15/10/2026
A long post from Mary… in reflective mode 😉
Today marks 40 years since I qualified as a dance teacher, first with the Allied Dancing Association and then with the UKA PTD, now UKA dance.
I’ve taught in several schools and for others, like Ian Mayes (Classique) and Connections in Levenshulme and once settled in Altrincham, opened Danceworks (25 years old this year) which is a very small, not-for-profit school that allows me to teach as a volunteer while I built a NHS research nursing career.
Things have certainly changed over the years - from using music tapes, CDs, mp3 players, iPods and now apps, to starting with grade worksheets, then grade books and now the Teach Dance app.
Before children I was a freestyle adjudicator, out almost every Sunday, most often at a David Roberts or Judy Clegg comp.
Even became a UKA NVQ assessor for a while…taking a new born Alex to the meetings, who is now a successful cheer coach and still competes.
In 2 weeks, I’ll also celebrate being a nurse for 40 years and in a couple of months retire from the NHS. I’m looking forward to having some freedom to diversify the Danceworks schedule and introduce adult classes.
With particular thanks to Ann, Kelsey, Tom, Graham & David, this has been possible because the UKA support all types of teachers and schools.
Thank you for ensuring we can provide quality learning opportunities and practice safely - no matter the size or how big our medal tests are!
Mary Judge, UKA 3768 ❤️
