Ms Aykers, who has choreographed the new production of Barnum which opens at the Comedy Theatre in Melbourne this week, credits her strong calisthenics and dance background in Ballarat with opening the doors of the entertainment industry to her.

And since she was a child in Ballarat, she says the standard of dance in Ballarat and other regional cities has only improved.

It has led her to establish her own touring dance company, which will embark on its debut tour around regional Victoria next month, to inspire young performers.

Ms Aykers started calisthenics as a toddler in Ballarat before moving on to ballet, relocating to Melbourne as a teenager to study dance full-time, and performing in blockbuster musical theatre shows before now being offered the role as lead choreographer of Barnum, which stars Todd McKenney and Rachael Beck.

"Barnum is huge, it's my main priority at the moment but I've also got a full-time dance school, a casual school and my own company up and running about to launch a tour in regional Victoria," Ms Aykers said.

Barnum has presented Ms Aykers with more challenges than just dance, with a circus element to incorporate in to the staging and choreography. The cast includes four circus performers who have to sing and dance, as well as the musical theatre cast and ensemble.

"I come from the ballet world in Ballarat and I feel like I've come full circle. Barnum was one of the first musical comedies I saw - it was dance but the next level of dancing, singing and acting. I watched it on video over and over for years at home," she said.

Ms Aykers' career on stage began at Ballarat Calisthenics Club at age three, before she moved across to dance when she was about eight.

Her dance teacher recognised she had character when dancing, and did character ballet particularly well.

"Our training in Ballarat is exceptional. The schools there are exceptional. I'm mainly talking about classical technique but that's the basis of all our dance," she said.

When 14 her father started driving her to Melbourne on weekends to the Dance Factory, and when she was 16 she "accidentally" auditioned for a full-time dance school when her regular lessons were cancelled, and won a scholarship.

For her it was a "no brainer" to leave Ballarat High School and study dance full time.

"After that I literally landed with David Atkins with Dancing Man which led to other principal roles," she said.

Television shows, movies and many big-budget stage shows have followed as both performer and choreographer.

"For me, Broadway dance and musical comedy dance can't be done unless technique is beautiful, and for me the discipline that regional people have in their dance is the platform for the next generation of the industry," she said.

"It's particularly strong in Ballarat, Bendigo and it's getting stronger in Traralgon too."

Her new company will perform off-Broadway seasons of musical theatre and comedy shows, starting in towns including Swan Hill and Shepparton before hitting the larger regional centres including Ballarat, Geelong, Bendigo and Frankston.

"We've got 12 professional dancers heading out to the regions and letting local dancers see the opportunities that dance can give someone life and talk to these professionals at the stage door.

"I feel it's my responsibility to my teachers, to the people who have mentored me and my generation, to showcase this to the next generation."

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