A DANCER who quit her job in the City to fulfil a long-lost dream of running a dance company says it is going from “strength to strength”.

Taylor’s Dance Company has celebrated its third birthday.

The Colchester dance school for girls and boys, aged three and above, is run by Niki Taylor, who has been a dancer since she was five-years-old and who discovered the joy in teaching along the way.

The 28-year-old said: “Starting a dance school was one of those things I said I’d always do if I won the lottery.

“Along the way I did some maternity teaching cover, enjoyed it, and it made me think I could actually give it a go.

“I quit my sensible job in London and decided if I didn’t try now, I would probably never be able to.

“Three years down the line we’re doing well. Several classes are full, which is a great position to be in, and we had our first show last year.

“It’s just gone from strength to strength.”

In Niki’s first lesson there were ten pupils over four classes, but now she has 205 over 13 lessons.

Her own personal journey has seen her come full circle from studying dance at Colchester Sixth Form, training to be a nurse for six months, working in the property sector at Spicerhaart, moving to London and then returning to her hometown as a businesswoman.

Then she was a 25-year-old singleton with little responsibilities, so it was now or never.

"Everyone says I'm really brave for doing what I have but I don't think so, I just went for it and hoped for the best,” she began.

"The main thing is going from having a regular monthly salary to not knowing if I’d earn any money but because I was living at home, I knew if that did happen, I'd have the support of my family.

"But I'm quite stubborn also so that wouldn't be an option. I'd have just got another job."

Dance is in the former Stanway School pupil’s blood too.

At school, Niki took any opportunity to perform and as a youngster she did ballet, tap dance and modern styles, which continued until she set up Taylor’s Dance Company.

As a teacher she continues to progress too and is now an associate teacher of the International Dance Teacher Association.

She said: “Dance has always been my love. I did an A-Level in it but didn't do very well because at the time I wanted to be a nurse so dance wasn't my priority.

"Music was always a big part of my growing up as well so I think it's been there the whole time."

One day she also hopes to own her own dance studio but until then, parents can find her inside Kingsland Church, Stanway, and the William Loveless Hall in Wivenhoe.

She said: “If the children continue to grow with me, they could still be with the school in five or ten years which is the vision, to keep them in dance so they want to progress.”