Our Principals & Staff

Our Principals

Along with a fantastic team of teachers Newcastle Dance Centre is owned and ran by one family… and this family, the three Principals, have ran the centre for decades.

Hayley Conway

Mavis Whiteside (Conway)

Michael Conway

Michael Conway

A Life Member of the IDTA, Fellow, Examiner and Executive Councillor of the Northern Counties Dance Teachers Association, the president on many occasions and he represents the NCDTA on the British Dance Council Board of Directors and on the International Professional Affairs Committee. He has years of experience in the ballroom dance world, having been trained by some of the great Ballroom coaches of their time. He has adjudicated competitions at both amateur and professional level throughout the U.K. and in the Far East.

Mavis Whiteside

A Life Member of the IDTA, Fellow, Examiner of the Northern Counties Dance Teachers Association and President for 2000 – 2002 and has been Chairperson of the Theatre Branch of the NCDTA. She was undefeated British Old Time Champion and a founding member of the Latin American Advisory Committee of the British Dance Council. Winner of two Carl Alan Awards and has adjudicated at the British and Hong Kong Championships. For many years she has been involved in Musical Theatre work as a vocal coach. Mavis is one of the most qualified teachers of dance. It is rare that someone holds all seven Fellowship qualifications, and is an examiner in both the Theatre branches and the Ballroom branches. Many of the teachers teaching in the North East today were trained for their professional teaching qualifications by Mavis or by her mother Florence.

Hayley Conway

A Fellow of the IDTA and a Member of the NCDTA  Hayley teaches all styles of dance, both Theatre and Ballroom branch subjects, but specialises in the Freestyle subjects.  She is regularly invited to lecture for Dance Associations on her specialist field. 

Her professional experience is extensive, especially in the field of choreography.  She has vast experience in choreographing all styles, and she has worked with all the major TV companies – BBC, ITV, SKY, Channel 4 on programs such as Top of The Pops, Fame Academy, 55 Degrees North, Byker Grove and many more.

She owns NDC’s sister company  Encore Dance Entertainment Group and also choreographs dancers for bands, fashion shows and productions. She is a Carl Alan Award winner for dance and has worked with the likes of Cheryl Tweedy and Ant & Dec in their younger days.

She is an experienced Championship Adjudicator and has judged many national dance competitions such as the British Freestyle Championships.

NDC Teaching Staff and Administration

Our staff are an incredible team of talented and dedicated individuals.  Each of them have their own specialities in dance.  That could be the theatre subjects, Latin American, Ballet, Musical Theatre and so on.  

All of our teachers have been trained at NDC and are literally part of the Family.  Some have been with us since they were children.  They are the essential part of NDC and deliver our classes with passion, commitment and sense of pride.

All teaching and support staff are First Aid Trained, Enhanced DBS checked and hold Safe Guarding Qualifications. 

Lucy - Head Teacher
Gemma - Senior Teacher
Emily - Senior Teacher
Helena - Teacher
Steph - Teacher
Anna - Teacher
Scarlette - Teacher
Sian -Teacher
Olivia - Teacher
Kaitlyn - Teacher
Rhiannon - Teacher
Laura - Teacher
Robyn - Administration
Sonia - Administration
In addition to our teachers, we have a large team of Assistant Teachers and Students who are training to become the teachers of tomorrow.  They support the instructors and are an integral part of the NDC team.