A proud dance teacher from Blackburn has shared the success stories of her talented students who win awards and have achieved bursaries to study at prestigious performing arts schools.
Joy Wareing, 57, has danced professionally her whole life and in 1998 opened the Dance Factory in Blackburn.
Her daughter Anysia Bramante-Wareing, who was three at the time Dance Factory opened, followed her mum’s footsteps and scooped several awards.
These include the International Dance Teachers Association (IDTA) Modern Championship Winner for Lancashire and Merseyside and IDTA North of England Tap Runner Up and performed with X Factor winners Rak-Su as well as Ant and Dec.
She also received a DaDA (Dance and Drama Awards) which are awarded to exceptionally talented students to help with fees and living costs at a private performing arts school.
Joy said: “I couldn’t be happier with what my daughter’s achieved.
"She got into Bird College where you really have to be top of the game to go and she graduated with a first class honours degree.”
Anaya Tomlinson is another one of Joy’s students who has achieved amazing awards including winning Miss Lancashire Dancer multiple times as well as winning the World Performer title in the Regional Heat.
Aged 16, Anaya won a full bursary to train on the pre-vocational course and a full scholarship for Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance.
Joy said: “She’s from Blackburn and her mum’s a single parent so I can relate to the story because I was a single parent when I started my dance company and it’s hard work.
“Anaya’s mum used to drive her down to London at 4am every Saturday. To know that a little girl from Blackburn is competing with people from Japan, Australia, New York is amazing.
“That’s why I keep doing this, because the talent just blows me away.”
Rambert has trained some of the industry’s most famous and talented dancers and it was the only school Anaya auditioned for.
Joy continued: “I told her she can apply to any of the schools but she didn’t want to. She had her eye set on the goal and she did it.”
Other students of Joy’s include Leona Lawrenson, who won the IDTA for Lancashire and Merseyside twice, as well as being the Regional Heat Winner of ‘Miss Dance of Great Britain’ in Blackpool.
At three years old, Leona was a Royal Ballet Junior Associate student and then went on to perform on stage with Peter Andre and featured in an Elton John music video.
Carla Rutherford joined the Dance Factory at a later stage than most students and had less experience as a dancer but had an “amazing voice” for a 14-year-old.
She trained in ballet, jazz, contemporary and tap with Joy for just a few years before she was offered degree courses for The Hammond, BIRD, and Italia Conto.
Catilin Dullenty impressed many by being awarded three DaDAs and joining Wilkes Academy which Ant and Dec are patrons of.
Joy said: “All my students are absolutely phenomenal and training these girls to become the best they possibly can be is my absolute joy.”
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