ABOUT EMMA
Emma Trickett is the principal teacher at Miss Emma's Dancing. Her extensive movement experience began with a childhood full of music and gymnastics, and she fell in love with dance performance at the age of five after playing a dancing sunflower in a school show! Emma has dedicated 29 years to Ballroom & Latin dancing and has been inspired by incredible teachers throughout her dance career. She earned her first dance-teaching qualification in 2005 and has taught a diverse range of students, from complete beginners to those preparing for competitions and auditions.
Emma has explored many aspects of dance and has enjoyed social dancing, performance opportunities, and competition. She developed a particular interest in how multisensory cues can enhance the perception of rhythm, primarily through meaningful experiences with deaf students, and values dance for its endless opportunities to learn, grow and experience. As a passionate and experienced dance professional, Emma enjoys continuous professional development and sharing her knowledge and skills with others.
In addition to her work in dance education, Emma founded The Moving Body Clinic in 2006 to support her continued professional dance training. This rewarding work provided valuable insights into movement disorders and further enriched her teaching practice. In late 2013, Emma relocated from Southampton to rural Wiltshire and subsequently established Miss Emma’s Dancing in February 2014. She is incredibly proud of the friendly, local dance community she has established over the years, and she would like to thank her students for their support.
Summary of Emma’s professional Dance & Gymnastics qualifications
Royal Academy of Dance (RAD): Registered Teacher
International Dance Teachers’ Association (IDTA): Professional Teacher of Dance (Ballroom)
International Dance Teachers’ Association (IDTA): Professional Teacher of Dance (Latin-American)
The Guild of Professional Teachers of Dance, Movement to Music and Dramatic Arts: Member
Laban/Bartenieff Institute of Movement Studies (LIMS, New York): Laban/Bartenieff residencies (Edinburgh)
British Gymnastics: Intermediate Level Primary Teachers Award
Welcome Host
Continuing professional development with the RAD, IDTA and British Gymnastics
Enhanced DBS (every 3 years) / current PPL PRS music licences
Current study: Benesh Movement Notation
Further Professional training
2012: Emma completed an inspiring dance residency led by Peggy Hackney, an internationally recognised dance educator known for her work in Laban/Bartenieff Movement Analysis as the Director of Dance & Laban at NYU and UC Berkeley in the USA. Focusing on movement signatures and the relationship to breath, body and spatial phrasing offered a vital perspective on non-verbal communication.
2012: Emma furthered her movement training at the Laban/Bartenieff Institute of Movement Studies (New York), attending their partner site in Edinburgh. She fell in love with Edinburgh and found the Laban and Bartenieff residencies to be essential to her development as a dancer. Eager to continue her studies, she remains dedicated to exploring the skills she has learned.
2013-2016: Emma received professional training from Chris Green, a distinguished IDTA Fellow & Examiner. She is deeply grateful to Chris for sharing her exceptional expertise during this time. Emma looks forward to further opportunities to study with Chris as the depth of her knowledge, technique and attention to detail are truly incredible.
Student Support & Achievements
Emma takes great joy in watching her students’ progress and is dedicated to their development. From 2014 to 2020, she taught dance and gymnastics at local primary schools, guiding students through performances at the Wyvern Theatre for the Wiltshire Dance Festival in both 2019 and 2020, each event drawing audiences exceeding 600. Emma joined her students on stage for each performance to support those experiencing nerves – she even enjoyed dancing as an antelope in one of the shows, and choreographed the use of British Sign Language in another to support audience inclusion. Emma also successfully led a primary school gymnastics team to first place at the 2019 and 2020 Wiltshire Schools Gymnastics Competitions within the local cluster, marking a significant accomplishment.
Beyond her work in schools, Emma has choreographed showcases for masquerade balls and vintage events, enabling adult students to gain confidence through public performance. She has also prepared dancers for participation in the renowned Vienna Opera Ball and organised a student trip to the Blackpool Tower Ballroom to further enrich their experience.
Community Contributions
Emma has organised dance initiatives to support local causes and charities, including Oak & Furrows Wildlife Rescue Centre, HarFest, Heart Rhythm Charity, Fibromyalgia UK, and the purchase of specialist gymnastics equipment for St. Joseph's Primary School. Emma runs a non-profit dancewear shop to support local animal charities: The Littlest Lives Rescue, Help-a-Hedgehog Hospital, and Wiltshire Wildlife Hospital. She has donated her time and skills by choreographing for community theatre productions, training Young Farmers for dance competition, and acting as a dance host for local events. She has taught BTEC students at BDC Theatre College (the formal and social dances of wartime England) and has led dance workshops for international students at Stonar School.
2020 - present day
Miss Emma’s Dancing successfully weathered COVID-19, but Emma underwent multiple brain surgeries in 2022. A complex recovery process has provided her with comprehensive insight and a first-hand understanding of the profound challenges posed by health setbacks, significant reductions in physical capacity, limited independent mobility, and the extensive processes required to try to regain basic daily functions. For their continued care, Emma would like to thank Malmesbury Primary Care Centre, Southmead Hospital, Royal United Hospital Bath, Swindon Hospital, Bristol Royal Infirmary, St Michael’s Hospital, Sulis Hospital, Spire Bristol Hospital, NHS Physiotherapy & Neuro-Physiotherapy, CK Clinic Physiotherapy, Tetbury Chiropractic, the Dance Professionals Fund/Royal Ballet Benevolent Fund, and The Hospital Saturday Fund.
Special thanks go to her friend Haydyn for his daily care and support, to Haydyn and Alethea for their outstanding commitment to keeping our lovely dance community together throughout this time (view their Line Dancing classes), to Carole for being such a good friend, and to her little cat for keeping her company throughout everything.
Like many who experience a life-changing event, Emma now finds joy in the simple things. She loves spending time with her rescue animals (her fur-family) and delving into dance history and music theory.
Emma would also like to mention Fred & Beryl Coates for their initial encouragement of her dance career, sports coach Mr Austin for his confidence in her abilities, and Tracie Gooch for the lovely example of what a caring dance community could be.
