With a final performance at a real Broadway venue, it's safe to say Alex Kelly won't be forgetting her two weeks any time soon.
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After winning a scholarship from Xchange Dance Tour in Melbourne last year, the 16-year-old finally got the chance to claim her time at the end of July and headed off to the Joffery Institute of dance.
Spending two weeks in intensive dance training, doing workshops and rehearsals for six to seven hours each day, Alex has come away with a renewed passion for her future.
"It was really great," she said.
"I made so many friends and connections, and being able to be independent from a group really enabled me to grow."
Not her first time dancing in New York, Alex was part of the Shannon's Dance Studio team that experienced the Disney trip in 2017.
While loving every second of it, this chance saw her come into her own and seize the Independence.
Workshops gave direction on lots of different genres of dance out there - ballet, hip-hop, jazz, musical theatre and contemporary.
"It was very intensive, but it gave me a taste of the different genres, learning and perfecting routines quickly. No class was the same," she said.
While loving the hip-hop and lyrical genres the best, she says it was interesting, seeing as American styles differed to that of the Australian versions.
We felt pressure because we didn't want to let him down, but he was proud and we were so happy to be a part of being able to deliver his message.
- Alex Kelly
"I learned to be myself - because if you add your own personal flair to the same moves that everyone else is doing, it makes you stand out."
Taking charge, Alex also took the chance to network hard, because with everything, she says it's about who you know.
"It would be absolutely awesome to work with any of them again in the future."
The final performance on Broadway added an extra layer of pressure on the Alex, trying to bring her choreographer's deeply personal expression to life.
With his friend being diagnosed with breast cancer, the routine was symbolic of nurses being 'guardian angels' on earth.
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"He said they do amazing things and don't get enough credit," she explained.
"We felt pressure because we didn't want to let him down, but he was proud and we were so happy to be a part of being able to deliver his message."
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