Polly, aka Mrs Miggins, has a BA (Hons) in Textile Arts from Goldsmiths' College, University of London (1996) and a PGCE in Further Education (1998)
She has taught textiles and craft for many years as well as TEFL and Computing.
Polly shares a studio and exhibits artworks regularly in open exhibitions in South London.
Polly volunteers at the women's group at Cambridge House, Addington square. She teaches women to sew and Belly Dance. They in turn help her with her Arabic, to enable further understanding of Arabic songs, to interpret them better through dance.
In an exciting partnership with the NHS, Polly teaches belly dance in a Time Bank scheme that is very successful. As part of the 'South London and Maudsley NHS Trust' women learn belly dance with time credits that they have earned as part of the scheme that credits people for work in their community. They perform regularly together as Polly and the Time Bank Troupe.
Mrs Miggins writes:
"I started belly dance classes in September 1996 with Tina Hobin in Holborn London. I had finished my textile art degree in June and was a cleaner at 'The Pink Paper' offices. I found an article about her class in a magazine in a waste paper basket.
The music, the moves, the other women and a newfound freedom to move to music, was brilliant. I could hardly move my hips at first but inspite of this I was hooked. It was fun, deeply satisfying and I kept going.
After a few lessons I began to become aware of the wider belly dance community. Other teachers would leave leaflets at the dance lesson venue and I would notice other classes and events. I started attending other classes and workshops with, amongst others Maggie Caffrey, Madison, Maria Louisa, Hannah and Lily of TribalKinesis.
I was invited to perform for Carlton television with other dancers in 1997.
In 2004 I couldn't find a class I could attend locally in the daytime. I was phoning The Telegraph Hill Centre for a friend about holding her Yoga classes there, when they declined I plucked up the courage to suggest Belly dancing classes and they were interested! I started my own class and I have been teaching ever since."