about us

Picture
the friday company

choreography / performance / theatre / education / reviews / adjudication


Brigitte Knight
Artistic Director

Picture
Brigitte Knight, M.Prof.Studs (Edu. First Class Honours), BA, Dip. Teach (Sec) is an experienced and innovative choreographer, dance educator with the Royal New Zealand Ballet and dance adjudicator. She has created work for Okareka Dance Company Summer School, Coca Cola Christmas in the Park, New Zealand Fashion Week, Māori Television, The Auckland Shakespeare Company, Tempo Festival, The Basement Theatre, Aotea Diwali Festival, University of Auckland Diwali Festival, Desi Showbiz International, The Radio Network, Short + Sweet Dance, NZ One Act Play Festival and many more. 

Brigitte works in a broad range of dance styles including ballet, jazz, contemporary, Bollywood and tap. She was the director of her own dance school for ten years, before relocating to Auckland and creating freelance work. She adjudicates throughout New Zealand and has created an extensive selection of both dance and theatrical movement for dancers, actors and students working on stage and film. 

Brigitte is a fully registered, experienced secondary teacher, and the author of two of the Royal New Zealand Ballet's NCEA resources. She has guested, tutored and choreographed for many of New Zealand's leading dance education providers, including the Royal New Zealand Ballet, Okareka Dance Company Summer School, AUT Dance, New Zealand Performing Arts, CPIT, Auckland Academy of Adult Ballet, Carter Chan Dance Performance Centre, Auckland Academy of Dance, Auckland West Dance Academy and Corelli School of the Arts.

Brigitte is an experienced and creative dance educator and pre-professional dance coach, who has mentored and supported advanced dance students for successful entry to the New Zealand School of Dance, Unitec, AUT Dance, University of Auckland Dance, QUT Dance, Transit Dance, and Dance World Studios. 

She has recently completed her Master's degree in dance education, with a focus on the value of original choreography, which she achieved with First Class Honours. 

Brigitte is the Artistic Director of The Friday Company, senior ballet teacher at AWDA, ballet, contemporary and jazz tutor at AAAB, critic at theatrescenes.co.nz, whatsgood.co.nz, theatreview.org.nz, danz.org.nz,  and a freelance adjudicator.

Tamzin Naicker
​Dance Tutor 
Hip Hop, Bollywood, Contemporary
Tamzin Naicker trained at Unitec under the Bachelor of Performing and Screen Arts programme as a Contemporary Dance Major. She is trained in contemporary, Bollywood, hip hop and street jazz, and also spent several years training in stunting and flying at All Star Cheerleaders. Tamzin has more than seven years performance and competition experience, and has worked for both stage and television. 

Tamzin has an infectious passion for dance and, in particular,  the development of individual styles within the dancers she teaches. Her favourite choreographic style is a hip hop / contemporary fusion. She is an experienced and energetic teacher and has worked as a guest choreographer and tutor for Diocesan School for Girls, Kristin School, Ormiston Senior College, Hobsonville Point Secondary School, Marist College, Kingsway School, Albany Senior High School, Glenfield College, Somerville Intermediate, Murray's Bay Intermediate, and New Zealand Performing Arts.

Tamzin is currently the Head Teacher of contemporary and hip hop at Eternity Performing Arts, dance tutor at The Friday Company, teacher and choreographer of hip hop at Auckland West Dance Academy and tutors annually at Camp Modin in New York state.


Bex Hale
​Dance Tutor / Adjudicator
Ballet, Contemporary, Jazz


​
Bex Hale started her dance training at age 3, and competed in local and national competitions throughout New Zealand. In 2015 she commenced her full time training at the Queensland University of Technology through a Bachelor Of Fine Arts (Dance Performance), which she graduated from with Distinction in December, 2017. During her time in Brisbane she performed in independent festivals, as well as in works by renowned Australian choreographers. In 2017 she had the opportunity to take part in the Beijing Contemporary Dance Festival Dance Camp, and perform in the festival itself. 

Bex is currently a dance adjudicator, private ballet coach, ballet tutor at Bev Birch School of Dance, ballet, jazz and contemporary tutor at DanceBeat Academy, and a dance tutor at The Friday Company. She has worked as a guest choreographer and tutor at Albany Senior High School, Murray's Bay Intermediate and Glenfield College.

Jade Egan
​Dance Tutor 
Bollywood, Contemporary, Hip Hop, Aerial Arts,
​Special Needs Music & Movement
HJade Egan has a strong athletic background, which included success in track and field, cheerleading, stunting, aerial arts, trapeze and as a sponsored surfer for Roxy surf brand. 


Jade discovered her passion for dance at secondary school, and found her athletic background enabled her to progress rapidly in her performing arts career. Jade is trained in hip hop, contemporary, Bollywood and street jazz. She has extensive performance experience, including Coca Cola Christmas in the Park, TV3 and Māori Television. 


Jade’s new focus is teaching and sharing her love of dance and aerial arts with students. She is skilled and experienced in working with children with special needs, and enjoys making music movement accessible and enjoyable for all abilities. Additionally, she has experience working with mainstream NCEA dancers, and was a guest tutor at Waitakere College throughout 2015 and 2016. 


Jade is currently a seasonal Head Counsellor and tutor of aerial arts at Camp Modin in New York state, dance and movement tutor at The Friday Company, and junior hip hop tutor at Carter Chan Dance Performance Centre.