LOUISE Hall had a successful career as a young dancer, winning a crop of prizes.

Now Louise Benoist, fitness trainer and dance teacher, she is hoping to guide others to similar glory.

She has two scrapbooks packed with newspaper cuttings, photographs and certificates, charting her fortunes in her early days in the dance world.

She recalls: “My mum took me to ballet when I was just two, and I was very reluctant to go.”

But it proved to be a wise move, and it was not long before she was showing exceptional promise, under the guidance of well-known local dance tutor, John Padbury.

She regularly competed in the National Arts Award competition in London and every year won the tap dancing title in her age group.

At the age of 13, she went one better, winning the all-round title with tap, modern and other dance routines.

She also appeared in pantomime at the Oxford Playhouse, dancing with fellow John Padbury pupils in Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty.

Pictures of her appeared regularly in the Oxford Mail as she travelled the country and added to her tally of awards.

Among them was the picture, right, which was published in 1978 when, at 17, she beat more than 50 tap dancers at a contest in Birmingham and won a £50 scholarship for extra dancing lessons.

At the time, she told the Mail that she wanted to be a teacher rather than a professional dancer – and that is exactly what she became.

She trained as a fitness trainer and set up the Louise School of Dance, passing on the skills she had learned to a new generation of children.

She is also hoping to attract more adults, particularly to tap dancing, which she believes is a valuable form of exercise for older people.

Louise, who lives at Boars Hill, near Oxford, tells me: “There’s still a lot of interest in dancing.

“TV shows like Strictly Come Dancing have given it a boost.”

For more information about fitness and dancing classes, call Louise on 01865 735571 or 07850 711786 or contact her by email at louise.b.dance@hotmail.com