All Dance North East instructors are fully qualified dance and cheerleading teachers, with first aid certificates and up to date CRB checks.

Our creative director
Dance North East is run by Creative Director Melanie Watkins (pictured to the right), a fully qualified dance and cheerleading teacher and professional dancer.

Her qualifications include: IDTA (International Dance Teacher Association) in Freestyle, Hip Hop and Modern Jazz Dance and BCA (British Cheerleading Association) in cheerleading. She also teaches and choreographs in a number of North East dance schools.

As a professional dancer for the last four years, she has toured the UK as dance captain and backing dancer for a company called Timeless Productions developing her choreography, performing and teaching skills. She has also been a backing dancer for the Tyne Theatre Christmas Panto for the last four years and last year was appointed dance captain.

Our team
The Dance North East team also includes Laura Bailey, Jennifer Ferguson and Zoë Price pictured from left to right.

Laura has danced since the age of three. She has a BTEC National Diploma in Performing Arts and NCSSE in cheerleading level 2. She has worked as a drama and dance teacher at Jane Robsons since 2000, as well as several schools through out Durham as part of after school activity programs.

Jennifer has a First Class Honours Degree in BSc Applied Sport and Exercise Science and has over five years experience as a dance teacher, and is currently working for Kidz Get Fit, Tyne Theatre Stage School and Imperiya 84. She has her UKCA/BCA Cheerleading Level 3 and Street Cheer Level 1 qualifications and is part of the International Dance Teachers Association - Intermediate performers examinations in Modern Jazz, Tap and Theatre Craft.

Zoë has performed in the dance profession for 14 years. For the last two years she has taught children aged 4-15 years olds freestyle at dance school in the County Durham area. Her qualifications include National Diploma in Dance Level 1 – Distinction and IDTA Student Exam – Teacher’s Qualification part 1 in Freestyle - Honors as well as currently studying for her IDTA Teacher’s Qualification in Freestyle.

For more information about us or for general enquiries, please contact us.