Meet our Tutors: Louise Douglas

You teach Beginners Street Dance for City Academy - some people might have done other types of dance, but many have never danced before at all - how long does it take before they get confident on the dancefloor and see improvements?

Most people will see improvements very quickly! Even by the end of the first lesson- I genuinely believe that everyone can dance but it’s only easy if you know how! So it’s my job to try and break down the steps in a way that’s accessible for everyone - whether you’re a pro or a total beginner!

You get to travel a lot in your job and take part so many different shows, films, tours etc. Can you share some of the highlights of your career so far?

I’ve been so lucky to travel the world with some of my best friends- and get paid for it! Although of course there is a lot of hard work, living out of a suitcase and jet lag between the glamorous looking Instagram posts! I’ve travelled to the Maldives which was probably the most idyllic place I’ve worked, as well as Trinidad, India (for a day!) Singapore and even Beirut. I think dance wise- dancing at Ultra Music Festival in Seoul, South Korea was definitely a highlight! Also,  performing at the Edinburgh Playhouse was a bucket list tick for me as it’s where I used to go as a child to watch shows and I always dreamed of being on that stage one day.

Photography by Rowan Morgan

We can’t do this interview without mentioning that you’re also a magician! How did that come about and do you ever mix dance and magic on stage?

Ha! Yes, I actually fell into magic because of my dance background- a lot of dancers make ideal magic assistants because we are used to presenting ourselves on stage and taking stage directions. I was lucky enough to be on a show on the BBC called The Magicians, assisting celebrities as they performed magic. It was a bit like a magical Strictly! I caught the bug and became more and more interested in magic. I was given an opportunity in 2012 to join an all female ‘supergroup’ of magicians and began to learn close up magic as well as stage magic and illusions and have been doing so ever since.

And finally, is dance something everyone can enjoy?

Absolutely! I think anyone can enjoy it- a huge part is confidence, once you believe you can dance - you can dance! It doesn’t have to be fancy footwork or steps, it can be about just having a good tune on and bopping along- some of my best choreography comes from ideas I get from bopping along, sitting down in the car!