"I saw myself in a Ginger Rodgers-Fred Astaire dance duo in New York. Or as a country music star," she said.
So anyone expecting a solely operatic performance at Dame Malvina's "My Life in Song" concerts is in for a surprise.
The variety show features country music, show music, yodeling, arias, musical theatre and entertaining anecdotes from Dame Malvina.
She said she performed songs in a variety of music styles to a "very warm, receptive" audience of about 150 at the Memorial Hall in Queenstown on Saturday.
She said to fit her life into two hours was "quite a task".
The programme reflects her love of all things musical.
As a young girl, singing country music was a favourite pastime.
"Nobody believes the programme. Everyone thinks of me as an opera singer. The programme represents my life from childhood to now. I'm seventh of eight children. We didn't sing opera," she said.
Dame Malvina said she wanted to take the audience on a journey from her childhood, with its humorous memories, to performances at some of the most famous opera houses in the world.
Four of her "special friends" join her on the tour: young soprano Rachel Pike, tenor Karl Perigo, musician and vocalist Vicki Lee and accompanist Kirsten Simpson, who has returned from London for the tour.
Dame Malvina said she wanted to "pass the mantle" to Pike because she was passionate about encouraging the younger generation of opera singers.
The Dame Malvina Major Foundation provides advanced training for young New Zealand opera singers.
Dame Malvina is also a professor of voice at the University of Canterbury and loves to teach.
"It's a very full-on life. I don't think I'll ever stop, I will retire but I will continue teaching," she said.
The South Island tour continues in the Alexandra Memorial Theatre tomorrow, the Westpac Mayfair Theatre in Dunedin on Thursday and Oamaru Opera House on Friday.
