Twizzles dance instructor, Linda Hughes, retires after 41 years

Linda Jayne Hughes, 61, from Westhoughton, is set to retire from her dance school Twizzles on August 31 and although sad she is leaving her students, she can’t wait for more family time.

Twizzles has been open for 41 years, with some amazing memories shared between Linda and her students.

However, while Twizzles will close when Linda leaves, it will be reopened as a new dance school by Linda’s friend, named as Empowered Horwich – inviting existing students of Twizzles and new students to take part.

Speaking about the closure and the reason behind her retirement, Linda said: “My friend has a dance school in Swinton, and she will be taking over Twizzles. 

“Her school is Empowered Studios in Swinton, so she is going to now also have a school replacing Twizzles called Empowered Horwich.

“I don’t know how I feel to be retiring, it has been a really hard decision because I just love the children. But what has made it a bit easier is having someone coming to Horwich and running it.

“I have been thinking about retiring for a few years and I didn’t want the children to have to travel somewhere because the sort of dancing we do, the freestyle, it's competitive.

"I didn’t want them to have to finish and I didn’t want them to have to go out of the area because some children don’t have transport and they have to walk, so it has worked really well that my friend has agreed to come in and run it.

Linda and some of her students (Image: Linda Hughes)

“Now I want to spend time with my family. I have just had another grandchild a week ago so I want to spend more time with my two grandchildren. My mum is getting older and I just feel as though I am not spending enough time with her so they are the main reasons why I’m retiring, to be able to spend more time with my mum and my grandchildren.”

Linda said she has some fond memories over the years at Twizzles and various dance competitions she has taken her students to.

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She said: “My biggest memory is when my dad was still alive, we took the children to a dance competition at the Norbreck Castle in Blackpool. I had teams that competed and all of my teams won and just to see the look on my dad’s face, he was crying, and I was crying and that is just something that has stuck in my mind.

“I took a few girls to dance in Sweden, that’s another memory I’ll remember, it was really exciting despite it being a totally different style of dancing, it was a great experience.

“And I have judged the World Freestyle Championships in Blackpool for the last six or seven years. I’ve been on the panel for the championships, and it is an absolute honour to do something like that and knowing that I was retiring I was hoping I was picked to judge again this year and I was. I was over the moon.”

Linda also spoke of the time she met someone at a dance competition who then turned into someone famous.

She said: “I danced in Germany many years ago in the World Showdance Championships and we danced in the European championships and the world championships. I danced for a dance school called John Jackson Show Team and I came second in the Europeans and third in the world.

Linda and some of her students (Image: Linda Hughes)

“And I met a young lad that was on the coach with us all the way there and he was telling us how he was going to be famous one day and we were all saying 'yeah, yeah, course you are', and it was Howard from Take That.

“It was only as we came home, a couple of weeks after, Take That came together.

“I went to a concert once and he spotted me on the front row and double took me, so that is my claim to fame. I have had Howard Donald’s hand on my bum, doing a lift.”

The dance school has moved all over Bolton since it opened all those years ago.

Linda said: “I have owned the dance school for 41 years starting off in Westhoughton renting a little church room and then I ran classes in different places too.

“I then rented a room at the Sacred Heart Church before moving onto a church in Hindley. I moved to Lostock Parish Centre and then it will be 14 years in October that we moved to the place we are now, our own premises in 2010.

“It was lovely to have our own place, it was a big achievement.”

When asked what message she would like to give to her students past and present, Linda said: “I would like to give an enormous thank you for all the support my students have given me over the years.

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“I have had messages from people who have found out I am retiring, and they have been so nice.

“It has just been amazing; it was like having one big family and the girls I have now all mean so much to me. It was the hardest decision leaving them because we are so close.

“It is going to be sad, but I will go and see them and keep in touch. I just want to say a massive thank you for all the support they have given me over the years.

“The school would have folded over Covid if it wasn’t for them, and they are fantastic.”

If you have a story or something you would like to highlight in the community, please email me at chloe.wilson@newsquest.co.uk or DM me on Twitter @chloewjourno.