Over Erica’s teaching career, she has been very privileged to have taught some very talented Tap students who have gone on to train professionally at various colleges including Performers, London Studio Centre, Itali Conti, Laines and Guildford School of Acting and who are now working professionally in the performing arts industry.
Over the past 9 years, Erica has been very fortunate to teach 9 very talented Tap students who have been a part of the renowned Tap Attack associate programme/training company and Team GB. Erica also choreographs for Shaftesbury Arts Centre – Music and Drama Group where many of her students perform in amature productions throughout the year.
Here are a few of Erica’s Mainstage and Elevated Tap Company Students success over the past years…
Nell Feltham – Age 14 & Jude Feltham – Age 18
Mainstage Performing Arts
Nell and Jude have both trained with Mainstage Performing Arts for many years and have a variety of incredible achievements under the guidance of Charlotte Lympany and now Erica Phillips. They both currently study the ISTD Tap Syllabus with Erica, Nell is currently working towards her Intermediate ISTD Tap Exam and Jude is studying towards his Advanced 1 ISTD Tap Exam alongside attending Dorset Foundation College.
Both Nell and Jude have been part of Tap Attack for many years and this year both Nell and Jude successfully re-auditioned for Tap Attack where they are both now part of their Training Company. Under the guidance of the Tap Attack faculty, both Nell and Jude have become World Tap Champions with some truly incredible results over the years. In 2023 they both had a record achievement bringing home 3 gold, a silver and a bronze medal for Team GB and then went on into 2024 to represent them again with Jude coming home with 4 gold medals and a 4th place in the adult category and Nell gaining a silver medal as part of the Junior Formation.
Nell – Junior Formation – 2nd Place – SILVER MEDAL – WORLD TAP CHAMPIONS 2024
Jude – Adult Duo – 1st Place – GOLD MEDAL – WORLD TAP CHAMPIONS 2024
Jude – Adult Trio – 1st Place – GOLD MEDAL – WORLD TAP CHAMPIONS 2024
Jude – Adult Group – 1st Place – GOLD MEDAL – WORLD TAP CHAMPIONS 2024
Jude – Adult Formation – 1st Place – GOLD MEDAL – WORLD TAP CHAMPIONS 2024
Erica is incredibly proud of their continued achievements and can not wait to watch them perform on this year’s world stage. To see them both in action and read more about their Tap journeys you can visit their Facebook page HERE.
Olivia Hunter – Age 15
Elevated Tap Company – Online Student
Photograph courtesy of Finan Photography
Olivia became an Elevated Tap Company student during the COVID pandemic and now trains weekly with online private lessons alongside taking local dance lessons Olivia is also part of Pheonix Dance Theatre Youth Academy.
Olivia successfully auditioned for Tap Attack at the age of 9 where she joined the Mid South East Associates. Olivia transferred to Tap Attacks North Associates after relocating with her family and has now been training with Tap Attack for 6 years. Olivia successfully re-auditioned for a 7th year and is now moving to a Senior North Associate. Olivia achieved an incredible Distinction with 97% in her ISTD Intermediate Tap Exam in October 2024 and is currently working towards her Advanced 1 ISTD Vocational Tap Exam.
Lottie Phillips – Age 11
Elevated Tap Company & Mainstage Performing Arts
Lottie has been an Elevated Tap Company student since it was founded during the COVID pandemic and currently attends Youth Tap Classes at Shaftesbury Arts Centre. Lottie started tap at the age of 4 and has been training with her mum, Erica for the past 8 years. Lottie successfully auditioned for the South West Mini Associates at the age of 8 and has been training with Tap Attack for the past 3 years. Lottie also attends Mainstage Performing Arts alongside Nell and Jude where she is currently studying for her Grade 5 ISTD Tap Exam.
Alongside Lottie’s love for tap dancing, she is a proud member of Shaftesbury Music and Drama group where her credits include:
‘Nativity The Musical’ Jan/Feb 2003 – St Bernadettes School Child – Shaftesbury Arts Centre
‘HONK’ May 2024- Chick/Duckling – MTI Junior Theatre Festival – Birmingham
AWARD WINNER 2024 – Best Musical & Harmonies
‘HONK’ July 2024- Froglet/Chick – Shaftesbury Fringe – Shaftesbury Arts Centre
WINNER – BEST OVERALL PERFORMANCE 2024
Harry Phillips – Age 15
Harry is a keen Tapper, Actor, Singer and Musician. Harry has been tapping since the age of 4 and has studied with his mum Erica for the past 10 years. Harry is our Elevated Tap Company teaching assistant for our younger students at Shaftesbury Arts Centre.
This year Harry has successfully auditioned for another lead role in the Musical ‘Sound Of Music’ where he shall be playing the role of Fredrich Von-Trap. Within this role Harry shall be acting, singing, dancing and playing his guitar on stage alongside a live orchestra. Harry will be performing alongside one of our youngest Elevated Tap Company students who shall be playing the role of Gretl Von-Trapp. You can watch them both this Summer at Shaftesbury Arts Centre in the Sound of Music between 3rd and 12th July 2024.
Earlier this year, Harry performed in ‘The Wizard of Oz – The Panto, where he took on the role of one of the dance core playing a Munchkin, Flying Monkey and Ozian. Harry became Dance Captain and assisted with the dance choreography too. Last year Harry was cast as one of the principal roles in ‘Kipps’ The New Half a Sixpence Musical where he played the role of Buggins, alongside acting, singing and dancing Harry assisted with Tap Choreography and has learnt to play the Banjo for the finale! Harry was also cast in his Youth Theatre production as a principal character in ‘HONK’ a new musical based on the Ugly Duckling. Harry performed the part of Greylag in Birmingham at the Junior Theatre Festival in May where they won an award for their music and harmonies and they won ‘Best Overall Performance’ in The Shaftesbury Fringe 2024.
Alongside Harry’s regular Tap Dance training with Elevated Tap Company, Harry also trained with Tap Attack for 5 years and worked his way through their associate programme from a Mini, Junior to a Mid 1 between the ages of 8 and 13. Harry had some incredible opportunities with Tap Attack over these years and in November 2021 Harry was invited to perform alongside Nell from Mainstage in a special Christmas Video being choreographed by Jessica Jo Marshall featuring 12 of Tap Attack’s younger dancers.
Tap Attack – 12 Days of Christmas
Choreography – Jessica-Jo Marshall
Video and editing – Quiet Media
Dancers – Nell, Freya, Ella-Jai, Harry, Poppy, Amelie, Lily, Gabe, Jazzy, Isla, Farrah and Ryley
Back in 2021 Harry successfully auditioned for the role of James in Conor Smith’s music video ‘Purple Skies’. Harry was also asked to create artwork and Lego models for the video shoot and one of his drawings was used as the album cover for Conor’s single.
‘Purple Skies’ by Conor Smith
Music Video Produced by Alex Bowdery of Playmotion Visuals
Actors: Harry Phillips, Henry Grant, Susan Grant & Jerome Swan
Harry is a proud member of Shaftesbury Youth Theatre and Shaftesbury Music and Drama group where his credits include:
‘Knock Knock’ July 2022 – Sam – Shaftesbury Fringe
‘Tales from the Dark’ Oct 2022 – Teen – Shaftesbury Arts Centre
‘Nativity The Musical’ Jan/Feb 2003 – Ollie – Shafestbury Arts Centre
‘GREASE’ July 2023- Ensemble – Shaftesbury Arts Centre
‘Magic Fairy In A Microwave’ July 2023- Dad – Shaftesbury Arts Centre
WINNER – BEST OVERALL PERFORMANCE 2023
‘Peter Pan’ Pantomine Jan/Feb 2024 – John Darling – Shaftesbury Arts Centre
‘HONK’ May 2024- Greylag – MTI Junior Theatre Festival – Birmingham
AWARD WINNER 2024 – Best Musical & Harmonies
‘Kipps’ ‘the new half a sixpence musical’ July 2024 – Buggins – Shaftesbury Arts Centre
‘HONK’ July 2024- Greylag / Rooster – Shaftesbury Fringe – Shaftesbury Arts Centre
WINNER – BEST OVERALL PERFORMANCE 2024
‘Wizard Of Oz – The Pantomime’ Jan/Feb 2025- Dance Core / Captain (Munchkin, Flying Monkey, Ozian) – Shaftesbury Arts Centre
‘The Sound Of Music’ July 2025- Fredrich – Shaftesbury Arts Centre
