Performance Lab
Meet your instructors
JAINE MIEKA
Jaine is a contemporary circus artist with a rich artistic portfolio, touring both Aotearoa & internationally. Jaine specializes in dynamic aerial silks, straps, and hula hoop and has enjoyed the opportunity to apply her skills to a diverse range of projects, developments, and shows with subject matter ranging from speed sewing to sci-fi.
In her creative work she leans towards the obscure and as a technical aerialist and acrobat, she enjoys leveraging the inherent movement quality of each discipline to strive towards the telling of stories and creation of compelling work.
Jaine is a passionate circus educator, having designed curriculum and resources for safe and inclusive circus pedagogy. She loves working with students of all levels to facilitate creativity, community, and a space for people to build a positive relationship with their bodies. Additionally, she coaches at a high technical level in her specialty disciplines, contributing to multiple studios in her home city of Tāmaki Makaurau.
JACQUE DREW
Jacque Drew is an award-winning actor, educator, and voice coach with an extensive career in theatre, film, and television across New Zealand and the United States. Her stage work includes performances with Auckland Theatre Company, Silo Theatre, and Pop-up Globe, while screen audiences may recognise her from productions including Shortland Street, One of Us Is Lying, and Spartacus: House of Ashur.
Passionate about developing performers at all stages of their journey, Jacque has spent more than two decades teaching acting, voice, and dialects, and coaching actors for stage and screen. Her workshops combine professional expertise, practical tools, and a deep understanding of the craft of performance.
Jacque trained at the University of Portland, the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), and Shakespeare & Company.
JEFF SZUSTERMAN
Jeff is an award-winning actor, director, and teacher with more than 30 years of experience across theatre, film, and television.
A graduate of Toi Whakaari o Aotearoa, Jeff has taught at some of Aotearoa’s leading drama training institutions including Toi Whakaari, Unitec, and The Actors’ Program, and co-runs AYA Drama in Auckland, where improvisation forms a core part of the training process.
His performance career spans stage and screen, with credits including Take Me Out, Suddenly Last Summer, Kid Sister, Uproar, 6 Days, and most recently Spartacus: House of Ashur.
Jeff has also trained internationally with Shakespeare & Company (USA), studying Shakespeare, clowning, stage combat, and voice, and has worked extensively as a mentor, director, and creative educator both in Aotearoa and overseas.