University of Gloucestershire student Amy Barker won gold at the Dance World Cup in the senior small group tap category in Burgos, Spain, this Summer.
In her third time on the world stage, Barker and her team from the Sophie Dee School of Dance scored a near-perfect score of 91.8%.
“Honestly, when we were dancing it, we were just taking the mick,” admitted the gold medallist.
“Our choreographer, Ollie, said to us ‘If you’re not coming off the stage laughing you haven’t done enough. You’ve got to be goofy.’”
“So we all thought, we’re going to full send it.
“If they (the audience) don’t find it funny, at least we have, and we’ve have given it our all.”
After competing in an impressive 14 routines in her previous two World Cup appearances, Barker’s week was a little less hectic third time around.
Talking through the week Barker laughed about her time in Spain.
“It was a funny week, I was only in two dances, and they were both on the first day.
“So I had people saying to me ‘As if you’ve flown to Spain, won a gold medal on your first day, and now get to have a week on holiday ahead of you’. It was the plan all along.”
With her third appearance at Dance World Cup finished, the University of Gloucestershire dancer admitted she will not return to the world stage.
“It is my last one,” she said.
“My dance teacher has asked me to go back but it’s my final year at university and I’ve taken on the marketing secretary and two choreographing roles at the university dance team, so I simply do not have the time.
“I am currently on the list for hip surgery too, so I don’t think I can do the university dance competitions and Varsity and then have to put my everything into the Dance World Cup again.
“I don’t think my body could physically do it. I’m putting myself first.”
Speaking more on her mindset and mental health, the UoG dance marketing secretary spoke how campaigns have helped spread the awareness on mental health.
“I know mental health awareness means a lot to many of our members including myself, so I wanted to do a campaign to get people talking.
“We landed on the Hello Yellow campaign and created a series of posts that led up to all the university clubs combining to make a video wearing yellow to show their support.”
“It was so cute to edit that end video with all the clubs. It wasn’t even for the publicity for us. It was about showing everyone, especially the first years that we, in different clubs, are supporting these messages.”
Speaking on her own mental health journey, Barker said campaigns like these have made her realise how far she’s come with speaking out.
“These campaigns are so good because I was at a point where I’d never speak about that part of myself.
“Now I’ve been so open talking to the first years when they’ve been saying they’re anxious.”
Now a mentor to the younger members, Barker’s advice was clear.
“I’ve told them just to get involved. Being a part of a club is so nice as it’s something away from your uni work.
“A group sport is particularly good because it’s a place to go and speak to people while staying active.
“I want the first years to leave their first year the same way I left last year: thinking ‘wow that was the best year of my life’ because of dance.”
