Three Spires simply wouldn’t be Three Spires without Elaine Ferry, the school’s principal.

A passionate teacher, dedicated technician and a force to be reckoned with, Miss Elaine, as her pupils call her, built the school from teaching one student in a church hall in Holbrooks to the thriving dance school it is now in Coundon, Coventry.

Centre of the community

Because of this Elaine has been at the centre of the community for the past 40 years. Now 77 years old, she is still regularly teaching pupils and preparing for the school’s upcoming show, Inspired to Dance, which will take place on 27 and 28 February at The Albany Theatre in Coventry.

Over the years Elaine has taught everyone from tiny tots to adult dancers, her oldest pupil a keen tapper in her 80s. While most have danced for fun and as a means of keeping fit, there have been plenty of dancers who have made performing a career with ex students performing in West End shows, Royal Variety performances, Hollywood blockbusters and for prestigious ballet companies. All, are grateful to Elaine for the hard work she put in to them at an early age and how she nurtured their talent so carefully.

Childhood dreams

Elaine herself performed across Europe as a professional dancer, however it was teaching that really captured her heart, So much so that she remembers teaching her shoes to dance as a little girl. It was from that moment that she knew she wanted to be a teacher and held onto her dream until she could make it a reality.

That chance came along when she was a young Mum of two, and with the support of her husband, decided to have a go at building her own school. It didn’t take long before word got around about the dance lessons in the local church hall. Soon, she had dozens of students and was on the look out for a purpose-built premises.

She found an old Co-Op hall in Coundon, which had lots of potential but needed work. Elaine could see beyond the almost derelict building to the bare bones, which were sound, and would make a lovely studio. After many months of work, it had been transformed and was ready to welcome the thousands of students that have enjoyed dancing there for over three decades.

In 2015 Elaine was awarded a British Empire Medal in the Queens Honours List. At the time she said:

“I am obviously delighted to be awarded a British Empire Medal. To receive an accolade for doing something that I really love is wonderful.

“Over the years I have taught thousands of dancers – I am on my third generation and I teach the grandchildren of some of my first pupils.

“I honestly couldn’t envisage life without teaching dance. It is more like a family than a school.”