Introducing the counterpointe team

World-class ballet demands world-class music

At Counterpointe, we pride ourselves on bringing together the art forms of ballet and music to work with and support young dancers in a holistic environment. Under the expert guidance of Monica Brosnahan and Daniel Cooper, our world-class team is dedicated to nurturing young dancers into aware and dynamic artists through our unique counterpointe method.

With years of experience in the industry, Monica and Daniel understand the significance of supporting young talents on their journey towards excellence. By combining the precision of ballet with the emotional depth of music, our approach not only enhances technical skills but also fosters creativity and self-expression.

Join us at counterpointe and witness the magic of collaboration between ballet and music. Discover a new realm of artistic possibilities and experience the counterpointe difference as you embark on a journey towards becoming a truly exceptional, aware and dynamic artist.

  • ARAD, PDPTC, RAD Registered Teacher

    Counterpointe & The Fledgling Programme Co - Founder

    Monica Brosnahan has established a distinguished international career as an award-winning dancer and educator.

    She was the first-ever New Zealander to be selected to compete in the Vaganova Prix International Ballet Competition, where she was awarded a special international prize. This subsequently led to receiving the opportunity to attend classes at the prestigious Vaganova Ballet Academy in Russia. Later on, she was also invited by prominent pedagogue Yuri Fateev to attend company classes at the acclaimed Mariinsky Theatre.

    Monica studied at numerous prominent dance schools in Europe, including the Royal Danish Ballet School, Ecole de Danse de Supérieure de Rosella Hightower, Brussels International Ballet School and Victor Ullate Escuela, where she completed her final year of study.

    Upon graduation from Victor Ullate Escuela, she successfully joined the National Ballet and Opera of Ukraine. She was then offered a contract with Perm Ballet in Russia but unfortunately due to Covid, she was unable to commence the contract.

    In 2022, she was awarded a scholarship from the Peacocke Dance Trust to complete further study. With this support, she completed the Professional Dancers’ Postgraduate Teaching Certificate with the Royal Academy of Dance, becoming a RAD Registered Teacher.

    Since returning to New Zealand, she has been in high-demand as a pedagogue and she is deeply passionate about imparting her extensive knowledge to the next generation of dancers, nurturing them to realise their full potential and fostering a lifelong love of dance.

  • MusB, MusB(Hons), BMus(Hons), MMus

    Counterpointe & The Fledgling Programme Co - Founder

    Daniel Cooper studied orchestral conducting with Johannes Fritzsch, Simone Young, Atso Almila, Simone Christopher Seaman, James Lowe, Giordano Bellincampi, Luke Dollman, Mark Menzies, Vladimir Ponkin, Nicholas Carter, Benjamin Northey, Chris Dragon and was awarded a Bachelor of Music with first class honours in orchestral conducting from the University of Adelaide Elder Conservatorium of Music. Daniel also holds a Master of Music in conducing with distinction, a Bachelor of Music with first class honours in performance organ.As a collaborative musician, Daniel has worked through New Zealand and Australia accompanying, conducting and directing musicians and stage performers.

    Creative highlights include directing and conducting a ground breaking semi-staged production of Handels Messiah, and producing performances of Purcell's Dido and Aeneas and Acis and Galatea by Handel.

    Daniel pioneered the creative works of John Cage, Philip Glass, Arvo Pärt, and La Monte Young in New Zealand, and is responsible for a number of successful premiers by these composers.

    To the world of dance accompaniment Daniel brings his years of collaborative experience across a wide variety of styles and sectors of the music industry, to work with and support dancers in their growth as aware and dynamic artists.

  • MMus, MusB(Hons), LTCL, ATCL, AIRMT

    Strategic Advisor

    Rakuto Kurano is Artistic Director & Co-founder of the Magic Carpet Music Trust, a registered charitable trust that provides young musicians in New Zealand with performance & career development opportunities. In this role, he has managed numerous concert tours and events spanning across New Zealand, being responsible for all facets of the operations.

    As a musician, he has established a successful career as a multi award-winning performer, composer, and educator.

    He holds a Master of Music Degree from the University of Canterbury, as well as Licentiate & Associate diplomas from Trinity College London.

    Additionally, he holds a Google Digital Marketing & E-commerce Professional Certificate and has also completed courses on corporate strategy, branding, communication strategies, and AI applications in marketing & finance.

    As Strategic Advisor, he brings to counterpointe a wealth of knowledge in operations and management.