Former Janice Sutton dancer keeping friends moving - from home in North Wales

A former pupil of the Janice Sutton Theatre School has been reaching out to her friends in Skegness - with online fitness classes on Zoom.
Former Janice Sutton dancer Julie Kirk Thomas is holding fun fitness dance classes on Zoom from her home in Wales.Former Janice Sutton dancer Julie Kirk Thomas is holding fun fitness dance classes on Zoom from her home in Wales.
Former Janice Sutton dancer Julie Kirk Thomas is holding fun fitness dance classes on Zoom from her home in Wales.

Julie Kirk Thomas has lived in North Wales for the past 22 years but loves to keep in touch with Janice and the theatre school.

Until lockdown, Julie ran her Strictly ‘Fun’ Dancing classes in the Town Hall in Llangollen, where she has settled with her husband, actor Dyfed

Thomas, and family.

However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Julie has now amalgamated all her classes into one big Zoom Fitness class every Wednesday morning at 11am.

“It’s a whole new performance area I knew nothing about,” says Julie, “You could call me a ‘Virtual Virgin’!

“I even have a few ex-pro dancer friends from London joining in, which I was initially nervous about, but everyone is so friendly and just there to get moving.

"We always have a good chin-wag at the beginning and end of each class.”.

An original ‘Benny Hill’s Angel, musical comedy has always been Julie’s passion and she joined the TV show at the age of 19.

“I loved playing character roles like little old ladies and didn't always feel confident when it came to if I could do the sexy stuff," Julie said. "But luckily Benny wrote some nice character roles for me and I ended up appearing in two consecutive series with him.”

Since leaving Skegness, Julie’s career has varied from performances in West End, appearing in ‘Evita’ with Elaine Paige, to‘Poppy’ at the Adelphi Theatre and The Young Vic Theatre with the Royal Shakespeare Company..

She also played the title role of ‘Aladdin’ to Terry Scott’s Dame and also appeared in numerous light entertainment TV shows, ranging from The Freddie Star Show to spending five years working on the 'Beadles About’ series.

She says other 'fun jobs' have been spending six weeks with Steven Speilberg and Harrison Ford at Elstree Studios filming ‘Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom’, filming in Pinewood Studios in Blake Edward’s ‘Victor/Victoria’ starring Julie Andrews and appearing in ‘Wildcats of St.Trinians' with Rupert Everett.

Julie has also appeared in numerous TV adverts including Findus Oriental Express, Fairy Excel, and to the delight of her children, playing the ‘Shreddies Mum’.

A couple of years ago, she was invited to perform at The Palladium, in tribute for Dame Vera Lynne’s 100th Birthday Celebrations. Julie was thrilled to be able to finally tick off two ambitions on her wish list - to perform on the Palladium stage and dance in front of the Queen.

More thrills came for Julie’s Strictly Fun Dance class in Llangollen when they were invited to appear on SKY TV’s ‘Got to Dance’, featuring her oldest attendee 96-

year-old Edward. ‘Eddie’s Angels’ were voted 3 Gold Stars on the show and the judge Ashley Banjo declared that he wanted to be like Eddie when he grew up.

During the Lockdown Julie has been busy creating the ‘Fun Seekers’ Club, a group of like-minded people who love music and movement.

Every alternate Friday at 6pm she delivers a Dance Workshop on a different theme.

Julie hopes to keep us fit and healthy through ‘Grease’, ‘Mamma Mia!’ and ‘Dirty Dancing’ and ‘Hairspray’.

A Mama Mia dance Workshop takes place on Friday, June 19, at 6pm

For more information on Fitness Classes and Workshops contact Julie:at [email protected]