Amy Salter

My dance journey started at the age of 4, when I began taking tap and modern classes at a dance school local to where I lived in Barton. I worked my way through all of the examination grades to Advanced 1, and also took ballet classes in my teens. 

I continued to dance through my years studying Sport and Exercise Sciences at the University of Birmingham with the dance society, and broadened my experience with jazz, street jazz and commercial hip hop classes too. 

I also taught a street jazz class for beginners. My dissertation was in the sports psychology field of my degree, focusing on the optimum teaching styles for dancers’ motivation, performance and well-being. For this research, I was lucky enough to work with dancers from prestigious dance schools, including the Elmhurst Ballet School. 

After achieving my first class honours degree, I decided to enhance what I’d already learnt and pursue a career in teaching. I qualified with a PGCE in Primary Teaching, specialising in PE, and taught for 10 years. Both of these degrees, the 30 years of my own dance experience and my teaching career, have given me an extensive knowledge of how to teach and nurture so that everyone, regardless of age, ability or background, can achieve their potential and thrive.

I feel so lucky to have found AJ Centre for Dance when it opened in 2018. For years I had been looking for somewhere to continue dancing, but local places for adults who had dance experience were few and far between. As a dancer, the weekly classes gave me such joy, and the annual showcases made me love performing more than ever before. 

Having covered teaching contemporary classes for Amie’s maternity leave, I knew I wanted to do more teaching here, so I was honured when I was asked to start teaching tap classes in 2023. It is such a privilege to teach the dancers each week, and I am imensely proud of every single one of them. The AJ dance family (children, parents and teachers) really is so special, and I love being a part of it!