About Us
A little bit about the principal and owner…
Hello! My name is Miss Wendy, and I am the principal and owner of Shine. I would like to wish you a warm welcome to my studio.
I have been teaching dance and drama since I was 14 years old, first of all as a student teacher in my childhood dance school under the careful watch of Mrs Bower; a wonderful lady and teacher who is responsible for my career choices. (If it wasn’t for her gentle nature and nurturing way of teaching I probably would never have chosen dance as a hobby to stick at, being a shy and retiring child). Dance became an all consuming passion very early on in my life, and from the age of 5 the only answer to the question of what I wanted to be when I grew up was ‘a dance teacher’.
At 16 I successfully auditioned for Merseyside Dance & Drama Centre, one of the countries’ top dance teacher training facilities, and after 3 years graduated a fully qualified dance teacher with the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance, qualified to enter students for Ballet, Tap, Modern Theatre & National Dance Examinations.
After graduating I professionally danced on cruise ships in the Mediterranean & Middle East, and also spent a year dancing in a cabaret show in a luxury spa hotel in Japan. I had the time of my life, and learned an awful lot about the world of show business and performing, that a college alone could not teach.
Shine was born in September 2000, with just 16 students, hiring church halls in Sefton. Within our first year we grew to 70 students, and had our first show at the Neptune Theatre. Within 5 years, we had grown to 100 students and we had performed in Disneyland Paris, Sadlers Wells London, and the Palace Theatre Manchester.
My school has now evolved to having its own premises, and my students have danced in the theatres of London’s West End many times, The Royal Albert Hall, Las Vegas, London Olympic Stadium and Benidorm Palace. In the near future we will dance in Majorca, Blackpool Tower Ballroom and then New York!
Amidst these amazing opportunities, I am also constantly training my students ready for examinations in ISTD dance subjects, which as well as being an internationally recognised mark of progression, is also regulated by OFQUAL. Great for the hobby dancer and for those training for a serious career in dance or teaching dance. Currently I have many students who have gone on to study dance professionally in some of the best colleges in the North West, including The Hammond School, LIPA and Studio 10.
Being a Dance Teacher means not just teaching the steps and techniques required, but also (and I would argue most importantly) getting to know each and every student. Encouraging a journey of self discovery within my classes, helping students to realise that it is OK to make mistakes and grow from them, ask questions and explore self expression through dance.
As a teacher I do not rest on my laurels, dance is constantly evolving, and I regularly seek training and studies for myself that I can use to enhance my students’ learning and growth. In 2013 I was one of only 10 ISTD Teachers in the UK selected to train and qualify in the ISTD’s latest level 6 qualification. (Equivalent of a BA honours degree) I graduated with a diploma in dance pedagogy in 2015. Last year I certified in Acrobatics, and Shine’s students have enjoyed an amazing year of growth in this new subject for our studio.
I love my studio and my students, and I really have found my true calling in life. Dance makes me happy, and being able to pass that love and joy on to my pupils is the best job in the world.
I hope you enjoy your time at Shine :)
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Miss Wendy x