Polly, aka Mrs Miggins has a level one Blacksheep American Tribal style Belly dance teacher training certificate 2009. Also a BA (Hons) in Textiles Arts from Goldsmiths’College, University of London (1996) and a PGCE in Further Education (1998).

Polly holds Belly Dance groups for mostly women from many walks of life including Southwark Carers, Leisure centres, Community Education. Regular classes listed on classes page.

I started belly dance classes in September 1996 with Tina Hobin in Holborn London. I had finished my textile art degree in June and I 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 liberating and creative.  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 Belly Dance teachers and dancers of the 90’s.

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 have been teaching ever since.