Alys has a Bachelor of Education specialising in Perf Arts. She is a registered dance and specialist Performing Arts Teacher. Alys has trained in Brisbane with Zen Zen Zo since 2008, and is now Associate director for Zen Zen Zo Brisbane Company and Director of the New Zealand arm of the company, having trained extensively alongside the founding directors, Simon Woods & Lynne Bradley. A regular teacher at the annual Stomping Ground in Brisbane she assists and leads the quality training, also expanding her development of Lecoq pedagogy with frequent annual training with Steph Kehoe. Alys has workshopped with Frantic Assembly and taught as a guest artists in a number of companies around the world, including The Court Youth Company in Christchurch. She has performed and studied with founding Butoh company Dairakudakan, in Hakuba Japan and Brisbane Australia.

Alys as director of Zen Zen Zo NZ, currently runs the weekly Actor’s Dojo adult and youth classes at The Piano centre for contemporary performing arts. Alys has travelled around New Zealand, Singapore, Australia & Europe to run Zen Zen Zo workshops and residencies for high schools and professional theatre companies. She runs teacher training programs in New Zealand, has been a specialist tutor at LAF (Lyttleton Arts Factory), directs performances in Christchurch and has trained as both a Les Mills BodyJam Instructor, worked for eight years as a tutor with Jolt Integrated Dance company and been the Head of Drama at New Zealand high schools throughout her teaching career.