Virtual Studio Teacher Spotlight: Liz Marcobello

I am a Sydney born and raised performer, actor and dancer. I have been teaching dance for 11 years and dancing since I was three. I started off with a strong base in ballet, then contemporary, before finally landing on jazz and hip hop by the time I finished school and moved to full-time dance. I’ve also trained in many more styles since then due to the great education that ED5 International gave me, as well as through my travels around the world. I am also a certified Pilates mat and barre instructor. My passion for performing runs deeply in both dance and acting.

Every moment on stage has been fun for me. The grandest experience I had was dancing behind Kelly Clarkson for the NRL Grand Final in 2011, in front of tens of thousands of people and with fireworks. I’ve also had many poignant and special moments dancing in Germany, New York and performing at the Adelaide Fringe Festival.

Dance has made up so much of my life and I’ve put in so much hard work to be where I am today, but as with any career, it has its ups and downs. Dance has taught me how to handle mistakes and helped me to develop a strong backbone and thick skin, both physically and metaphorically. Dance and Pilates are part of my meditation, I completely zone out from my problems and just focus on the movement.

My JFH (Jaz Funk Hip-hop) classes are sweat-inducing, inclusive and fun. I’ll teach you some foundational hip hop grooves throughout the warm-up that help prime your body to be receptive to the specific combo that we learn in class. The vibe is always playful and a little sassy.

Don’t overthink it. Avoid putting the pressure on yourself to nail every step; just meet yourself on the dance floor, leave your baggage at the door and be open to new moves, styles and my bad jokes.

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I’m making my way through the book series The Diviners by Libba Bray and I’m watching
The Queen’s Gambit on Netflix as well as re-watching old Cirque Du Soleil performances.