Hi everyone. My name is Nikki Dvorak. Over the course of my Busch Gardens career, I’ve had the unique experience of working both as a performer and behind the scenes. After graduating from the University of South Florida with a theatre degree in 1981, I got a summer job running audio for all the shows. I really got to know the park well that first summer since the show venues are spread over a pretty wide area. Each show was vastly different from the others and I learned a lot of new things at each show.
I also spent two years dancing in the German show in the Festhaus (which is now the Desert Grill). We had a great time interacting and dancing with the guests. Dancing all day kept me in great shape, but two years later with a bad case of shin splints, I was relieved to go back to being a show operator. I had no idea I’d still be working in the park 30 years later!
I’ve been working at the Moroccan Palace Theatre as a lighting technician and show operator since it opened in 1986. I’ve met many interesting people such as Alex Trebek, Dick Clark, ice skater, Michelle Kwan, and jazz musician, Gato Barbieri, as well as many talented singers, dancers, and performers. We’ve had a ton of fun at the Moroccan Palace over the years. How many people can say they play all day with their friends...and get paid for it?!
