Nik Hills

New Zealand born, British raised Nik has been in Brisbane since 1990 and is now also an Australian citizen.

He started his arts career in the UK as a musician (well, OK, a drummer) playing in bands which toured nationally and internationally. At 21, Nik put down his sticks to pursue his dream to dance.  

He auditioned successfully for London Contemporary Dance School, and trained with teachers including :

Alice Stopinski  (Contemporary)
Peter Connell, ex Stuttgart Ballet (Classical)
Sonia Noonan (Body Conditioning)
Jane Dudley, ex Martha Graham Company (Movement)
Nina Fonnarof (Choreography)

Nik also trained at Central School of Ballet with:

Christopher Gable ex Royal Ballet; Simon Mottram ex London Festival Ballet, Ballet Rambert; and Stuart Beckett ex Sadlers Wells Royal Ballet (Classical).
William Louther ex Martha Graham Company, Alvin Ailey, Jerome Robbins- Ballet USA, London Contemporary Dance Theatre (Contemporary and Choreography).
Christopher Gable (Pas de deux).
Diane Scrivener (Character), and Shirley Hancock (Body Conditioning).

While a student at Central, Nik was a finalist in the Paul Clark award (1983).

 Professional Dancing

After graduating he immediately joined Irish National Ballet, performing works by choreographers including Brenda Last, Domy Reiter Soffer, Michael Corder, David Gordon and Charles Czarny. He was also given leave of absence to train with Rambert Dance Company in London, working with Richard Alston (choreographer, Artistic Director). 

From there he went to Germany to take up a Soloist contract with the dance company of the Stadtische Buhnen Osnabruck, under Artistic Director Joel Schnee. 

Next stop Brisbane and The Queensland Ballet, where he performed corps, featured, soloist and principal roles with the company under the direction of Harold Collins. 

In 1993, Nik returned to his first love, contemporary dance, and was invited to join Expressions Dance Company. Whilst with Expressions, under the direction of Maggi Sietsma, the company toured nationally and internationally (UK, India, Singapore, Papua New Guinea, Israel, Germany), winning the Sidney Myer Award in 1996. During this time he worked with choreographer Natalie Weir and actor Jennifer Flowers. 

Throughout his performance career, Nik continued to teach and choreograph, both independently and for companies he worked for.

Professional Teaching 

In 1998, he assumed the primary care of his three sons. He continued teaching and choreographing on a part-time basis, while also pursuing his interest in dance fusion (cultural and interdisciplinary) and indigenous cultures. In 2001, Nik was invited to India, to teach and choreograph at a summer workshop in New Delhi’s largest dance school. 

Nik has been teaching contemporary technique and choreography at the Aboriginal Centre for Performing Arts since 1998, and has recently joined ADPI, teaching contemporary technique and modern partnering.

He has choreographed works for the students of ACPA and ADPI, as well as for Brisbane independent dance artists. 

He has worked as an independent artist with community groups throughout Brisbane, from teaching pre-schoolers, high school workshops, and open-age community classes, to having fun performing occasionally with Opera Queensland. 

Keeping up with developments in vocational dance education, Nik has been heavily involved in curriculum development and review for ACPA.  

He is also a published poet, an exhibited artist/sculptor, and a very practiced parent.