Boudicca Farquhar - Dance Studies

“I have always been an avid dancer. During high school you would never fail to find me at the dance studio training in ballet, contemporary, jazz, and many other dance styles. I was drawn to the emotion within dance and stimulated by the story and all the things one can say through movement.

“But, I assumed there wouldn’t be a future for me in dance beyond high school. I was proven wrong by my first NCEA dance teacher. She opened my eyes up to the possibilities of dance beyond a ‘silly little high school hobby’ and the feasibility of dance as a real career path and my dance journey didn’t need to end.

“I have a feeling my career path may not be linear. I would love to choreograph, perform, teach, manage, travel, research, and much more.

“While I explored other study options, none seemed to present the sheer scope of opportunities of a Bachelor of Dance Studies at the University of Auckland. I was drawn to the different areas of learning available, from Dance Vocabulary to Dance History, Kinesiology, and Indigenous Dance Studies and I was intrigued by it all. I have always had a hunger for knowledge and within Dance Studies, I found there is no shortage of knowledge available.

“I feel that I truly met myself and my movement during DANCE110 Contemporary Dance and Choreography 1. In this paper I was able to start learning how I operate as a choreographer and collaborator, which not only was fun, but also equipped us with essential skills to move forward in our studies.

“Being a student in this programme is vastly different than any other. It is a small cohort, and a sincerely beautiful community. With small class sizes, I have gotten to know my peers well and create deep and meaningful connections with all of them – the same goes for my lecturers. Someone who can support you is only an email or knock on the door away!

“I love ‘saying something’ through dance and movement. I believe in dance as a form of communication, activism, self-expression, and self-exploration. Through dance, I have been able to express myself to my peers and bring important issues to light.

“For me, creativity means expressing yourself and honouring yourself. Your voice, vision, thoughts, opinions, experiences, and everyone you hold with you. I am inspired by the capability I know I have within me. I am inspired by those around and with me, past, present, and future.

“Creativity encourages people to learn about themselves as well as others. When creativity is shared it encourages empathy and understanding within people and stronger connections can be formed. It allows for vulnerability, authenticity, and honesty to be more accessible.”