Dance teacher takes training to new heights

A Northumberland dance teacher is helping the next generation of acrobatics instructors get off to a flying start with the launch of a new accredited training programme.

Catherine Muckle, director of Company Control & Move Fitness CIC and CM Studios in Cramlington, has introduced a qualification designed to equip adults with the skills to deliver dance acrobatics classes.

Accredited by the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA), the programme has already attracted interest from dance teachers, teaching assistants and parents looking to develop new skills.

A graduate of the Northern School of Contemporary Dance in Leeds, Catherine spent more than a decade performing professionally in theatre, circus, contemporary dance and parkour productions before moving into community teaching following the pandemic.

Today, her organisation delivers acrobatics, circus, dance and fitness sessions across Northumberland, including Cramlington, Blyth, Morpeth and Alnwick.

Catherine said: “We realised there was a real shortage of people who could teach both dance and acrobatics together. 

“We could find brilliant dance teachers or fantastic circus coaches, but very few who had both skill sets.

“We decided that instead of searching for those people, we needed to create them ourselves.”

Dance acrobatics combines gymnastics techniques, including handstands, cartwheels and bridges, with dance performance, choreography and musical interpretation.

Alongside the launch of the new qualification, Catherine is preparing for a busy summer after securing continued support from Cramlington Town Council for the organisation’s holiday activity camps.

Nearly 350 places were booked within 12 hours of being released.

CM Studios is also preparing for its annual showcase at King Edward VI School in Morpeth, where performers aged four to 16 will present a production inspired by books and storytelling.

Catherine added: “For us it’s not just about teaching a trick perfectly. 

“It’s about helping young people express themselves creatively through movement and performance.”

Find out more here.

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