Tutors · Abigail Dance CoachinG
Tutors with first-hand experience
Our faculty bring professional careers in classical ballet, contemporary dance, Pilates and physiotherapy into the studio at Papa Hou, alongside visiting principals from the Royal New Zealand Ballet.
Our faculty
Who teaches what
Every ADC student works with a team of specialists, not a single teacher. Technique, contemporary, conditioning and mindset are each led by someone who has made that their profession. Students in all three programmes also learn from our guest tutors.
Classical
Ballet
- Abigail Boyle Director and classical tutor
- Emma-Rose Barrowclough Classical coach and mindset coach
- Glen Harris Classical tutor and pas de deux coach
- Dr Maureen Coulter Classical tutor and Royal Academy of Dance tutor
ContemporarY
Movement
- Kate Hines Contemporary tutor
- Annabel Lowe Contemporary tutor and strength coach
Body and Mind
Healthy dancers
- Louisa Potter Dance Pilates coach
- Annabel Lowe Strength coach
- Emma-Rose Barrowclough Mindset coach
- ADC physiotherapist Bio to come
Director · Classical
Abigail Boyle
Born and trained in New Zealand, Abigail Boyle joined the Royal New Zealand Ballet (RNZB) in 2006, quickly becoming the darling of the New Zealand ballet scene. Abigail is recognised as “possibly one of New Zealand’s finest stage artists of recent years” acclaimed for her authentic, honest, fluid and expressive style.
Abigail’s principal roles include Carmen in Didy Veldman’s Carmen, Odette/Odile in Russell Kerr’s Swan Lake, Aurora in Greg Horsman’s The Sleeping Beauty, Myrtha in Ethan Stiefel and Johan Kobborg’s Giselle and Ada in Jiří Bubeníček’s The Piano: The Ballet.
Her final ballet, Artemis Rising, was written as a celebration of her career. Critics acclaimed her “power, sensitivity and effortless grace”, concluding that “Boyle is emerging from a remarkable thirteen-year career with the Royal New Zealand Ballet, a woman and an artist in ascension”.
Following retirement in early 2019, Abigail completed the Professional Dancers’ Postgraduate Teaching Certificate with the Royal Academy of Dance and worked with established ballet schools and individual students. She has worked with New Zealand School of Dance, New Zealand Youth Ballet Company, Kairos Dance, Dance Masters International, and is a guest teacher for RNZB.
Danced with
Royal New Zealand Ballet, 2006-2019
Qualified
RAD Professional Dancers’ Postgraduate Teaching Certificate
Classical · Mindset
Emma-Rose Barrowclough
Emma-Rose Barrowclough is a New Zealand-born professional ballerina with 9 years of experience dancing with companies throughout Australasia and Europe, including Ballet Collective Aotearoa, the West Australian Ballet, The International Ballet Company, and Łódź Grand Theatre.
Her early years were spent dancing in Christchurch at AGA and Anna Lee School of Dance. In 2014 Emma competed in PACANZ placing as one of the top six finalists. She completed her pre-professional training with the New Zealand School of Dance where she graduated in 2017 with a diploma in dance performance. During her time at NZSD she competed in Sir John Logan Campbell Awards (now Auckland Caledonian Competition Society) placing third, and the Gene International Ballet competition. She was also selected for a scholarship to train with Canada’s National Ballet School for a month on exchange.
Some of her professional ballet career highlights include performing soloist roles in Giselle, Coppelia, Sleeping Beauty, Pärt/s and Bolero. Creating the lead female role in Górska Odyseja, dancing in Krystof Pastor’s Swan Lake, Sasha Waltz’s Romeo and Juliet, and Carmina Burana by Tamas Juronics, as well as choreographing original works for WAB’s Genesis season. Recently performing back in New Zealand gave her a chance to give back to the audience that supported the beginnings of her career.
Emma-Rose has taught students of all ages and levels and is passionate about nurturing both technical skill and artistic expression. Now based back home in New Zealand, she is completing degrees in Psychology and Sport & Exercise Nutrition with The University of Canterbury, and is a qualified yoga teacher. She is dedicated to building resilience and holistic development in young dancers and athletes.
Danced with
Ballet Collective Aotearoa, West Australian Ballet, The International Ballet Company, Łódź Grand Theatre
Trained
New Zealand School of Dance; exchange scholarship, Canada’s National Ballet School
Classical · Pas de deux
Glen Harris
Glen joined the Australian Ballet in 1981 and was a featured soloist in many roles dancing throughout Australia. His career then took him to Europe where he was invited to join the Opernhaus Ballet in Zurich. After two years in Switzerland he went to the U.S.A, where he joined the world renowned Joffrey Ballet based in New York, dancing with them for six years.
In 1994 Glen appeared on Broadway in the Lincoln Center Production of Carousel dancing the lead role of the Fairground Boy. He then joined the Metropolitan Opera Ballet in New York and enjoyed nine years performing in a vast repertoire followed by two years teaching and choreographing for the Miami City Ballet School.
On returning to New Zealand he was appointed the position of Senior Teacher/Choreographer for the Southern Ballet Theatre and taught ballet to the Musical Theatre students at NASDA. He has created numerous ballets for the Senior and Intermediate Ballet Companies. In 2012 Glen was guest Ballet Master for the Royal NZ Ballet’s season of Giselle.
For Showbiz Christchurch Glen has worked on the following productions: The Full Monty (Choreographer), Chicago (Associate Choreographer), Phantom of the Opera (Choreographer), Wicked (Choreographer), My Fair Lady (Choreographer), Kinky Boots (Choreographer) and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Choreographer).
For Invercargill Musical Theatre he has choreographed The Phantom of the Opera, Mamma Mia, Matilda the Musical and Priscilla Queen of the Desert.
Danced with
The Australian Ballet, Opernhaus Ballet Zurich, Joffrey Ballet, Metropolitan Opera Ballet
Broadway
Carousel, Lincoln Center, 1994
Classical · Rad
Dr Maureen Coulter
Maureen Coulter is a qualified and registered Royal Academy of Dance teacher with many years experience training students for both the RAD grade and vocational exams. She operated her own dance school in Christchurch for 15 years, later working as a free-lance ballet teacher while pursuing university studies and gaining a degree in secondary teaching.
In 2004 Maureen was awarded her PhD which examined the role of the dancer as an aesthetic icon of Symbolist French and Irish literature.
In 2005 Maureen moved to Hong Kong to teach English Literature at YMCA Christian College, where she also introduced drama classes and developed a Performing Arts programme, including Dance. She directed, choreographed and designed annual school musical theatre productions and qualified as a Cambridge Drama examiner. She also gained the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts Teaching Certificate in Communication.
During her time in Hong Kong, Maureen maintained her ballet training and taught Dance History and Dance Aesthetics at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. She also trained as a flamenco dancer, performing regularly with the Clara Ramona Flamenca dance company.
On her return to Christchurch in 2017, Maureen resumed ballet teaching, successfully training students for Royal Academy of Dance vocational exams. She also established the Flamenco dance academy, Flamenco del Sur. In 2022 and 2023 Maureen was engaged by the Royal Academy of Dance as a Mentor for trainee ballet teachers.
Qualified
Registered Royal Academy of Dance teacher
Also
Founder, Flamenco del Sur
from our parents
“The teachers at this exceptional dance school genuinely care about developing well-rounded artists. Finding a studio that balances expert technical training with a supportive family culture is rare – we found it at Abigail Dance Coaching. Our daughters’ progression in ballet and stage presence has blown us away. Her confidence has grown both on and off the stage and we feel absolutely sure that the skills she has acquired through dancing at this wonderful school will enhance her life forever.”
Rachel and Craig Walker ADC parents
Contemporary
Kate Hines
Kate began her dance training in Christchurch at the age of five, studying ballet, jazz and contemporary dance before attending the New Zealand School of Dance, where she majored in contemporary dance. She went on to perform and choreograph with New Zealand contemporary dancers and musicians, touring and performing across the country.
Kate has worked as a freelance contemporary dance teacher, choreographer and performer in New Zealand and the UK, teaching dancers of all ages and abilities in Christchurch, Wellington, Edinburgh and London.
Now a physiotherapist, with a special interest in pelvic health and dance, Kate brings her knowledge of the human body, movement and conditioning into her teaching. She is passionate about developing strong contemporary dance technique, while helping dancers understand their own bodies, move with confidence and explore their creativity in the studio.
Trained
New Zealand School of Dance, contemporary major
Also
Physiotherapist with a special interest in dance
Contemporary · Strength
Annabel Lowe
Annabel is a graduate of AGA who then went on to train as a contemporary major at the New Zealand School of Dance. She holds a NZ Advanced Diploma in Dance Performance, has performed in World of WearableArt, with the Royal New Zealand Ballet and represented New Zealand School of Dance at the Prix de Lausanne Partner School’s Choreographic Project in Lausanne Switzerland. Annabel is also interested in health and fitness that can support dance and is excited to share her knowledge and passion with the next generation of dancers.
Performed with
Royal New Zealand Ballet, World of WearableArt
Trained
AGA; New Zealand School of Dance, contemporary major
Body and Mind
Louisa Potter
Originally from the Kāpiti Coast Louisa found her love of movement and teaching through dance. After studying at the New Zealand School of Dance Louisa discovered Pilates and moved to London where she trained with one of the UK’s leading Pilates experts, Alan Herdman, and worked in his studio for the following 10 years.
In addition to working with the general population Louisa has worked extensively with young dancers including at Millennium Dance 2000, a vocational stage school, for 8 years and at Central School of Ballet’s senior school for 15 years, leaving at the end of 2022 to move back to Aotearoa where she has opened her own studio and is continuing to work with young dancers.
Trained
New Zealand School of Dance; Pilates with Alan Herdman, London
Worked with
Central School of Ballet, Millennium Dance 2000
Guest Tutors
Medhi Angot
Ballet coach and consultant
Mayu Tanigaito
Principal, Royal New Zealand Ballet
Ana Gallardo
Principal, Royal New Zealand Ballet
Breyah Takitimu
Dancer, Royal New Zealand Ballet
Train with us
Learn from the best
Get in touch to arrange a trial class or a one-on-one audition class, and to find the right programme for your dancer.
