From Snoop Dogg to Eurovision - meet the Kiwi dancer performing on the world's biggest stages

Saturday, 10 January 2026

This article first appeared in The House of Wellness magazine.

From Snoop Dogg to Eurovision - meet the Kiwi dancer performing on the world's biggest stagesGrace Stevens believes she could dance from the moment she could walk. Today, she tours the globe as a dancer, which keeps her on her toes daily, in high heels as well as trainers.

“I’ve had situations where we’ve done choreography that’s hip-hop or street-based and then it’s, ‘Right girls, put your heels on and do the same thing.’ I do train a lot in a heel because it changes your weight placement and where the groove is and it sits in your body.”

Over the past 12 months, Grace, 27, has danced for a commercial in Poland, a music video on the Amalfi Coast, on stage with Greek Cypriot pop star Anna Vissi in Athens, at Eurovision in Switzerland and at the AFL Grand Final in Melbourne with Snoop Dogg.

Snoop Dogg was an undoubted highlight – “he’s an icon” – but her biggest pinch me moments have been playing the role of a backup dancer to a personal idol in a yet-to-be-released movie, and performing at Eurovision.

She can’t say much about the movie yet, as she’s signed an NDA. “It’s for an artist that I’m personally obsessed with and have gone to her concerts many times,” says Grace. “I found out on my birthday that I booked the job with her, and that was the most incredible feeling of my whole life. Now I’m just waiting for it to come out so I can properly talk about it.”

Eurovision, which draws audiences of 200 million, was also major for Grace, as she’d never done something on that scale. “There were over 800 applicants, and it really felt like a fight to get that spot. It was probably the best job experience I’ve had in terms of the process from top to bottom – the people were so amazing,” she says.

As a professional dancer, Grace dances most days. It’s hard to imagine that she once suffered from chronic back pain when she was younger “because I didn’t have much core awareness”. Working at Les Mills and doing their core programme raised her awareness of the importance of core strength. She’s now also a stickler for a good warm-up. “When you’re already sweaty, engaged and lengthened and activated, it just makes such a difference and helps your body so much.”

Rehearsals usually run from 10am to 6pm, and “show day” will see her working 13–15 hours. One might think that when she’s off the clock she’d be putting up her feet, but often she’ll take a dance class. She also journals, practises yoga and Pilates, and runs a lot.

Running is primarily for her mental health, especially after unsuccessful auditions. She doesn’t do it to push herself physically. Instead, it’s where she gets to switch off and process her thoughts.

“You get nos on a daily basis, but it doesn’t faze me as much anymore,” says Grace. “I always try to remind myself the right thing will find me, and it always has so far. A lot of the time it’s not based on how you dance at all. It’s accepting that as long as I do my best, then that’s okay.”

Being in nature always helps, too, and she’s grateful there is a park next to her house where she spends time each day to centre and ground herself.

For sustenance, she follows a plant-based diet and loves cooking. Grace finds cooking for herself and her friends relaxing as well as rewarding. She eats a lot of legumes and tofu for protein, and usually starts the day with a protein smoothie or toast – “I really miss Vogel’s over there.”

She always makes time for meal prep, because she likes to ensure she has what she needs and is not just grabbing food when she’s out. Her favourite go-to meal is a ramen with coconut broth, tofu, bok choy and noodles topped with chilli oil. “Everyone says it’s really good, so I’m proud of that one.”

Outside of dance, her father, Gavin Stevens (marathon runner, former Olympic cyclist and Commonwealth Games gold medallist), also inspires her. “I think having an example of someone who kind of defied the odds and followed their dreams has been really important to me.”

Along the way, Grace has learned showmanship, which she thinks has helped her stand out. “Even growing up, I was never the best at the technique, but I’ve always loved the performance side of it. I go for it 100 per cent and I really don’t care if I look silly or people judge me, because I want to do this and I care so much about it, so I’m going to go for it. I think that’s something that helps you stand out and I think you just dance better when you’re not worried about what people think of you.”

With social media platforms like TikTok, Grace believes it’s an amazing era for dance, and her advice to aspiring dancers is to remember it’s a marathon, not a sprint, to making it. “It’s taken me a long time to get to where I wanted to go, and if you put in the effort and you’re a good person and a good dancer, you’ll get there. I’d also say train in as many styles as you possibly can, so that you can be versatile. That’s the path I’ve taken.”

She describes her style as commercial dance – “basically, anything that’s not ballet,” she says, laughing, though she was schooled in ballet and jazz at the Mount Eden Ballet Academy. At high school, a mentor encouraged her to learn hip-hop, house and other street styles, and she believes her versatility has helped her book such varied roles, from Gucci’s anniversary party and Dancing on Ice to the MTV EMAs and commercials for Coca-Cola.

“Being good at a bunch of things opens up a bunch of different opportunities.”

TAPS#MR12696