It’s a Family Thing
We have three generations of Ballroom and Latin teaching experience in our family run dance school; with each generation adding an extra layer of expertise.
We see big potential in every moment and care deeply about what we do every day.
We can’t wait for you to start your dancing journey with us and join the Starlight family.
About Us
The Starlight Team
Meet our fantastic dance teachers with over 50 years teaching experience between them.
Lorraine Burrell
Qualified teacher - A ISTD, L ABD, F UKA
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Lorraine has been dancing for as long as she can remember. As a child, she took medal examinations and would dance in many competitions medallist, and ‘open circuit’. Unfortunately her bossy side would come out and she would ‘help’ other dancers and competitors in their dancing. So the teaching bug has been within her from a very young age.
Lorraine has been fully qualified and teaching professionally for more than 30 years. For the past 20 years, she has been running her own dance school.
Lorraine started off with one evening beginners class. The school has now grown to have 8 classes as well as 121’s practice night and social night as well as our dancing holidays. She has now, in part, passed this on to her children Chris and Emma, but is still heavily involved in the running of the dance school.
She just loves teaching people to dance!
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The Slow ones!
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Many proud teaching moments. Unfortunately, not one stands out alone. I feel immensely proud when watching my couples dancing around the floor. I feel proud when my wedding couples send me a video of their first dance from their wedding day. I feel proud in my 121 lessons when they get something that they’ve struggled a little while with. I feel more elated and happier than they do sometimes! It’s wonderful watching your dancers and getting to know them, to see their improvement and their enjoyment.
I also feel immensely proud at my own children’s dancing and accomplishments.
Chris Burrell
Qualified teacher - A UKA, L ABD
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Chris has been dancing since before he could walk! And not stopped since! He started taking competitive dancing more seriously when he was 13 and has danced all over the World representing England in European and World Championships. Chris is known for his enthusiasm and strongly believes everyone has a dancer inside of them (which he can make look fab-u-lous!).
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Quickstep - you can put a lot of energy into the dancing, making it a lot of fun. As long as it’s not the last dance in a competition!
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Dancing alongside the Strictly Come Dancing professionals onboard P&O Strictly Come Dancing cruises. Check out our blog to see the pictures/videos!
Emma Burgess
Qualified teacher - A ABD
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Emma has danced all over the World representing England in European and World Championships. She was also asked to perform with Chris alongside many of the Strictly professionals by the BBC onboard P&O's cruise ships which they did from 2017-2019. Emma then went onto a new project which was performing in Raymond Gubbays often sold out performances with a full orchestra and fabulous singers for the Simply Sinatra show.
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A difficult decision but it would have to be between the Argentine Tango and the Rumba. Both are so beautiful and expressive in their own right.
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Its very hard to chose just one. To be honest I have proud teaching moments every day. It doesn't need to be that you've just won 1st place at a competition, sometimes its just the little things like seeing a pupil be able to achieve something that has been taking them a little while to understand.