So you wanna be a dancer?

Leah Howard was a guest choreographer on So You Think You Can Dance. She's worked with the likes of Missy Higgins, Kylie Minogue and Vanessa Amorossi (WOW). We asked her a few Q's about herself and her career in dance.

GF: Hi Leah, when did you discover your love for dance/music?
Leah: I discovered my love for dance and music at a very early age. I was 4 when I started dancing, and coming from a family of entertainers I think it was only natural that I went in that direction. Music is such a great medium for all people - I love being inspired by new songs and also bringing some old school classics back.

Did you have to overcome any obstacles to achieve your goals?
I have been pretty lucky in my life to have a positive upbringing. My family always told me that you can be whatever you want to be and that staying positive will bring great things to your life and allow you to handle anything. As long as you're happy in life, that's what counts.

What do you feel when you're dancing?
I love to dance so much! There is nothing better than being in a studio and just dancing to great music... I love the sense of joy it brings to me.

What's your ultimate track to move to?
I love all music and each has its own different emotional style, so whatever the day, whatever the feeling, I will always find the ultimate track to move to.

Do you prefer dancing yourself, or experiencing a performance knowing that you've choreographed it?
I love both sides of it, choreographing is quite new to me and I love seeing the way people move after being on that side for such a long time. It's interesting to see how much of me and my personal style can be translated to someone else's body. But I do love to dance and I love working with Kelley Abbey and Jacqui Howard, two great Australian Dancer/Choreographers, because their choreography is what dancing is about - the use of your ability at full peak! I love it!

Who else have you worked with?
The Young Divas, David Campbell, Dancing with the Stars, So You Think You Can Dance?, Hi 5, Cyndi Lauper, Olivia Newton John, Nikki Webster, Toby Allen, Vanessa Amorosi, Jade Macrae, Guy Sebastian, Matt Lee, Jason Coleman, Missy Elliot, Kylie Minogue, The Rogue Traders, Dein Perry.

You're doing some pretty amazing things. What's your ultimate career dream?
My ultimate career dream was to be in a show called Tap Dogs - knowing it was a boys only show, I thought it was impossible - but that was my dream! [Then] in 2005 Dein Perry called me to say I was going to the USA to do Tap Dogs - the boys' show! Huh?! I was like 'as if, there are only boys in that show', and he tells me 'well you are going to be the first girl to do the show!' I was totally stunned and amazed that my dream came true! I toured the states for 5 months doing Tap Dogs Rebooted. It was an amazing experience and hard, but an awesome show to be a part of. It was always my ultimate career dream and it had become a reality. I look back on it always as a great step forward, [proving that] anything you want you can be. Be positive and don't give up!

What's your advice for the less co-ordinated people who love to dance, but know they're not the best at ‘feeling the beat'?
Everyone has a two step rhythm in their body - your heart beats all the time and therefore you always should feel a beat. Go with whatever your heart tells you and it don't matter if your on the beat or off it at least you know your feeling it!