A former Bury College Performing Arts student is wowing the nation on Saturday nights as she appears in a primetime talent show on BBC One.

Amy Lawson is taking centre stage to appear on The Greatest Dancer as part of the Jazz dance troupe The Queens. The dance squad have reached the live finals of the competition and are being mentored by popstar royalty Cheryl.

Amy secured her Bury College Performance qualification in 2011 before successfully gaining a place at Phil Winston’s Theatreworks in Blackpool. This three year course propelled Amy’s career and has allowed her to achieve exceptional career success.

26 year old Amy said, “Auditioning for The Greatest Dancer was an incredible experience for myself and The Queens. The perfect opportunity to show the nation who we are and what we're all about. To then go and make it through to the lives and be chosen as Cherly's final 3 means the world. It's overwhelming to feel the support, recognition and acceptance of such an icon and has only given us further confidence going forward in the competition.  

We are a group of like-minded women who have been lucky enough to find each other through the uncertainty of our extraordinary industry. Together we are the best versions of ourselves and have united as Queens.”

Amy, who is a former Woodhey High School pupil and trained at the Debra Simmons School of Dance in Ramsbottom, said of her time at Bury College, “I loved my time at Bury College and I can’t praise my tutors enough for their support and knowledge. It allowed me to safely push myself out of my comfort zone and offered me the time to nurture my self-development as a performer.”

Andy Tomlinson, Head of Bury College School of Performance, said, “We are extremely proud of Amy’s progress and success since leaving college. She continues to demonstrate the talent, attitude and professionalism that was so evident to her tutors and peers. We continue to follow her career closely and wish her all the best!”

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