emily simpson

I will always remember getting my first pair of pink ballet shoes at 4. Little did I know the freedom, excitement, and expression accompanying them. My burning passion for dance started at 4 in my first ballet class. I was fascinated by how there was language without speaking but rather through movement and emotion of the body. How you can connect and captivate an audience through your dancing and performance. It captivated me entirely. Now I can't see a future without performing. This is why I want to pursue a dance at a degree level.

Currently, I am studying at Northampton College for their dance course. I have learned so much, like performing on stage and learning new styles like commercial and hip hop. I have grown so much as a dancer here due to the intense training hours and connection with teachers. I have become more confident on stage and in class due to the supportive environment. This was also helped by my external dance called spotlight dance. I have danced here since I was 12 when my previous school shut down. I have trained from 3 -12 hours a week outside of school. It helped me find freedom and personal style through dance by focusing on contemporary, lyrical, and improvisation. This school gave me a voice in dance. Before Spotlight, I started my dance journey at the age of 4 at Melanie Curtaise's dance school. I had a good foundation in the 3 core dance styles: ballet, tap, and modern. I stopped tap at grade 3 and continued ballet and modern until advanced foundation.

I have had many opportunities that helped me gain the necessary skills within dance, like being a dance captain in college and Spotlights youth company. This has many responsibilities, like knowing and teaching choreography, sorting costume sizes, and ensuring everyone is happy and comfortable. I am a port of call for all the dancers, which makes me reliable and trusted by students and teachers. I also needed to be organized and up to date on everything as I juggle work, education and extra curricular activities. This responsibility is greatly appreciated and highly cared for as it requires an adaptable and approachable person to handle the role. I have also been a dance teacher and assistant for 3 years which has helped me gain a professional standard for myself. I have taught from ages 4-13, allowing me to adapt to many different learning styles and abilities. This has made me aware of people's various situations and how to be approachable and caring to everyone. Also, it shows me how to approach the situations and how to handle them professionally. I have also performed at numerous shows and charity events like Honeycomb Festival, N Dance, Jumpstart, and more. This has given me a diverse understanding of different groups of dancers and styles. These shows always captured my attention as they brought together a diverse range of dancers who all held a love and passion for dance. My love for dance grew in experiences like these as I could relate to and feel the emotions and atmosphere of everyone around me.

From a young age, I was inspired by how versatile the industry can be, From musicals to backing dancers. This shows how having a wide range of training can help to open as many opportunities and doors within my career. There is never just one path to go down, which entices me to take on as many challenges as possible and never give up. A Stage school allows me to be employable for various incredible jobs. My dream and aspiration for my career is to be onstage, making people happy and seen while I'm performing, which is why I'm open to many opportunities like backing dancing on tours, cruise ships, and West End musicals. I want to experience it all and pass my knowledge on to aspiring dancers safely and caringly so they can explore their dream of dance just as I did. This is why I would love to leap into a stage school to help guide me in the next chapter of my dance training and help my dreams become a reality so that I can be happy and accomplished.