All Teaching staff hold current DBS disclosures, and we always have a qualified first aider on site.
Erica Phillips
Tap Teacher
Erica has had a passion for dance since a young age and trained from the age of 4 at a local village dance school in Hampshire. In her teens, Erica then moved dance schools to the Amber Andrews School Of Dance in Fareham, where she continued to study ISTD Tap, Ballet Modern and Jazz under teacher Sheila Andrews, examiner Mauren Harvey and teaching assistant, Amber Andrews, until the age of 18 yrs. Erica competed in the ISTD Marjorie Davis Star Tap Awards for many years where her passion for Tap Dance developed.
To further her studies Erica moved to Liverpool to study Dance at The Merseyside Dance and Drama Centre along with Theatrical Costume at Liverpool Community College. Erica graduated in 1999 with her vocational examinations in ISTD Tap, Ballet, Modern and Jazz alongside a BTEC Higher National Diploma in Theatrical Costume Interpretation.
Upon leaving Liverpool, Erica moved to Manchester and continued her studies and qualified as a fitness professional working within the fitness industry for a 10 year period alongside running her own Dance Company. After re-locating back down south in 2008, Erica taught as a freelance dance and fitness teacher for many years for private dance schools, health clubs, fitness studios and leisure centres. Erica continued her training in 2015 with the Judith Hockaday College of Dance and Drama and qualified as an ISTD Tap Teacher.
Erica holds an ISTD Level 3 Diploma in Dance Instruction (DDI) in Tap Dance, an ISTD Level 4 Diploma in Dance Education (DDE) in Tap Dance and became an Associate of the ISTD in 2019.
Erica has had over 20 yrs experience teaching tap classes of all ages and abilities with non-syllabus classes, ISTD syllabus classes, ISTD graded and vocational examinations plus show choreography. Erica is a registered member of the ISTD and takes regular continued professional development (CPD) courses with the ISTD and other Tap organisations such as Tap Attack. Erica founded the Elevated Tap Company during the COVID-19 pandemic to share her passion for Tap with the wider community.
Erica is excited to be joining the Mainstage faculty and looks forward to all the new opportunities this will bring.
Erica Teaches...
