When she was three years old, Nadia Jane was enrolled at a performing arts school. It helped her build confidence, kept her out of trouble and shaped who she is today. When she was 19, she started up her own dance school in a church hall in Derby, hoping people would turn up. 20 years later, Nadia has her own studio, a hundred students and five teachers, including her brother and mother.
Over the years the school has evolved into a refuge and safe haven for many students, who refer to it as their 'dance family', and Nadia their 'dance mum'. Without the school, numerous children wouldn't have had an outlet to express their feelings, or have someone to talk about their day-to-day problems.
The school has really helped 13-year-old Evalynn. When she started secondary school, she was told he had dyslexia. Shortly after, her mother Amanda was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. Evalynn started at the dance school soon afterwards, and it has helped her build confidence and keep anxiety at bay.
Megan was an outgoing girl, until secondary school when she started to get bullied at school and over social media. After joining the dance school, Megan made new friends and newfound confidence. Megan met Evalynn at the school and clicked with her straight away. They became close friends and were able to support each other through the tough times.
Six months after the initial programme aired on BBC1 and iPlayer, we catch up with Nadia to see how what progress the school, and pupils have made. More trophies have been won, and one special student has earned a scholarship to compete against other elite dancers. Funding has now been secured with the Youth Alliance and we drop in to one of Nadia's regular youth nights that she hopes will give kids a positive reason to leave the house. We also hear from Evalynn to see how she's been getting on.
Jan. 16, 2023
