Pauline Steel started her own dance studio in Fenton in the late 1970s with quite literally a handful of students. Over the following years, student numbers grew dramatically, a direct result of Pauline’s passion, determination and vision. Her infectious enthusiasm, humour and charm swept people along, sharing and instilling in her students a love of dance which will stay with them forever.

Fitness classes at the Pauline Steel Dance Studio were legendary in the area, with every class packed and customers queuing out of the door! People forgot that they were working out – the atmosphere that Pauline created was fun, with many hilarious one – liners bursting out over the ‘Madonna style’ headset!

Her accomplishments are numerous and varied. From the many charity fashion shows and studio shows which grew to be more spectacular year on year.

In September 2008, Pauline’s dream of opening a full–time vocational Dance Academy was realised and Steelworks Performing Arts Academy opened to its’ first ever students. The continuing success of the Academy students and graduates is something of which she was so proud of and is testament to Pauline’s ambition and courage – a full–time Performing Arts college in Stoke-on-Trent – the first in the area.

More recently she recognised the need for educational qualifications in Dance and managed to secure a working partnership with Stoke-on-Trent College, enabling Steelworks to also deliver courses for the BTEC National Level 3 Diploma and Level 4 HNC qualifications in Dance.

Her love of teaching was obvious and she truly cared about each and every one of her students. This passion for dance teaching, and her long standing involvement with the British Ballet Organisation in London, led to Pauline securing Steelworks as an outreach training centre for the BBO’s Teaching Qualification courses, the first in the country.

Steelworks was successfully run by Pauline’s daughter Maxine until 2020 and more recently by Paulines son and daughter-in-law, Paul and Emma .

Pauline’s legacy will live on in the continuing success and development of Steelworks, but most importantly in the hearts of all those who had the privilege of knowing her.