Sarah Fenn-Tye - The Live Wire!

(Biography) 

The Early Years

Sarah started Ballet, Tap & Modern at the tender age of 2½ years old. Sarah can remember her first public performance (age 2½) as the lead mouse at the Dome Theatre in Brighton, East Sussex. Her role was to lead the mice in & out of the curtains whilst her sister Jane danced with older girls on the stage. From the age of 5 years Sarah studied Cecchcetti Ballet, Tap & Modern with top ISTD teacher Molly Caulder (recently deceased) in Brighton, East Sussex . Sarah feels she owes a tremendous amount to Molly who taught her great self-discipline & skills at a very young age. Sarah also started Ballroom & Latin American dance classes at the age of 5 years. She was taught by Jean & Margaret Cantell from the Studio Tempo Dance School in Newhaven, East Sussex until she was 12 years old. 

Simon Tuttnot (Age 7) & Sarah 1st Formation Team at Medallist School		Sarah (Aged 9) First Medallist Competition Dress
Mark Wood & Sarah (Age 10) 2nd Formation Team at Medallist School		Michael Kelly & Sarah (Age 11) Medallist Competition - Tango

The Ballroom Latin American Competitive Years

Sarah started her International Level Ballroom & Latin American career at the age of 12 years. She was very honoured throughout her career to be taught by some of the best Ballroom & Latin American teachers in the World!

Sarah’s competitive teachers over the years included:

BALLROOM TEACHERS

Doreen Freeman & Bob Burgess

Anthony & Fay Hurley

Bill & Bobbie Irvine

Richard & Janet Gleave

Michael Houseman & Valerie Waite

Robin & Rita Short

LATIN AMERICAN TEACHERS

Lorna Lee & Michael Stylianos

Lyn Harman

David Sycamore

Alan & Hazel Fletcher

Nina Hunt

CLASSIC SHOWCASE & EXHIBITION TEACHER

John Del-Roy

Sarah won her first Open Championship titles at her first ever competition!
She immediately became one of the Top 12-14 year old & Junior 10 Dance Competitors in the World!

 

Paul Quinnell & Sarah (Age 12)
Sarah’s 1st Open Competition South of England Junior Ballroom & Latin American Champions

 

Sarah became the English Junior Ballroom & Latin American Champion with partner
Nigel Clarke (Age 13 & 16)

 

At the age of 16 years Sarah had a very serious car accident.   She was on the way home with her parents from filming a TV series ‘Come Dancing’ – Sarah was in the Home Counties South Team and had just competed in Quickstep at the Blackpool Tower Ballroom against Steve & Yvonne Dunn who were in the Home Counties North Team!   

Sarah & her mother were very seriously injured and were both unable to walk.

Sarah was determined not to let her severe injuries stop her and within 3 months, Sarah was competing at an International level again in Ballroom & Latin American with her partner Gary Edwards – they both cried throughout her first few competitions as Sarah was obviously in so much pain and was even having to hold her severely fractured pelvis together whilst she spun!

In fact during these months of recovery, Gary & Sarah danced so well that they managed to qualify to represent England as the British representatives for the European Youth Latin American Championships!

 

Back in Action
Gary Edwards & Sarah Fenn-Tye (Age 16)
Following a dreadful accident in January when Sarah sustained a fractured pelvis, a broken toe and severe lacerations to her face, how good it is to report that all is now well, and with her partner Gary Edwards, is back in action again. The lovely study on the left was captured by Gordon Wright at the recent B.D.F. Promotion at the Tower, Birmingham.

 

Sarah danced with various partners over the following years as an Amateur Competitor.

Following a short break from competitive dancing Sarah qualified as a dance teacher with the ISTD & NATD and returned to competitions as a Professional Ballroom competitor.

She paired up with top Latin American dancer Paul Tame.Paul who was previously one of the top Amateur Latin Dancers in the World had just returned from a break from competitive dancing where he had been following a career on the stage. Amongst other roles he was one of the leads in the musical ‘CATS’ in London and was a lead in the musical ‘CHORUS LINE’ on Broadway!! He was also offered the role of ‘Electra’ in Starlight Express whilst he was dancing with Sarah, which he turned down.

After dancing with Sarah, Paul tool a degree in music (obtaining a 1st) he is now one on the top music teachers in the UK and performs in concerts and music recitals all over the world as a singer and pianist.

Sarah and Paul were a tremendously successful partnership rated 7th in the British Ranks
(this was in the days when 4 of the top English Professionals were the Top 4 in the World!)

Over the years Sarah has represented quite a few different countries (she has also had different colour hair!).

When she was dancing for Australia she competed in the World Classic Showdance/Segue Championship in the Deutchlandhalle in Berlin. She was generously sponsored by her employers of 12 years ‘Visa International’ to train for this event.

This was a tremendous experience and Sarah & her partner Brian came 10th Overall, which was a great achievement. She was also very privileged to be able to work with top choreographer John Del-Roy whose tremendous creative choreographic ability & musical interpretation opened up Sarah’s world.

Sarah & Richard Marcel pictured dancing Salsa on the ISTD Technique VideoTony was Sarah’s last competitive partner and when they decided to retire from competitions they had reached the top 24 in the Open British Professional Modern Championships, a fabulous achievement.

Sarah is also a qualified Championship Level Ballroom & Latin American Judge. She is pictured below general dancing at the Open British Championship at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool and judging the famous invitational BDF competition ‘Night of 100 Stars’ a competition she competed in herself as a Junior & Youth competitor.

Sarah is a qualified Dance Teacher with the ISTD (Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing) & NATD (National Association of Teachers of Dancing). She is also a YMCA/RSA qualified Personal Fitness Trainer and Fitness Teacher. So she is qualified to teach anything from weights in a gym to Pre/Post Natal Classes for new Mum’s! She was previously a member of two Committees for the ISTD. The Alternative Rhythms Faculty or Club Dance Committee as is now called & The Country & Western Committee which is a subset of the DFR Faculty and

She was involved with the development and production of the Argentine Tango & Salsa Technique & Video.

Sarah & Richard Marcel pictured dancing Salsa on the ISTD Technique Video

ISTD CENTENARY GALA EVENING – SADLER’S WELLS THEATRE

Sarah and some of her Live Wire Girls were also asked to perform on 26th September 2004 at the ISTD 100 Years of Dance Centenary Gala Evening which was held at Sadler’s Wells Theatre. It was an amazing evening of dance and a tremendous honour to be asked to perform amongst such prestigious performers for all styles of dance.

Click here for full report & Pictures

Sarah’s Line Dancing Competitive Career

Major Line Dancing Results

2nd Place Worlds 2000 Advanced Female Line Dance World Championships

2nd Place Worlds 2000 Female Showcase Line Dance World Championships

2nd Place Worlds 2001 Female Superstar Line Dance World Championships

2nd Place Worlds 2002 Female Superstar Line Dance World Championships

Major Pro Pro Couples Dancing Results

Sarah Fenn-Tye & Tony Lee - World 2002 Pro Pro Classic Couples Champion

Sarah Fenn-Tye & Tony Lee - World 2002 Pro Pro Spotlight Couples Champion

Sarah Fenn-Tye & Tony Lee - World 2003 Pro Pro Spotlight Couples Champion

Sarah Fenn-Tye & Tony Lee – 2nd Place World 2003 Pro Pro Classic Couples Championship

Winners Europe versus USA Challenge CompetitionSpanish Championship 2002

At the Spanish Championships 2002 Sarah was invited to compete with fellow Superstar dancer Roy Verdonk in a challenge competition against Barry Durand and his partner Lisa West.

Roy & Sarah won the challenge match which consisted of preparing two line dances (a Cha Cha & East Coast) and choreographing and performing a medley routine together.

Roy & Sarah winning for Europe

 

WORLDS 2004 STAR AWARDS FAVOURITE LINE DANCE COACH

At the UCWDC 2004 World Championships in Nashville Tennessee Sarah was extremely honoured to be voted as the “Worlds 2004 Favourite Line Dance Coach”. She was selected as the winner from a large group of nominees from all over the world!

Sarah has now retired from competing and judging in the Line Dancing & American Style Couples arena in order to concentrate on the children & adults within her flourishing dance school.

 

Sarah is pictures with ‘Buzz Live Wire’
the much loved Fenn-Tye family dog

The Live Wires – The Teams

The Original Live Wires Team

4th in 1999 British Championships (held at Wembley)

CWDC 1999 UK & European Team Champions

UCWDC 1999 London Dance Classic Overall Team Champions

UCWDC 1999 British Overall Team Championships

UCWDC Worlds 2000, Nashville - 3rd Place Overall World Championships 1st Short Medley, 2nd Long Cabaret, 3rd Short Solo

 

The Live Wires