About Us
Derek and June Green
Principals of Ashford Dance Club. Both successful professional dancers and experienced teachers and judges.
Derek Green and June Aspland met whilst ballroom dancing at the Good Companions
Hotel in Slough. Six months later they were engaged and married a year
later. Having met through their love of dance they started to compete
seriously in Amateur Ballroom competitions, their first achievement was to
win the Berks, Bucks and Oxon county championship, a title which they were to hold
onto for the next five years. During this time they competed in all major
competitions, winning several major championships - these included South of
England, Welsh and West of England. .June and Derek appeared on BBC's Come
Dancing programme representing and winning with the highly successful North
London Team. After qualifying for the British Ten Dance Team they
represented Britain in Denmark, then subsequently, all over Europe. The
arrival of their first child, Michele, meant a two year break, but they then resumed
their careers where they left off by being placed within the top twelve
couples in the world, at the British Amateur Championships held in Blackpool.
June and Derek eventually turned professional and won the British
Professional 'Rising Star' Championship, after which they established
themselves as one of the top twelve professional couples in the world,
competing all over Europe. Soon after the arrival of their son, Ashley, they
retired from competing and opened their first dance school in Middlesex with
great success. Two years later they expanded and bought a large studio in
Kingston upon Thames, just in time for the arrival of Disco music and
Saturday Night Fever. The interest in dance that this film and genre of
music generated in the public was huge. There was a dance explosion, it was
a magical time for all dance studios in England.
June and Derek had one of the top dance schools in England teaching Ballroom
and Latin, Disco/Freestyle, Keep Fit and promoting many dance competitions.
Having trained many dancers from beginner to championship and from Amateur
to Professional in all age groups in many forms of dance they have a wealth
of knowledge and experience. Their teaching was as successful as their
competitive careers winning 3 Carl Alan awards for “Outstanding
Contribution Professional” and “Teachers Award” for Disco/Freestyle.
A Classique de Dance award for professional
freestyle and many from the ADFP including, a Acheivement Recognition,
Professional, and Southern Area Award. Their school has won 43 'Top school
awards' and Derek has been the chairmen for the Southern area ADFP for
approximatly 18 years and President of the ADFP for 8.
Trainers of Freestyle Solo and Doubles World, British, European and United Kingdom Champions.
Ashley Green
Ashley started dancing when he was three years old in his parents Ballroom dance school. He has studied many forms of dance including Jazz, Ballet, Latin and Ballroom dance. Following in the tradition of his already successful family, he competed in Freestyle competitions becoming the British, European and World champion 3 years running. He then studied the almost lost art of Ballroom Adagio with John Delroy, who is one of the finest exponents of this style of Ballroom, and became the United Kingdom and European Showdance Champion and the United States Theatre Arts champion. After retiring from competing, Ashley joined Britain’s first ever theatrical ballroom dance company the ‘London Theatre of Ballroom’, as their principal adagio dancer and enjoyed a six month run at the newly re-opened Café de Paris in London’s west end. For several years they performed all over the world at some of the most prestigious Cabaret venues which include the Whitehall Palace, London, Dresden Culture Palace, Germany, Fountainbleau Hilton, Miami and the Queen Elisabeth Arena, Hong Kong. Ashley has performed in cabaret at some of ballroom’s leading events including ‘night of 100 stars’, the ‘Star Ball’ at the Grosvenor House, London and the European and World Ballroom championship at the Wintergardens, Blackpool.
At 25 Ashley went to Drama School in London for three years, after graduating in 2001 his theatre credits include two plays for the physical theatre company ‘Theatre Lab’. Urban Sories, National tour/Riverside studios and xxx.Anonymous, the Pleasance, London and Everyman Theatre, Dublin. The highly successful play ‘Ballroom’, National Tour/Riverside Studios. La Traviatia, 1984 and Mitridate Re Di Ponto for the Royal Opera House, London. Film and Television credits include: ‘My Family’ and ‘The Way We Live Now’ for the BBC, ‘Dream Thief’ Salad Films, ‘Entrapment’ 20th Century Fox, ‘Vanity Fair’ Focus Features and was the Choreographer for Churchill: The Hollywood Years with Neve Campbell and Christian Slater.
Ashley is a full member of the United Kingdom Alliance of professional teachers of dancing. He enjoys teaching and judging dancers of all age groups from the nervous beginner to the accomplished professional.
Michele Green
Michele’s dance career began at the age of 7 soon after her parents opened their dance school in Ashford. After enjoying competing in school competitions and taking medals, Michele was keen to join the competitive world of ballroom dance that she had grown up in and began training for the International Juvenile Championships with a partner from the school.
During her career, Michele was highly trained with well-known top coaches within the ballroom world. Her highly successful Junior and Amateur career in the ballroom competition circuit has enabled her to travel around the world as part of the English Team. With her partner, Nigel Clarke she won the British Youth Championship (86) and British Amateur Championships in 1991 with Philip Banyer as well as being finalist of all major World and UK competitions. (Full list of achievements below)
Michele enjoyed being part of the Come Dancing teams – London North and South as well as well also training and competing in freestyle, rock n’roll competitions during the highly popular “disco” era.
In 1992 Michele decided to turn professional and teach within the dance school,completing her teaching qualifications with the ISTD. Michele’s aims are to provide the highest standard of teaching made easy in a relaxed and fun atmosphere for all levels of dancers.