Hunterville School teacher Alecia Viles was on track for a career as a performance artist until injury led to a change of plan.
"Teaching was always my alternative so it has not been too difficult," she says.
A stress fracture in her foot meant that she could not dance at professional level but she has not had to give up her passion altogether.
With a bachelor of arts, diploma in performing arts (dance) and now a teaching diploma, the 24-year-old has been dancing since she was very young and still teaches part time at Dance Unlimited Manawatu where she first learned to dance.
This is Alecia's first year teaching at Hunterville where she is able to add her choreography skills to the Wizard of Oz production.