Dance teacher Jo Scanlan from Nine Elms manages the England tap dance team who will be heading for the World Tap Dance Championships in Germany in December.

Jo, who trained in Swindon at Tanwood School for the Performing Arts and the Judith Hockaday College, is co-founder of the Tap Attack Youth Company which runs workshops and master classes for young dancers nationwide. Shortly after setting it up, Jo visited the 2007 world championships and was amazed to discover that England was not represented. She decided to take up the challenge and in 2008 took a team of 14 dancers to compete in Germany.

Over 3,500 dancers were at the event, dancing in a wide range of styles from rhythm to Broadway.  “It’s like the Olympics for tap,” said Jo. “It’s so well run and ends with an awards ceremony with national anthems.

“Last year was probably a bit too soon; my husband thought I was insane and said I’d never get them ready in time.”

Even so dancing in a series of qualifying heats to select the best dancers, the team achieved excellent world rankings, narrowly missing the finals.

This year, knowing what they are up against, Jo has been training the team hard to gain a place in the final stages of the competition.

A fundraising curry night will be held on 28 September at Bombay Lounge to contribute to the costs. To help Tap Attack strike World Championship gold, book a table on 887799.

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