Dancing to the tune of success
DANCE SCHOOL STUDENTS WIN TWO AWARDS
Reporter THESE award-winning youngsters have been wowing audiences across the region with their spectacular dance moves.
The students of the Amanda Nicole School of Dance, based in Bewicke Road, Willington Quay, Wallsend, have recently won two competitions.
The ANSD Crew, an urban dance group, landed first place at the Soar Street Dance Championships at East Durham College on July 2, as well as the UK Street Dance Challenge at the Parks Leisure Centre, in North Shields, on July 9.
The group, which regularly performs at festivals and other events, also reached the last 40 in ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent last year.
In addition, the group are the ambassadors for Heelys – the trainers with wheels on the soles.
Amanda Nicole, who took over the dance school that she trained at herself as a girl, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have won two competitions in a row.
“I feel proud of watching our students grow up from little three-year-olds to adults that end up training and working for us. It’s a dance family and I’m just proud of every single person in the dance school.”
The school, which teaches everything from ballet and tap to street and breakdance, is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.
Since 1997, Amanda, 44, of Wallsend, has taught children from the age of three, as well as adults through to 90, and employs a team of choreographers and teachers. Vice principal Mark Keenan is also in the ANSD Crew.
Amanda added: “I think it’s really important for kids to dance. It develops confidence, self-esteem, co-ordination, fitness, strength and very importantly team work.
“We’ve seen lots of diverse types of children in 20 years, some come to us very shy and it takes a while to build their confidence up – to the overly confident kids that need to learn to work as a team, to having kids with learning difficulties, kids that have gone through abuse, and it really does make a difference.
“We have parents thanking us all the time when they see a change in their child’s behaviour or confidence just from them coming to class.”
A series of dance Summer Skools will be running in August. Sessions are available for three to five-year-olds in the week beginning August 7, six to nineyear-olds in the week of August 14, and over 10s in the week starting August 21.
The classes, which will run between 9.30am and 3.30pm, will include performing arts, break dance, street dance, hip hop, salsa, contemporary, rock and roll, freestyle, cheer leading as well as arts and crafts – with an end of the week show for friends and family.
The price is £60 for a week. Visit www.amandanicole.co.uk