots of personality. She absolutely loves dancing, singing, acting and performing in general.
She was born and raised on the North Shore, in Devonport. She attended Vauxhall Primary, Belmont Intermediate and is currently attending Takapuna Grammar School. She basically grew up on Narrow Neck Beach.
She has been dancing ever since she saw Dorothy the Dinosaur on the Wiggles and loves it. Her first public dance performance was as a Queen Bee for the production ‘Flight’ at Vauxhall when she was in Year One. She moved on to Hip Hop classes and in 2016 became a member of the Pocket Rockets family. Originally doing Jazz Ballet/Hip Hop, and starting Contemporary a year later, she has continued with Hip hop and Contemporary ever since. As well as annual Pocket Rockets performances she has been in Trinkets and Beauty and the Beast Jr.
Aside from dance, Helo loves playing netball, Ultimate Frisbee, camping, hanging out with friends and being with family.
Phineas
Phineas Anderson Tuck
Dance Intern
Phineas is a fun, energetic and friendly dancer, he loves spending time with people and just having a good time in general.
He actually attended primary school in the city at Newton Central school, he then moved into Devonport and went to Devonport primary, Belmont intermediate and he is currently attending Takapuna Grammar school.
Phineas has been dancing with Pocket Rockets for just three years but he has danced with 4 different programs beforehand. He currently is part of Teen Hip Hop, Adult Hiphop and the Adult Contemporary group, he is enjoying assisting with the Hauraki classes as part of his internship.
Aside from dancing, Phineas also plays the guitar, drums, piano and he sings. He is part of a drama group that does annual performances at the Rose Centre.