Keighley’s longest serving dance teacher has retired after more than four decades leading classes.

But Elsie Scott is refusing to hang up her dancing shoes despite stepping down at the age of 77. She will become a student at one of the classes she used to teach at the Irene Ogden School of Dance.

The class is now being led by Elsie’s former assistant Katharine Hickman, who last month took over the school.

Elsie’s classmates in the adult tap group include several women who she originally taught as children.

Elsie, of Bradford Road, Riddlesden, began dance lessons at the Irene Ogden school when she was seven years old and rose to become a teenage assistant. When Irene died in 1964 Elsie took over the school, keeping her mentor’s name, and also took over as Keighley Amateurs’ choreographer.

Katharine also joined the school at the age of seven, helping as a teenager and qualifying as Elsie’s assistant about 20 years ago.

Katharine has performed for many years in Keighley Amateurs, where she uses her maiden name Major.

Elsie retired from the dance school at the end of last year but returned last month for a presentation by friends and pupils’ parents.

Elsie now intends to spend more time with her family but would like to keep involved with the school in addition to joining the tap class.

She said: “I’ve known a lot of the students since they were very young in Keighley Amateurs. I have tap danced since I was four years old. Going back years as a young dancer I never really intended to teach but I had assisted Irene for many years.

The school, which is keeping its name, also moved from its long-time base in Hanover Street. It is now in East Parade, in a first-floor studio previously used by the late Keighley dance teacher Pat Roberts.

Katharine said she had spent six months refurbishing the studio in readiness for last month’s move. The school runs children’s classes in ballet, tap, modern and dance and acrobatics. Katharine can be contacted on 01535 669700 or 07990 596594.