Ballroom and Latin Dance Barnstaple

Meet the dance teachers

Carol Phillips & Kevin Guymer

Carol - Biography

Carol was born in Barnstaple in the late 50's and began dancing & performing at the tender age of 3 at Miss Cotton's Nursery School. She was then introduced to the wonderful world of English Country Dancing which was taught by the Nuns at The Marist Convent in Barnstaple.

By then totally addicted to dancing, at the age of 5 she started learning Ballet at the Convent and then Ballet, Tap & Modern Dance at Esme Preston's Dance Acadamy in Ilfracombe and quickly realised she wanted to train as a professional dancer.

She was privileged to be able to experience a performance of The Nutcracker at Covent Garden at the age of 10 and was introduced to Merle Park in her dressing room after the performance. She began the long training including a series of exams with The Royal Acadamy of Dancing.

In the mid 70's She then moved to London and was accepted into The Royal Ballet School where she studied classical ballet as well as pas de deux, solos, repertoire, character, contemporary dance (Martha Graham),  classical spanish dance, stagecraft and Canadian Airforce body conditioning, alongside academic studies which included Benesh Notation, English Literature, Art and Music.

She completed her studies with an Advanced Diploma and Solo Seal with the Royal Acadamy of Dancing.

She then danced professionally for the next 20 years, firstly at Covent Garden and then at State theatres in Germany, France and Holland. During this period she got married, learnt to speak fluent German and Hungarian and in 1990 she gave birth to her daughter Katharina. She started teaching Ballet and Modern Jazz dance part time for children and adults as well as continuing to perform.

In 1998 she retired from professional ballet but continued to dance mainly Ballroom & Latin for pleasure in between studying for a diploma in International Communication in English and German and then working as an Interpreter and Translator with the Chartered Institute of Linguists . Following on a short period with Original Style in Exeter where she also gained qualifications with the Plymouth Chamber of Commerce and then in Export Sales Liason with a textile manufacturer, Heathcoat Fabrics.

In 2008 she finally moved back to North Devon and decided to learn Salsa which is where she met and fell in love with the teacher Kevin!

After a period of illness she decided to go self-employed and now divides her time between teaching dance with Kevin and running her own Sewing and Design Studio "Home Creations"