DanceMax Studio Teaching Staff

About our teachers!

Kirstin McGuigan is the owner and principal at DanceMax Studio. Aged 38, she currently holds an Associate level qualification in teaching from the NATD (National Association of Teachers of Dance) of which she passed with Honours. She also has undertaken the next level qualification, the Licentiate, which she completed in March 2020 and passed with Honours with Distinction with the NCDTA (Northern Counties Dance Teachers Association). This qualification means Kirstin is a Championship level adjudicator and teacher. She is a current member of the NCDTA and the ADFP - The Association of Dance and Freestyle Professionals - which enables her competition team to compete in ADFP recognised competitions. She is currently First Aid trained in a specialised Paediatric & Sport First Aid qualification, and insured through the NCDTA.

Prior to teaching dance, Kirstin completed and passed a BA Honours Degree in Early Years Childhood Development at university and worked as a childminder. She has also worked with vulnerable adults and teenagers in a care setting, and also at Safeway in Consett when it was there!

Kirstin competed from the age of 6 in freestyle after being made to join in when she did not want to! Thankfully perseverance paid off, and Kirstin won many titles such as European Champion, East of England Champion more than once, and lots of individual wins and trophies.

You will also see Kirstin's partner Dean in and around the studio - he is a huge part of DanceMax, and can be found on a Saturday taking the registers and making the children laugh.

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Erin Martin is our associate teacher at DanceMax. She assists in all the Saturday classes. She is 23 years old, and an ex freestyle competitor. Erin has danced for us at DanceMax from the very day we opened in 2009! She was a wonderful competitor and has a lot to offer our dancers as a recent performer on the dancefloor.

She is just recently completed a degree (with a First!) in Exercise Health & Fitness at Sunderland University, she is a qualified gym instructor and personal trainer, and has volunteered in youth clubs for 7+ years. She also holds A Levels in Dance, Drama and Theatre Studies!

Erin is also First Aid trained in a specialised Paediatric & Sport First Aid qualification, and has recently passed her Associate level teaching qualification meaning she is a fully recognised teacher with the NCDTA, and now holds one of our Saturdays classes as the stand alone teacher. She also is building a small team of competitors to undertake a few local competitions throughout the year and offers private lessons for these.  We are very proud of her and our Saturday children love her.