Trudy Dobbie
Trudy Dobbie’s Master of Dance Studies taught her a great balance of theory and practice and gave her an appreciation of different cultural forms of dance.
Key facts
Career: Dance Teacher, Onehunga High School
Programme: Bachelor of Dance Studies, Master of Dance Studies
"My tertiary experience challenged my perceptions on what dance education is. The practical work extended me as a dancer, and now I’m able to take both the practical and theoretical lessons I had and give that to the kids here. The multicultural aspects of the degree prepared me for the community I'm in now. It made me appreciate the value of different types of dance.
"I love that dance can give people significance and self-capability, the way it did to me when I was in school. I tell my students to do what they love and enjoy, and they'll find a way to make it work if they love it enough.
"I was very pleased to see that having my masters qualification lifted me up two pay scales compared to an entry level teacher with only a bachelors degree. I want to teach for a long time, and would like to move into a role which assists other teachers with the teaching resources, perhaps even joining with dance companies and business to provide a better educational experience.”