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The dance academy founder reflects on how she brought a global perspective to Singapore’s dance scene, breaking new ground with an academy that strives to make diverse, world-class training accessible, joyful, and empowering.
What began as a dream nurtured across continents has blossomed into one of Singapore’s most respected performing arts institutions. With more than 25 years of global dance training and teaching experience, Vicky Lee Ward (pictured above) turned her passion for movement into All That Jazz Dance Academy — a vibrant space where dancers of all ages find confidence, artistry, and community.
Having trained across Malaysia, Vancouver, London, New York, and Los Angeles, Ward was exposed to a wide spectrum of styles, teaching methods, and cultural perspectives — shaping her belief that dance should be both diverse and accessible. Today, that vision comes to life in a studio designed to bring multiple disciplines under one roof, where strong technical foundations are balanced with a deep emphasis on joy, fulfillment, and growth.
In this HRO exclusive, she reflects on her journey in a coffee chat with Sarah Gideon, sharing the inspiration behind her global-to-local vision, the challenges of building and leading a growing academy, and the values of discipline, joy, and empowerment that continue to shape her studio today.
Q You grew up immersed in dance and trained around the world — from Vancouver to London to New York. What first sparked your love for the art, and how did this global dance journey shape the kind of studio you wanted to build in Singapore?
I trained across Malaysia, Vancouver, London, New York, and LA, gaining exposure to different teaching styles and cultures. That diversity shaped my perspective — I realised dance was far more expansive than I initially thought.
Growing up, I had to go to different places for ballet, jazz, singing, and acting. So when I built my studio, I wanted everything under one roof — a space that offers a well-rounded, diverse arts education.
Q You founded All That Jazz with the vision of offering world-class training rooted in joy and technique. What was the moment you realised you wanted to create your own space in the arts — and why was now the right time?
The idea started young — my dad once pointed to a studio and said I could have one with my name on it. That stayed with me.
In terms of joy, I truly believe that it needs to be a happy place. When you are happy, then you progress. And that's where the technique element comes. And I really believe that they compliment each other well. I've been very blessed to be able to do something I love.
I would wake up every day and even though I'm not dancing anymore, but I'm still in the arts. I'm still inspiring students, I'm still in what I love to do, and I couldn't imagine otherwise.
I truly believe in creating a space where there needs to be joy to thrive in what you love to do. That's where the philosophy is rooted in firm foundations, but it has to be joyful. It has to be enjoyable. And when I mean joy, I mean fulfillment, reward, progress; not just prancing around having fun.
It’s really about the community. It's really about a safe space as well.
Q Growing from a studio of 10 dancers to an academy with multiple locations and over 1,500 students is no small feat. What challenges tested you most along that journey — and what lessons did they teach you?
The biggest shift was moving from teaching to managing people. I realised very quickly that my job now needed to be managing people rather than focusing on the art of teaching — which is challenging.
I would say till today, it's not easy. It's probably the hardest part of my job, but it's one that I wake up ready to go and continue to work with my people daily. Because human beings are hard to manage. Everyone has a different story. Everyone has a different mood when they come into work, so keeping in check with them, making sure they're motivated, inspired, all those things is has been probably the greatest challenge of my work, but it's one that I continue to work on because it is the hardest part, and I think in terms of letting go of doing the teaching myself, to be honest, that was quite hard.
But over the years, it got better. I still teach here and there. I still tap into class. I still go, I just don't have a scheduled class to go in. Into but I observe my teachers. I go in there. Sometimes I sometimes run solo cleanups, I do, you know, and I'm going to be spending more time in the studio with my teachers. So that would be the extent of my teaching capabilities at this point.
I remember returning after some time away and not being recognised — that was tough, but also a sign the business could run without me.
"Managing people remains the hardest part — everyone is different — but it’s also the most rewarding."
Q As a mom and a founder, and you know, you mentioned that you step into class sometimes and stuff, is that, how you keep instilling that passion for dance, even though you are still taking on all these roles?
I’m still very involved — observing classes, guiding student progress, and working closely with teachers and parents.
For serious dancers, I help map out their development paths. I also review class videos regularly to track progress.
Being present with students and teams — especially at competitions — keeps me inspired.
Q As founder and director, how do you keep your creative energy and dedication alive while steering such a dynamic team and community?
I would say, with a lot of support of building an awesome leadership team, doing their jobs well, enables me to focus on really developing my teachers and the art and making improving the standard going into classes, observing how each teacher is teaching, how the kids are responding.
These are the these are the things that I continue to want to work on, but I wouldn't have been able to do that without a solid team around me.
So building people up, mentoring them in the way that fits the values of all that jazz has really shaped the way that I'm able to navigate that part of my energy.
Creatively, it's not creating a choreography anymore. That was my job back then, but for me now, it's how can I help my teachers become amazing teachers. How can they pass this craft on to the next generation and a generation after?
That's what I am very passionate about now. I want them to be amazing, better than I'll ever be, and that's my aim, and that they would do the same with their teachers and so on and so forth.
Q What intentional steps are you taking to embed that same spirit of excellence and joy into your team’s culture?
It takes consistent effort. I focus on listening, being present, and giving my leaders the freedom to shape their departments within a shared vision — it’s not ‘my way or the highway’.
The bulk of my energy goes into my people — making sure they feel heard, supported, and empowered. I don’t micromanage; I trust them to deliver, and if they don’t, we address it.
My role is to help them become amazing at what they do. From what I’ve heard, they value that I listen and give them space to create — and that’s intentional.
We also make time for fun. We’re a big team now, about 40 people, and we’ve grown from just me. That shift has required a lot of learning, but it’s been incredibly rewarding.
Twelve years in, it still feels like we’re just getting started. The growing pains were tough, but they taught me that leadership isn’t about control — it’s about empowering people.
Q What advice would you give young artists or entrepreneurs who are building something bold, creative, and personal — especially when the road isn’t always clear?
I’d say stay disciplined, stay true to your vision, and don’t lower your standards. It’s easy to get distracted by what others are doing, but that’s just noise — you have to stay focused on your own path.
Early on, I faced moments that pulled my attention away from my goals, and I realised how easy it is to lose focus. What helped was simple advice from my husband: don’t look left or right — just focus on your road and keep going.
That mindset has stayed with me. Today, I’m so focused on building my vision and working with my team that I don’t have time for distractions. That would be my biggest advice.
Q If your dance academy were a playlist, what three songs absolutely must be on it — and why?
I’d choose 'A Million Dreams' from The Greatest Showman — it reflects the aspirations of our dancers and the excitement of chasing a dream.
Next would be 'Unstoppable' by Sia, which captures the resilience, discipline, and hard work our students and teachers put in every day.
And finally, 'Happy' by Pharrell, because that’s what we are at our core — a joyful, supportive community that feels like a second home for both students and their families.
Lead image / Provided
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