Wicked turn for Kassie- Kassie Martin will be on tour as a cast member of hit musical production Wicked. 71780 Picture: Kim Cartmell

By Emma Sun
KASSIE Martin is living the life – she is doing what she loves and getting paid to do it, while touring another country.
The 21-year-old performer from Narre Warren South was recently accepted into the musical production of Wicked.
While she still doesn’t know what role she’ll be playing just yet, when the opportunity arose, Kassie grabbed it with both hands.
“I’ve been dancing and performing since I was two,” she said.
“I was in Cats the Musical a couple of years ago and I’ve been touring with the circus this year.
“I had auditioned a few years back for Wicked and got right down to the end of the audition process but I missed out so it was great to get it this time.”
She will be leaving to go on tour next month and will be away for about a year.
Kassie has been praised by the fitness instructors at her gym, Beach House Fitness in Narre Warren, as a hard-working person whose perseverance has really paid off.
Owner Peter Hoefler said Kassie’s attitude really impressed him and she was someone who was purely passionate about dancing.
“Whatever she does, she gives 110 per cent and she pushes herself to the limit,” he said.
“She trains for her career, not because she wants to but because she has to and she works so hard.
“It makes me feel really good to see someone like that get the break they deserve. We congratulate her on such a fantastic job and wish her all the best.”
Kassie credits her dancing and performing ability to her dedicated family and friends, who have always been helpful.
“I learned dancing from Mum and other teachers at Suzanne Malberg School of Dance,” she said.
“My sister’s also a dancer and my dad’s also involved in dance.”
Being away from the family may be hard, but Kassie said being a performer was something she had always wanted to do.
“I’ve never wanted to do something else – kids always want to be a vet or a teacher, but for me, it’s always been a dancer,” she said.
“I left school in Year 10 because I had no ambition to do anything other than perform.
“It’s going OK at the moment so I’m very happy with it and I hope to be doing it for the better part of the rest of my life.”