Sue

I started dancing aged 4 when I began ballet and tap dancing. But it wasn’t until I was 11 that I discovered my love of Ballroom and Latin dancing when I joined the North Twenty dance school in Barnet with my best friend Terri. We also did a bit of disco dancing and took IDTA medals in Ballroom, Latin and disco.

When in my 20’s I moved into modern jazz and learned at Campus West Welwyn Garden City and Jackson’s Lane Dance School, Highgate. Whilst there, I performed in several local shows for both schools. Over the years I have tried a variety of dance genres including Ceroc, Salsa, Hip Hop, Lindy Hop and Argentine Tango, but my passion has always been Ballroom and Latin.

Through overdoing it at work & high impact aerobics in my early 30’s I continually injured my back, to the point that I was nearly crippled & was off work for 4 months.  I had to have 2 discs removed from my back. I was told that I would never be able to dance again and I became quite depressed’

My work and my marriage had taken me away from Potters Bar but after my divorce I moved back to my home town, and thanks to a great chiropractor I was able to return to dancing. It was a real joy to get back to my dancing roots and I began teaching at Sallianne’s Dance Academy alongside Nick and Terri. After Sallianne retired and Nick started his own school he asked me to continue teaching, which I gladly did. Even today after many years I love to see anyone dancing & looking so happy knowing I have taught them to enjoy dancing as much as I do.  If anyone loves dancing as much as me, then it will always be part of your life.

Performing in local shows really was a highlight for me and recently I performed in a flash mob by Nicks Dance School to raise awareness and funds for the Alzheimer’s Society.

As you can see there is a good end to my story about how I got back to what I loved.

Emma Groves

Principle/Owner of Rhythmix Studio, Potters Bar

Emma began dancing at the age of 3, when she trained in the classics; ballet, tap & jazz. At the age of 4 Emma began her training at ‘Sallianne’s Dance Studio’ in Potters Bar, where she trained in Freestyle/Disco. It was here that Emma also trained in Ballroom & Latin American, and line dancing. At the age of 8, Emma began learning street dance with local companies ‘Alter Ego’ & ‘Street Dance Productions’, she trained with them for a number of years. She also trained with local performing arts company ‘Capital Arts’, where she took further tap & ballet classes and also trained in jazz & modern. The company also trained her in acting and singing, and she performed with them in various local performances.​

At the age of 11, Emma decided to commence her training to become a dance teacher. Over the next few years, she taught children’s freestyle classes weekly. She taught line dance classes to adults and was an assistant teacher in Ballroom & Latin classes. At the age of 16, Emma became a I.D.T.A qualified Associate dance teacher in the branch of Freestyle. In June 2012, she founded Rhythmix Academy of Dance & began teaching street dance classes to teenagers in a local gym. Since then her academy has grown from strength to strength and in February 2013 she opened her own dance studio in Potters Bar. Due to the success of the studio, in March 2015 Emma expanded and now has two studios!

From 2003-2008 she trained in St.Lucia alongside a Cuban choreographer to produce shows and entertainment packages for a 5* hotel. She has also performed at various carnivals and school fetes in St. Lucia, including the largest on the island in Castries, the capital. More recently Emma has travelled to The Gambia, West Africa, where she has been working alongside hotel staff to produce shows and an entertainment package for the guests at the largest hotel in the country.

Emma teaches dance to children in various schools across Hertfordshire and North London, during PPA sessions and running afterschool, lunch and breakfast clubs. For the past 2 years she has been campaigning to encourage more of the local community to dance and get fitter and healthier.  She is a proud ambassador for the following government run campaigns: We Move She Moves, Active Students & Beezee Bodies. Through these campaigns Emma teaches dance and fitness classes at various local venues, including the Royal Vet College, Hertfordshire University and Hertford Regional College.  She also teaches dance for local youth projects such as North Mymms & Potters Bar and also in local care homes in the area.

Since opening Rhythmix Emma has also become qualified in the following disciplines:
StreetFit Aerobics, PiYo, Boxercise, Acrobatic Arts Acro Dance & Alixa Flexibility Modules 1 & 2.

Which has really launched the fitness side of the studios, and enabled her to launch acro as part of the studios syllabus in 2017 and also Alixa flexibility in February 2018 which is a stretching programme used by top gymnasts, athletes and Cirque Du Soleil. She also teaches regular PiYo classes which combines two of her favourite disciplines, Pilates & yoga.