Message from the Chairperson.

Ryan is an experienced, multi-disciplinary arts educator based in Auckland with a depth of experience in a wide-range of secondary subject areas including Dance, Drama, Music, Media Studies, and English and Social Studies for a time as well. He is currently Head of Department, Performing Arts (Dance and Drama) at McAuley High School in Otāhuhu, Auckland, since the start of 2015. Prior to that, Rosehill College, Papakura and before that, was part-time at Rutherford College, Waitakere.
From 2010-2013, Ryan wrote the Te Kete Ipurangi, Teaching and Learning Guide for Dance, a Ministry of Education project aimed at unpacking the NZC at levels 6, 7 and 8 and providing a framework and guidance for designing ‘richer’ teaching and learning programmes in Dance at those senior levels and for rationalising understandings around where and why Dance exists in the NZC.
Over recent years, Ryan has also filled various contract roles for NZQA in Dance assessment and standards alignment, including as a former moderator on the panel headed by National Assessment Moderator, Melanie Klaassen, and in writing an assessment resource for the ‘new’ 3.5 repertoire standard.
A proud ex-student of Rutherford College (the first secondary school in New Zealand to offer Dance as a subject at all secondary levels) who benefited greatly from Patrice O’Brien’s legacy there, Ryan believes it is the richness of the Dance whakapapa there, that make him so committed to the work he does and, equally, so protective of the progress Dance (collectively) has made as a strong and growing learning area here in New Zealand.
In addition to his work in Dance, Ryan also works as part of the TKI Arts Online team as the community facilitator for Drama Net.