A DANCE teacher is hoping to empower local women to ‘fill their own cup’ by getting into the groove.

While Vikki Chan hails from Huddersfield, she may as well live in Barnsley due to her tireless commitment to running her ‘SOS Dance’ classes in the borough.

Catching the dancing bug from her mum, performing has been a part of Vikki’s life for as long as she can remember.

The 35-year-old spent much of her youth practicing ballet, tap and jazz, with her free time largely taken up by shows and exams.

Vikki admitted the growing challenges she faced over the years and how a renewed love for dance became her antidote.

She said: “Last year, after going through a bit of a tough time mentally, I realised I needed to start doing something for myself again.

“Being a mum to an autistic child can be a lot and I knew I needed to fill my own cup to be the best mum I could be.

“I was so nervous to go, but it honestly changed everything.

“I came out feeling like a new woman, and with every class my confidence just grew more and more.

“By the end of last year, I knew I wanted to create that same feeling for others, which is why I did the SOS Dance course.

“My Barnsley-based class just made sense - it’s only about 20 minutes away from me and there wasn’t anything like it in the area.

“I never went into it thinking about making money.

“I just wanted it to cover the studio and insurance costs while doing something I genuinely loved.

“Having full classes and looking in the mirror seeing a room full of women dancing behind me honestly blows my mind every time.

“Most days revolve around my little boy, and then fitting dance in wherever I can.

“That usually means learning routines in any spare moment I get.

“It’s busy, but it’s something that’s completely mine and I love that balance.”