Instructors[]
- Jennifer Ellison: Jennifer Lesley Ellison was born 30th of May 1983 in Liverpool, England. She is married to boxer Robbie Tickle, she has 3 sons Bobby, Harry and Charlie. Jennifer has studied dance from the age of 3, she then went on to the Elizabeth Hill School of Dancing in St Helens. She has won several major competitions and has achieved examination passes with the Royal Academy of Dance and also the International Dance Teachers Association. She has won Ballet and Modern Dance titles at the IDTA Theatre Dance Championships in 1996 and 1997 and was also awarded the Carl Alan Award for Ballet in 1998. In Jennifer’s early career she chose to pursue dance, but then later started a career in acting. In 1998, Jenifer was offered a role in the soap opera Brookside for the part of Emily Shadwick, she played this part until 2003.[1]
Jennifer Ellison takes on Abby's role in the UK edition of Dance Moms, teaching a dance team at her Fame Academy in Liverpool made up of 7 dancers. The team will compete in competitions all around the UK. There will be 7 families featured on the show.
Mothers[]
- Carol Greenwood: Mother to only child Chloe, Carol may appear timid but her dedication to her child holds no limits and she stirs up trouble amongst the other mums. Also backing Chloe is her Nana Linda. A calmer soul than emotional Carol, Linda wants everyone to get on and in her wisdom believes a group hug is the way to solve all conflicts.[2]
- Maxine Kelly: Proud Maxine is mum to the shining star of the group, Tayluer. With a daughter who wins every trophy going, Maxine is often the source of jealousy from the other dance mums. She may well be a veteran on the dance circuit, but highly strung Maxine is often found lacking when it comes to hair and makeup. Fiery and outspoken, Maxine often falls out with the other mums and there are fireworks if Tayluer is not top of the pyramid.[3]
- Serena McConville: Determined mum Serena knows what it means to be a dance mum, having to work night shifts to simply pay for her daughter’s dance school fees. Serena has been known to let her passion for her daughter’s dancing spill over. Chloe’s dancing means the world to her and no one is getting in her way. [4]
- Kelly Navis: Glam mum Kelly is a professional dance mum and doesn’t stop even though she is pregnant during filming for the series. Owning her own beauty salon, she’s the cream of the crop when it comes to making the girls look gorgeous and competition ready. A pro when it comes to hair, makeup and embellishing costumes. Kelly is not afraid of confrontation when everything’s kicking off, especially when it comes to her rival dance mum Maxine, as their two girls fight to be at the top of the pyramid.[5]
- Danielle Simpson: Danielle is a mum of five and gave up everything to be there for her children. She readily admits she vicariously lives her dream to be famous through her daughter Aleah. Adamant that Aleah has the talent and tenacity to make it in the dancing world; Danielle believes she will be the next ‘Jennifer Ellison’, pushing her little star-in-the-making to the limit. Ambition aside, Danielle needs some serious training when it comes to being the perfect dance mum. Struggling with the girl’s hair and makeup, she regularly comes to blows with Jennifer for not being up to scratch. Danielle is a ticking time bomb, constantly pressuring Jennifer to put her little girl at the top of the dance pyramid.[6]
- Helen Thorpe-Franklin: Supermum of four and part time charity worker, Helen is forced to work weekends, which means she misses many of daughter Molly’s dance competitions. Despite this, she cries with pride when talking about Molly’s dancing, generally possessing a much more positive attitude than some of her Dance Mums counterparts. She prefers to rise above the drama and tensions of the dance school and focus purely on her daughter’s needs.[7]
- Charlotte Traynor: Sharp tongued dance mum Charlotte is a force to be reckoned with, and is infamous on the Liverpool dance circuit. Completely dedicated to her daughter Sam’s dance career, the pair have even moved to a house closer to the dance studio so Sam can fully commit to her dance training. Despite being outspoken, Charlotte has a heart of gold that shines through when she is in the dance mums dressing room with her daughter and the other dancers.[8]