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.
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. Nell has recently taken her ISTD Intermediate Tap exam with Erica achieving an incredible 96/100. During this time both Nell and Jude have also been part of Tap Attack associates program where they have both had incredible success over the past few years representing Tap Attack Team GB at the IDO World Tap Dance Championships.
Jude has now left Mainstage and Tap Attack and embarked on the next stage of his dancing journey training Full Time with Emil Dale Academy. Nell has recently re-auditioned for Tap Attack and has moved from Training Company B through to the Tap Attack Company which is an incredible achievement.
Erica is incredibly proud of their continued achievements with this past year being extra special as she was also selected for Tap Attack Team GB where they returned from the IDO World Tap Dance Championships in Prague 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
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 performed in Phoenix’s pantomime ‘Dick Whittington’ which in October 2025 and is currently rehearsal for the pantomime ‘Little Red Ridding Hood’ to be performed in 2026.
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.
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.
Harry Phillips – Age 16
Elevated Tap Company Teaching Assistant / Mainstage Performing Arts
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 and attends our Advanced Adult Classes whilst also learning the ISTD Advanced 1 syllabus where he has recently joined Nell at Mainstage.
This past 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 Elevated Tap Company tappers who is playing his younger sister Gretl. Harry has also successfully auditioned and performed with his Youth Theatre to play Oliver Warbucks in in November 2025 and successfully auditioned for his Secondary School production of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe where he played Peter.
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
‘Annie Jr’ November 2025- Oliver Warbucks – Shaftesbury Arts Centre Youth Theatre
‘The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe’ February 2026 – Peter – Gillingham School
