Andrea started dancing at the age of 5 at Bernice McGough's (her mother) Ballet School in Auckland, New Zealand. She passed all her Grade and Major examinations under the British Ballet Method with Honors and holds the Solo Dancer's Diploma. Andrea was awarded the Paul Hammond Scholarship and a Full Scholarship to the National Ballet School where she studied before joining the Royal New Zealand Ballet. Andrea moved to Los Angeles in 1979 where she trained under Dolores Terry, Robert Rossoulatt and Stanley Holden. She then traveled to and performed in Japan, Europe and Mexico. Andrea toured the US and Canada with the National Touring Company of Sugar Babies as well as performed in Los Angeles productions of Sugar Babies, Song of Norway, Anyone Can Whistle, Anything Goes, My Fair Lady, Pajama Game and more. She choreographed, assisted and performed with Opera Pacific at the Orange County Performing Arts Center and the Los Angeles Opera. Her choreography has been seen on music videos, soap operas, industrials and ballet companies. Andrea's television and film credits include General Hospital, The Academy Awards, the films Beaches and Pennies From Heaven. She was the assistant choreographer on the TV series Rags to Riches which produced 2-3 musical numbers per episode. She coached Fred Savage on The Wonder Years, Rita Moreno on a TV movie for PBS, and Tony Geary on General Hospital. Some of her more interesting jobs included, sitting in a bathtub of bubbles doing high kicks for a Japanese beer commercial, being a Dancing "Star" on The Academy Awards and choreographing an award-winning video for the rock/punk band Jane's Addiction. In 1992 Andrea started her own school and holds Royal Academy of Dance Teacher's Certificate. She has taught Master Classes, judged dance festivals in the US and in NZ and has traveled to NY, and London to further her education as a dance educator. Andrea has been awarded Outstanding Choreographer at Company Dance and the Youth America Grand Prix Regional. She has been awarded Outstanding Teacher at the YAGP and LABA has been awarded outstanding school at YAGP multiple times. Andrea was awarded the Outstanding Teacher of the Year award from Dance Teacher Magazine. Andrea honors her home country and the training she received from her mother by offering a LABA Scholarship every year to a New Zealand Dancer. LABA Alumni are now dancing in professional schools, companies and shows in the US and abroad. Many are involved in guest teaching, mentoring, & choreographing at the school which has become a center for Dance Education and training in Los Angeles. Miss Andrea lives in Lake Balboa with her husband Iker. Their son Dylan is a member of the Joffrey Ballet Company and their daughter Veronica is free lance dancer and Yoga Instructor as well as a teacher at LABA.
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