Movement is life, life is movement – Victoria Akhurst

Written By Julia Broad

If I were to reflect on being a little girl in the sunset of the past Millenium, we fell into three categories:

  • The Sports Girls – thin as whips, but strong, wiry and fast. Good at swimming, gymnastics, you name it. 

  • The Horse Girls - naming horse breeds, drawing horses, talking about horses. Incidentally, these girls were also really good at braiding hair. 

  • The Dance Girls  - the ones with hair so perfectly pulled back hair it reflected light. Delicate wrists and ramrod posture.  Immaculate clothes and access to eyeshadow. 

I wanted to be the latter. To this day I have a penchant for organza and tulle and wear more open back, scoop neck tops than I have any business in doing. Sadly,  my gormless and rather… developed physique put me in more the square-dancing set than ballet.  I think most girls entertain the idea of being a ballerina at some stage, the finesse, grace and long-limbed beauty.

Miss Victoria embodies all of that. Quick muscle twitch,  precise movements – a confidence which is undeniably feminine,  but has a very distinct “I am not to be fucked with” demeanour. 

In the process of planning our shoot, Victoria and Declan had returned from holidaying Bali where an international dance competition had been scheduled and subsequently cancelled due to an ever-changing Novel Coronavirus. 

On the afternoon of our shoot, Victoria walking through the streets of Sheung Wan in a hand embellished green dress,  Move for Life owner and international dance star Joshua Keefe and I discussed the rapidly changing situation. We discussed the challenges of online learning, staying in and styling our new accessories, the face mask. That afternoon, the 23rd of March, Hong Kong entered its second lockdown. 

The next few months were a whirlwind. Victoria, Declan and Joshua, the trio behind Move For life pivoted their business from on-campus to online platforms, eventually leading to their Youtube Channels Little Movers and Dance Monkeys. Little Movers is their under-fives channel that encourages kids to engage in healthy screen time with cartoon-like videos that hook kids in from the offset and get them moving with super fun dance routines and challenges, while Dance Monkeys has been developed for the older kids up to 12 years old. The Dance Monkeys ethos is to make dance accessible to school-aged kids, to not only upload full routines but to give them tips and tricks that actually teach kids how to move in a familiar environment.

J: When we last met on 23 March, the first stage lockdown was announced. Classes hadn’t been in person since Chinese New Year. As we meet again now, it looks like we’re entering the next phase of restrictions, and moving back to online learning. What has changed for you in the last few months?”

Victoria looks at Declan, folds her legs underneath her and takes a deep breath. This was maybe not the easiest question to open with. But I’m surprised. Her eyes light up, and she begins. 

“It was so cool!  We started creating online content to supplement our workshops that would have been on-campus at Bradbury School, Shrewsbury and Woodland to name a few, to fulfil our contracts”.

J: That’s all pretty normal now, but you were all over that from the very beginning of the pandemic. 

“We were! Instead of in-person workshops, it became online workshops. As things progressed it didn’t make sense to keep pushing in our work through the school. Instead, we started to develop our online programs, which we’ve wanted to do for a long time, but just never had the time to do”. 

J: I've seen you, you are insanely busy.

“ We are. We run. So, we started filming Little Movers to market to parents on a new platform in the hopes that would filter through the community and then individuals would buy a subscription. Filming was hilarious. We dress up, and I have ribbons in my hair and this god awful blue yellow red and purple tulle skirt” … she gestures over to a bag overflowing with tulle .. “oh - that's it!”

“By the fifth hour we would be like… I can’t do it anymore! And then… inhale.. exhale. Turn it on for the camera!  We created 60 videos, yeah, six-xero videos to launch it. We were sleeping at the office.  We then started to develop our ideas, and as we learned more we got better at it, and we moved to green screen, and thought, ‘Why not put this on YouTube, and maybe get a little bit of Wiggles Fame’?”

The decision was a good one. With the pandemic showing no signs of dissipating, Little Movers has expanded to include Dance Monkeys and will continue to expand for special needs kids with “Koala Bop”.  Little Movers now has just over 64 thousand views and the trio are still creating new content. 

“It’s been great. We’ve had an internet swell, and we realised this is what we’ve really wanted to try.” 

As we chat, the third member of Move for Life, Declan, is editing new content and answering emails. 

J: Declan is your partner, colleague, dance partner.

She interjects – “Life partner? Everything partner? 

J: It’s an extraordinary relationship. Do you think your dynamic as a team in dance has given you a professional instinct where you respect each others space?

They look at each other and I can tell they’re communicating volumes with a look. 

“No – not at all!” She jokes. “We spend so much time together. We were together romantically before we danced together. Declan had an amazing dance partner before we moved here – Upekha who is an incredible Physiotherapist who is a beautiful dancer danced in Australia before moving here and decided to focus on her Physiotherapy career before she quit dancing, now she is working with the Hong Kong Ballet, which is incredible. I happened to find a partner in Hong Kong at the same time they were thinking about moving. Declan and I arrived in July 2014 and Upekha arrived here a few months later. Eventually, Upekha decided she was done with international competition to focus on her business, and I had broken up with my partner, so we tried to dance together and it worked. ” 

“Declan and I had been together since September 2013, but he really opened my eyes to the fact I could dance outside of Australia.  I think we had just started dancing together, and he was unsure of being here, and the style of dance work that is common here, so he dreamed up this idea Move for Life and between Josh, Declan and Myself we developed what Move For Life is today”.

J: I’m not from the dance world, so I think of partner as a romantic partnership. Even the language – you are together… you break up… 

“It’s not! It’s so not.  It’s quite a connected global community. If you’re looking for a partner you put a call out via FB groups, friends in the industry, studios, coaches. Finding a partner involves not just your style, but also looks, height technique. And that’s all sorted before you even try out. Then the way you move has to work.  Your energy and your goals have to be aligned. And sometimes it takes a while to know if it’s going to work or not. Declan and I had been together since September 2013, but he really opened my eyes to the fact I could dance outside of Australia.  I think we had just started dancing together, and he was unsure of being here, and the style of dance work that is common here, so he dreamed up this idea Move for Life and between Josh, Declan and Myself we developed what Move For Life is today.

Declan’s energy is very different … they both share anecdotes of the opportunities Hong Kong has afforded them, in training, classes and wealth of experience, and the chance to teach children dance as part of a curriculum.

“Hong Kong is really extraordinary in that primary schools have specialised PE teachers. In Australia we don’t have that, think about having an amazing arty teacher, or a lovely 60-year-old woman, can you imagine the pressure they must have felt having to teach P.E?  So your class would buddy up with the sporty teachers class and you’d do PE together. Dance in a school setting is so amazing. It teaches you special emotions, it’s good for your mental health, your body, your memory. “

J: I’ve seen you work with children, and it’s heart-warming. You are so high energy and committed. Did you always have a passion to work with children?

“Ha – no! That was my sister.  I was teaching adults. But with children, there is no pretence. They’re so forgiving, you can correct them 100 times, maybe get cross, but they’ll own it. They’re so easy to shape, they absorb, they can change style so quickly. Adults have fragile little egos. We come with so many preconceived ideas, and we can’t take criticism.  I grew up in the dance world, and everything was judged. We knew we were there to win, and it can lead to a shitty culture.  But now, if you see a little girl, after 6-8 weeks, can get through a routine, and see them in their costume, and do such a good job … 

She clutches her chest. 

“IT’S SO GOOD!!!” The incredibly tough Miss Victoria sniffs and fans her face.

J: Are you getting a little bit teary? (She is).

“I’m such a stage mum. I’m on the sidelines, doing the routine along with them.”

J: I’ve seen you running ahead at Disneyland. You are a powerhouse. Were you always a dancer?

“ Since I was 4, My mum was a ballerina, and we had a studio in Maitland. It was big when I was a little girl. I did ballet from 4-8, and all I wanted to do was Latin and Ballroom.  In my mind, I thought I had to choose, I regret quitting ballet.” 

J: Can’t you start again?

Victoria stares at me through her glasses.  I’m reminded of how she deals with children who are not listening in rehearsal.

“No. I could do adult ballet, but it’s so hard… you have to train your muscles so hard, almost break your body. My body does not work that way. 

J: I looked like one of the hippos in Fantasia. 

“Hahaha!!! Sometimes the clumsy students can be your favourites.  The big kids are a little easier to work with, but when you get a little kid who’s trying to step hop, step hop, and they finally do it? And if they then do a turn? We erupt. Every adult in the room loses it.” 

The big kids are a different energy. They have things they want to achieve. Sometimes I’m a perfectionist. I’m mean, but I’m mean with love.  I want then to be amazing.  I want them to hate me now, but love me at the end because they’re so good!”

And Victoria’s perfectionism shows. She and Declan are top-ranked Australian Latin couple, Singapore Open Finalists and rising star champions, Shanghai Blackpool Finalists and UK Open Top 60.

J: You are professional dancers, who compete internationally. This year, no sport is competing internationally. What’s your view on the state of the dance industry now, and how do you think they’ll adapt?

“ We checked out. For us it was a forced hiatus. We took an opportunity to rest, and re evaluate what we do.”

J: I love that you say rest, and take a break when you’re literally sleeping in the office.  She rolls her eyes, but concedes.

“It’s different.  We’re not under as much pressure. We can explore other things, maybe try other styles. We’re not training. We’re not taking classes, which I love! The industry is freaking out for good reason, the Latin/Ballroom world is a small industry and there are competitions which happen every year, the majors, which rely on international participation. So Blackpool Dance Festival, for example, has been postponed to September - even if the UK were open, with no quarantine, I don’t know how many competitors they would get. Can you imagine dancing in a room with people where you don’t know where they’ve been? It’s been nice to stop and not compete.” 

JB: And I imagine the costs of traveling and competing also mount up. Is that all self-funded, or are the sponsorship deals?

“We have one sponsor. She does all my amazing dress embellishments Zahira Crystals. But other costs, flights etc are all out of pocket. Most dancers get some aspect of their careers sponsored. Because the dresses cost a LOT of money. The green dress, from our shoot? If I were to get that made and stoned, that can cost upwards of $20,000 HKD. And you need a new dress for every major.” 

J: Do you sell them? 

“Anything I get made, and I get one for a season, I keep. The older ones, I keep because I made them… and I don’t want them to fall part on someone else!  But we’ve spent so much time together. It’s like my baby. And I’ve made them myself. And sacrificed my necks, shoulders, my eyes”.

She pauses, and those blue eyes flash with passion once more.

“Oh.. and I name them!”

I’m hooked. Oh My God. You MUST tell me!!!

This green one? Her name is Madison.  I have Candace, she’s candy coloured. Tatiana is black and fully crystalled.

J: I imagine the novelty wears off after your tenth hour of sewing crystals. Were you always a sewer?

“I think it was Influenced by not having that amount of money to spend on a dress. My parents raised me to be an independent child and stand on my own. I took textiles, and sewing classes at school, and realised I can do it myself.  But if you ruin one? I decided to cut a piece out of the side. I remember so clearly at four in the morning. I came out to Declan in tears. ‘I broke it! It’s ruined!’ I think I still have the pieces in a bag – I just can’t go through it.”

J: This year has changed us in so many ways. The way we interact, the way we work. What are your hopes for the dance world and your industry?

“ I’m hoping everyone cools down on this manic need to be everywhere, and take lessons with everybody. It can become very samey.  The community take lessons with people all over the world… all the time. It means a lot of the individuality is watered down.  There was a time when there were different styles of dancing, people were teacher loyal and they encouraged your style and quirks.  There is currently a need to fit the mold, to look a certain way. We follow very similar trends. If you’re different, sometimes that is celebrated, but it can’t be too different. I hope everyone takes this time at home to find new ways to move, and find out who they are, and see a bunch of cool things to come out of it. 

For us? What would be awesome to have some kind of success with the Youtube videos, We want to start doing concerts and shows for kids and just perform. If quarantine has taught us anything, it’s that we all miss performing. Doing things that people enjoy to watch. I love being skilled, I love being good at things. I love working my butt off to get good at something and put it out to the world. 

Julia Broad
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