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 Emil Dale, 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 8 years, Erica has been very fortunate to teach 8 very talented Tap students who have been a part of the renowned Tap Attack starting with their associate programme with some going on to join their training company/company and Team GB.
Erica also choreographs for Shaftesbury’s Music and Drama Group where many of her students perform in Shaftesbury Arts Centre productions throughout the year.
Here are a few of Erica’s Mainstage and Elevated Tap Company Students success over the past years.
Roxie Yates – Age 13
Mainstage Performing Arts
Roxie has attended Mainstage Performing Arts since the age of 5. She currently attends classes in musical theatre, commercial, private singing, private tap, ballet and dance fit & power hoop. Roxie is also part of the Events team with Mainstage and over the last couple of years has been lucky enough to perform with them at His Majesty’s theatre London, The Indigo at The O2 London and most recently at Disneyland Paris! They showcased a series of dances in one of the theatre’s there as part of the Disney Performing Arts programme and were chosen to lead the pre parade through the Disneyland park in front of thousands of people! Roxie performs in an annual show with Mainstage in which she is able to showcase all her skills alongside her peers. Roxie has taken ISTD exams in tap from pre-primary up to Grade 3, passing each one with distinction. After receiving invaluable support and guidance from Erica during her 1 to 1 tap classes, Roxie successfully auditioned for Tap Attack in March 2025. She joined the South West Junior Associates and has started her first year of training in May 2025.
Roxie has been a member of Phoenix Ferndown Musical Theatre group since May 2024. She joined the group after successfully auditioning to perform in their production of ‘Annie’. This show was performed at The Barrington theatre in October 2024 and Roxie played the leading role of Annie which she absolutely loved! Roxie performed in a concert with Phoenix in March 2025. She performed a stunning solo song and joined in with both the youth chorus and the adult chorus in this show. Roxie is currently rehearsing for Phoenix’s pantomime ‘Dick Whittington’ which will be performed in October 2025.
Roxie’s theatre credits include:
‘Matilda The Musical Jr’ October 2023 – Hortensia – Unite Youth Theatre – The Layard Theatre.
‘School Of Rock’ May 2024 – Madison – Unite Youth Theatre – The Lighthouse theatre.
‘The Sound Of Music’ June 2025 –Briggitta Von-Trapp – Wimborne Musical Theatre Society at The Tivoli Theatre.
Nell Feltham – Age 15 & Jude Feltham – Age 18
Mainstage Performing Arts
Photographs courtesy of PineappleMedia
Nell and Jude have both trained with Mainstage Performing Arts since their early years in a a variety of dance styles with their incredible teaching faculty. In Tap they have both trained under the guidance of Charlotte Lympany since their dance journey’s started and Erica has had the pleasure of teaching them both over the past 4 years whilst studying the ISTD Tap Syllabus graded/vocational examinations and working with them each year on show choreography. Jude is now training Full Time at Emil Dale Academy whilst Nell is currently working towards her ISTD Intermediate Tap exam with Erica whilst studying for her GCSE’s.
During this time both Nell and Jude have been part of Tap Attack associates program. This year they have both successfully re-auditioned and are both now part of their Training Company and 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 winning four Gold medals and Nell a silver medal.
Erica is incredibly proud of their continued achievements with this year being extra special as she was also selected for Tap Attack Team GB. They have just returned from Prague where the IDO World Tap Dance Championships are held as WORLD CHAMPIONS with a combination of 3 GOLD MEDALS, 1 BRONZE MEDAL and 2 FOURTH PLACES.
If you would like to read more about Nell & Jude 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 at ELLITE Studio’s College and being apart of Pheonix Dance Theatre Youth Academy. 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.
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 7 years. Olivia successfully re-auditioned for a 8th year and is now moving to a Senior 2 North Associate.
This year Olivia has had numerous achievements at dance festivals around the country and this summer has been apart of the 2925 Dance World Cup representing England with ELLITE Studio’s achieving 2nd Place and Silver in the Junior Tap Duo/Trio section with Choreography by Natalie Meachin.
Lottie Phillips – Age 12
Elevated Tap Company & Mainstage Performing Arts
Photograph courtesy of Deborah Hurst Photography
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 trained with Tap Attack for 3 years. Lottie also attends Mainstage Performing Arts where she is currently studying for her Grade 5 ISTD Tap Exam.
Lottie’s 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
Elevated Tap Company Teaching Assistant / Student
Photograph courtesy of Deborah Hurst Photography
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 alongside one of our youngest tappers who is playing his younger sister Gretl. Within this role Harry shall be acting, singing, dancing and playing his guitar on stage alongside a live orchestra and is has had an opportunity to Choreograph for various numbers within the show. During this time Harry has also successfully auditioned for his Youth Theatre to play Oliver Warbucks in Annie Jr to be performed in November 2025.
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
