Vicki Langford first began to seriously take an interest in dancing at the age of 14 years.
Within 3 months as a student she was invited to join her teacher to perform professionally with her teachers’ dance troupe, "The Elektra Dancers' then she spent all her free time learning and practicing the dance routines. During that time she was learning from 4 different bellydance teachers on the north shore of Auckland: Farouk from Egypt, Sophie from Lebanon, Monique from NZ, Anne from Scotland. Vicki was soon head hunted & joined the professional dance troupe "Hi Steppers Dance corp" & enjoyed a dance career with them for 3 years performing in Auckland & around NZ.
This also included the opportunity to perform bellydance both improvised & using a choreographed routine.
The dance styles learnt & performed consisted of: Tahitian Tamare, Hawaiian Hula, American Charleston, authentic Spanish Flamenco, Brazilian Salsa, Egyptian & Lebanese Bellydance, French Can Can, And American Jazz & Contemporary. Vicki performed at various locations & events around Auckland & the north island with 2 different troupes by the time she was 16 years old. These events were usually during the weekend and her school holidays.
From the age of 17 years to 23 years Vicki took a break from dancing & went on a working OE around NZ & Australia.
When she was 24 years old & living in Australia she decided she wanted to return to dance as a passionate interest & as luck would have it 2 weeks later she was auditioning for a 2 month contract with an Australian dance troupe to work in Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, & Macau. 10 days after that she was off to Kyushu, the southern small Island in Japan & worked in Kumamoto & Miyazaki for a month each. Having such a good time in Japan, tasting the food for the first time & loving it, picking up the language quickly & self teaching with dictionaries & making new local friends, she asked if there was any way the work contract can be extended. Next thing off to Hong Kong for a week, for business visa extensions, & while waiting for 4 months for the next dance contract in Tokyo Japan to become available, work appeared in south Korea for a few months, so again, off she went to dance in Korea. That too, was an amazing experience. Finally, Vicki’s wish came true & she got her contract to work in Roppongi, Tokyo, & had the luxury of dancing with a wonderful group of Japanese dancers who took care of her like their little sister, took her out to their favourite restaurants, taught her to sing, & speak more & more Japanese.
By the time Vicki returned to Australia she was speaking fluent Japanese & she set herself up with 2 tour companies in the Gold Coast of Queensland, worked as a full time Japanese speaking tour guide for 3 years.
After another year of travelling, this time back packing extensively through South East Asia, India, Nepal, Scotland, Germany, France, & UK, Vicki finally returned to live in NZ permanently to be with her family in 1994. Vicki spent 2 more years dancing as a student, concentrating this time on hip hop, modern contemporary & modern Jazz.
From 2001, Vicki has returned to dance on & off in between having 2 babies, and this time concentrated mostly on Middle Eastern Dance. From early 2008, Vicki has been teaching bellydance full time continuously without a break right through to the present time, & not only does she teach bellydancing, she also teaches Bollywood fusion, Pacific Island fusion, Contemporary, & Chinese silk (double) fans, silk voi (veil poi) is her latest new style, reminiscent of her childhood, learning the NZ Maori poi during her school years.
In 2007 Vicki decided to travel abroad & see her favourite performers dance, attend some dance workshops, & private lessons. Her first visit to the USA took her to Los Angeles to see an amazing international IAMED (international academy of middle eastern dance) show featuring several IAMED dancers followed the next day by a workshop with Ava Fleming. (scroll down & see photos below). 2008 went to the Farha tour in Sydney Australia & got completely taken by the Egyptian musicians & dancers. Watching a live performance including Randa Kamel & Yasmina of Cairo backed by a live Egyptian orchestra is second to none!!!!! so good, that Vicki went to see the show 3 nights straight, taken in by the real 'feel' of Egyptian dancers & elevated to a whole new level of authentic performance. 2009 Vicki made her pilgrimage to Egypt (the motherland of Belly Dance) for 2 weeks of sightseeing the country, staying in Cairo at Yasmina of Cairo's B& B in Giza, visiting shows, going to local dance parties, private lessons, on her own, & completely immersed herself in the culture, food, language, music. Having previously & extensively studied Egypt's 'voice of Egypt' Oum Khaltoum (you see her name spelt in 10 different ways), it was a delight to hear her voice still played on the radio whilst traveling overland on buses & taxis. Once you've been to Egypt, you just want to return again the very next chance you get, & no doubt Vicki will find a way :-)
Within 3 months as a student she was invited to join her teacher to perform professionally with her teachers’ dance troupe, "The Elektra Dancers' then she spent all her free time learning and practicing the dance routines. During that time she was learning from 4 different bellydance teachers on the north shore of Auckland: Farouk from Egypt, Sophie from Lebanon, Monique from NZ, Anne from Scotland. Vicki was soon head hunted & joined the professional dance troupe "Hi Steppers Dance corp" & enjoyed a dance career with them for 3 years performing in Auckland & around NZ.
This also included the opportunity to perform bellydance both improvised & using a choreographed routine.
The dance styles learnt & performed consisted of: Tahitian Tamare, Hawaiian Hula, American Charleston, authentic Spanish Flamenco, Brazilian Salsa, Egyptian & Lebanese Bellydance, French Can Can, And American Jazz & Contemporary. Vicki performed at various locations & events around Auckland & the north island with 2 different troupes by the time she was 16 years old. These events were usually during the weekend and her school holidays.
From the age of 17 years to 23 years Vicki took a break from dancing & went on a working OE around NZ & Australia.
When she was 24 years old & living in Australia she decided she wanted to return to dance as a passionate interest & as luck would have it 2 weeks later she was auditioning for a 2 month contract with an Australian dance troupe to work in Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, & Macau. 10 days after that she was off to Kyushu, the southern small Island in Japan & worked in Kumamoto & Miyazaki for a month each. Having such a good time in Japan, tasting the food for the first time & loving it, picking up the language quickly & self teaching with dictionaries & making new local friends, she asked if there was any way the work contract can be extended. Next thing off to Hong Kong for a week, for business visa extensions, & while waiting for 4 months for the next dance contract in Tokyo Japan to become available, work appeared in south Korea for a few months, so again, off she went to dance in Korea. That too, was an amazing experience. Finally, Vicki’s wish came true & she got her contract to work in Roppongi, Tokyo, & had the luxury of dancing with a wonderful group of Japanese dancers who took care of her like their little sister, took her out to their favourite restaurants, taught her to sing, & speak more & more Japanese.
By the time Vicki returned to Australia she was speaking fluent Japanese & she set herself up with 2 tour companies in the Gold Coast of Queensland, worked as a full time Japanese speaking tour guide for 3 years.
After another year of travelling, this time back packing extensively through South East Asia, India, Nepal, Scotland, Germany, France, & UK, Vicki finally returned to live in NZ permanently to be with her family in 1994. Vicki spent 2 more years dancing as a student, concentrating this time on hip hop, modern contemporary & modern Jazz.
From 2001, Vicki has returned to dance on & off in between having 2 babies, and this time concentrated mostly on Middle Eastern Dance. From early 2008, Vicki has been teaching bellydance full time continuously without a break right through to the present time, & not only does she teach bellydancing, she also teaches Bollywood fusion, Pacific Island fusion, Contemporary, & Chinese silk (double) fans, silk voi (veil poi) is her latest new style, reminiscent of her childhood, learning the NZ Maori poi during her school years.
In 2007 Vicki decided to travel abroad & see her favourite performers dance, attend some dance workshops, & private lessons. Her first visit to the USA took her to Los Angeles to see an amazing international IAMED (international academy of middle eastern dance) show featuring several IAMED dancers followed the next day by a workshop with Ava Fleming. (scroll down & see photos below). 2008 went to the Farha tour in Sydney Australia & got completely taken by the Egyptian musicians & dancers. Watching a live performance including Randa Kamel & Yasmina of Cairo backed by a live Egyptian orchestra is second to none!!!!! so good, that Vicki went to see the show 3 nights straight, taken in by the real 'feel' of Egyptian dancers & elevated to a whole new level of authentic performance. 2009 Vicki made her pilgrimage to Egypt (the motherland of Belly Dance) for 2 weeks of sightseeing the country, staying in Cairo at Yasmina of Cairo's B& B in Giza, visiting shows, going to local dance parties, private lessons, on her own, & completely immersed herself in the culture, food, language, music. Having previously & extensively studied Egypt's 'voice of Egypt' Oum Khaltoum (you see her name spelt in 10 different ways), it was a delight to hear her voice still played on the radio whilst traveling overland on buses & taxis. Once you've been to Egypt, you just want to return again the very next chance you get, & no doubt Vicki will find a way :-)
Vicki at 16 years old performing an improvised bellydance at a function in Auckland. Costumes were very typically skimpy & sheer in those days. 1970s.
Performing at 'Maxims' cabaret club in Roppongi, Tokyo, with her Japanese dance sisters, Vicki at the age of 25 yrs old. (left side) 1980s.
Vicki's first experience wandering through one of the saree markets in Jaipur, Rajasthan, north India. December 1993. When her first desire began, to dance in sarees. Hence you will see her performing modern Bollywood fusion dances each year at Auckland Diwali festivals our bollywood troupe name is 'Alapadma Dancers'
Photo taken at Jillina's Evolution studios in Los Angeles with Ava, 2 of her dance troupe members, & Vicki. 2007.
Private dance (Saiidi cane & modern Egyptian) lessons with Yasmina in Cairo, Egypt, Nov 2009. Very enjoyable & memorable ~ hope to do THAT again ! Photo taken at Yasmina's rooftop house.