FISTD Tap, FISTD Modern Theatre, RADTC Ballet, BA (Honors)
Shirena Hamzah is a registered teacher and an appointed teaching mentor with the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD), She is also the only dual ISTD Fellowship holder in Tap and Modern Theatre in Malaysia, which is the highest teaching qualification awarded by Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing, London.
Shirena, whose repertoire include Ballet, Tap, Modern, Jazz, Lyrical and Musical Theatre, is a seasoned performer, having graced Malaysian stages and Television productions since the age of eight. After completing her Advance levels in dance successfully by the age 16, she then left Malaysia to pursue a Bachelors Degree in Hawaii, where she studied dance at the Honolulu Dance Studio and Pacific Intercultural Academy of Performing Arts. There, she further strengthened her Ballet, Tap, Jazz and Lyrical technique and choreography, and also trained briefly in Hawaiian Hula. When she returned, she founded Dancesteps Studio in 1999 where she began her career as a full time dance instructor.
Shirena is now dedicated to ensuring her students are given opportunities to perform and pursue a dance career. She has spent her time and energy producing annual recitals for Dancesteps Studio and organizing international workshops with instructors from New York City, London and Hawaii. She has also coached dancers for local and international competitions in which her entries have picked-up top awards for excellence in dance styles and precision. In 2001, Shirena won the Silver Medal in the Advanced Solo Tap category at the Hawaii International Dance Festival. In 2002 at the same competitions, she submitted multiple entries from Dancesteps Studio and the Malaysian delegation brought back the Gold Award for the Classical Ballet Senior Solo category, Musical Theatre Small Group category and also won a special award for Best Precision in Tap Dancing. Locally, Shirena has submitted entries for the Short + Sweet Dance Festival at the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre where her entries have picked up top awards in Best Dancer categories. Shirena was also awarded the Mercedes Benz Creative Excellence Award in 2014 and 2016, recognizing her contribution to dance in the country
