Lucy Erskine recently celebrated Dance Envy’s tenth anniversary with a spectacular showcase that demonstrated how far her dance school and 100-plus dancers had come. But, as she explains to Alison Cowie, there’s no need to feel envious at the school, which specialises in freestyle, as it’s open to everyone.
Lucy Erskine has been dancing since she was three years old, and entered her first competition a few years later.
“My mum always says that I entered myself into a competition at the age of seven. I’ve always been determined and I just told my mum I was doing it,” the dancer recalls with a smile.
Specialising in ballet, tap and stage, Lucy spent her youth participating in local shows and pantomimes which, she says, helped her develop strong friendships and build fitness and focus.
After graduating with a degree in musical theatre from Newcastle Performance Academy and Hull, and spending four months in Cyprus performing at a holiday village, Lucy returned to her native North East. She began teaching at the school she trained at but dreamt of establishing her own dance school one day.
The qualified dance teacher took the plunge 10 years ago when she hired a space at King Edward Primary School in North Tyneside and held her first class with just four youngsters.
Since then, Lucy has grown Dance Envy to 20 classes a week with more than 100 dancers studying a mixture of freestyle, lyrical, slow dance, gymnastics and commercial.
Lucy, who grew up in Whitley Bay, is incredibly proud of how her dance school has developed and the impact it’s made on children spanning a range of ages and abilities.
The ethos behind the school, she explains, is about bringing the “fun factor” to dance.
“I understand that some children want to come to one or two classes a week for fun, and then there are the kids who want more. My school offers both so there’s something for everyone.
“The school helps develop important life skills and build good friendships, while still being fun. The result is a very strong ‘team’ spirit at the school.”
Lucy now runs a packed schedule of classes at St Thomas’ More in North Shields and Sport at Kenton in Newcastle, which she teaches herself alongside Hope Blythe, who Lucy trained as a youngster, and a specialist gymnastics coach from Newcastle Gymnastics Academy.
In addition, Lucy runs several after-school clubs in primary schools across the region that provide a chance to engage even more children – particularly boys – in dance.
“It’s a shame that dance is still seen as a girls’ thing when there are lots of boys that are interested in it,” Lucy reflects. “But working in schools is great. The kids have had a hard day at school and then they can have an hour of fun and good exercise, and let their characters out.”
Lucy is also regularly asked to hosts dance sessions as part of schools’ wellbeing weeks, and is in no doubt about the benefits dance can bring.
“Exercise is extremely important when it comes to good mental health but some parents can struggle to get their children involved,” she says.
“Dance can be a good way to get kids moving as there are so many fun elements.
“Once you put the music on, they almost forget they’re exercising – they’re too busy having fun.”
The Dance Envy founder recognises primetime television shows such as Strictly Come Dancing has increased dance’s profile.
“Dance is taken much more seriously now because of these shows and people are more dedicated to it,” she explains.
Dance Envy’s competition team comprise a select number of dancers who Lucy recognises as having the flare and dedication to take their dancing to the next level.
Over the last 12 months, the team has competed in London, Sheffield, Glasgow, Bridlington, and the spiritual home of dance, Blackpool, winning numerous titles and trophies along the way.
Lucy knows first-hand the commitment this level of dancing requires, not only from the dancers but from their families too, so she doesn’t take this lightly when selecting who will join the elite team.
“A lot of the school kids aspire to be in the comp team but I’m quite selective on who joins. It’s a lot of time and can be an expensive hobby. The circuit we dance in is really hard and there is a lot of travel so I don’t want to bring kids in only for them to become disheartened.”
But Lucy is keen to emphasise that Dance Envy is not just for elite dancers and is accessible to everyone.
“I’m always trying different ideas to keep things fun and fresh and I run dance camps during the school holidays, so there’s something for everyone to enjoy,” Lucy explains.
Dance Envy even started an adult class last year after parents asked Lucy if she would put one on.
“It’s a fun mix of dance and fitness and a lot of parents whose children come to the school attend.
“I’ve had loads of lovely messages about how much people have enjoyed the class and how much better they feel for it,” Lucy adds.
As with so many other businesses, Dance Envy was hugely impacted by the pandemic and the resulting lockdowns, but Lucy continued to hold dance classes and host regular quizzes and themed parties online.
“Lockdown was a very uncertain time for everyone but I kept my classes going on Zoom. If anything, I’ve probably got more kids now but it’s still good to be back to some normality,” she reflects.
Dance shows are the pinnacle of any school’s calendar and Dance Envy is no exception.
“Full school shows that involve everyone are great because they boost morale but with all the planning, music and costumes, they are a huge amount of work,” Lucy explains.
Dance Envy has put on five “big shows” since its inception – the posters of which proudly adorn Lucy’s hallway at home.
The first show, aptly named ‘Breakthrough’, took place at The Exchange in North Shields and featured around 20 people. The school’s latest offering, which marked the tenth anniversary, took place at Kings Primary School in Tynemouth in April 2022. It was the biggest show to date and featured more than 100 dancers who performed in front of an audience of around 750 family, friends and supporters over a weekend.
“It was a huge success,” Lucy enthuses. “We put on a bar and did a tombola and a raffle. “Everyone was happy and had a great time. People are already asking me when the next one will be!”
Looking to the future, Lucy has ambitious plans for Dance Envy.
As a qualified judge, Lucy is planning to hold the school’s first competition in 2023.
“It’ll be an in-house competition involving the whole school to start, but if it works well, I’ll look to involve other schools,” Lucy explains.
The dance school owner also aspires to have her own studio one day. And she is keen to support some of the older girls become dance teachers.
“I’ve currently got three girls who help me and Hope and they’re all brilliant and great choreographers. I’m hoping to put them through their teaching qualifications at some point.”
In the meantime, Lucy remains very much a hands-on teacher and is keeping her dancing feet on the ground so that she can develop her school at a pace that ensures the fun at Dance Envy is never lost.
Find more information on Dance Envy on its Facebook and Instagram pages.
