"Hatton Academy History"

Wendy Hatton has danced since she was three years old. After a successful champoinship career, she decided to share her love of dance by teaching others the skills which she had learnt. 

At the beginning of 1988, Wendy Hatton broke away from her former school and decided to set up her own classes comprising oftwo 1 hour lessons in Ballroom & Latin American and Disco, under the name of the McNichol School Of Dancing for Children. As demand exceeded expecation , the classes grew from a 10:30am till 3:30pm slot on Saturdays at St. Oswald’s Church Hall, Whiteleas. it was during this period that Wendy encouraged professional instructor, Sue Staines, back into the dancing circuit to help with the 'unexpected' over-flowing numbers.

As 1992 approached, Adult classes beckoned and Wendy began a Dance night on Wednesday evening, enlightening the adult dance world to such friendly and relaxed tuition.

1995 allowed Miss. Hatton to open a several Beginners Sequence classes, which opened the door to adult classes in Country and Western, which then began in the following year of 1996.

1996 also invited Wendy to open an annual 2 month event, in the form of a Social Evening at the Vets Social Club, Laygate. This would be the chance for all Adult classes of every subject that was taught in the school to meet up and enjoy an evening of dance, good food and drink.

As 1998 approached the Vets club became too small a venue to host the amount of people that were turning up to the Social Evenings. Due to the quota of numbers, Miss Hatton moved the 2 month event to the Hedworth Hall, Dean Road, which had the capacity to hold 300 people.

1999 held a new prospective for the school, as this was the year that Wendy organised a Holiday vacation for the entire school. This has since proved to be a successful venture by the school, as the trip away remains one of the main highlights of the september to august academic year.

The year 2000 and a new millennium approached, which also regenerated a new woman in Miss Hatton. After her divorce, Wendy strove to promote her family school under a new name – The HATTON School of Dancing! which she began to run with her eldest son, Stuart.

In 2002 Wendy introduced  yet another Adults Beginner Country and Western Class, and Stuart set up a new subject in the school in the form of a speech and drama class and adult salsa classes alongside fellow teacher Rachel Thompson.  2002 also was the year that the school moved from The Hedworth Hall to Brinkburn Comprehensive School for the ever-popular Social Evenings, as yet again, the classes grew out of the smaller hall.

2003 has since offered the Adults the experience of yet another Sequence class, Beginners Salsa, Ballroom and Latin American

On August 1st 2004, Mr. Hatton and Miss Thompson directed the school's first ever Stage Production - Crazy Quilt! The show encorporated such famous dance routines from Annie, Oliver!, Moulin Rouge, Grease and the Multi-Oscar-Winning Chicago. The Show was a fast SELL-OUT and the demand for an encore is ever-presnet. Watch This Space!!!

2005 and Stuart is teaching in schools as a key stage one and two dance teacher for the British Dance Council with the Born to Dance scheme as well as running out-of-schools academic dance clubs. Springs Sanctuary Health Spas also wish to use the knowledge of the school as they required Stuart and other accompanying teachers to teach a Salsa class for them followed by a social evening afterwards.  During the Summer of 2005 Stuart was also invited to lecture and run an adult Summer school accompanied by Miss. Thompson at Mea House for Newcastle College.

2007 and the School finally moves into its own premises offering 3 theatre studios and a main ballroom. New classes include formation teams and fitness classes.

2009 and to this day the school continues to grow and branch out successfully, offering the very best tuition that the dancing world has to offer today to dance lovers all around the North East and United Kingdom. Stuart continually adjudicates competitions around the country and trains four british formation teams and runs all classes, private tuition and fitness classes.