Tom Shilcock

Tom Shilcock

Age: 23

From: Leicester

Friendly and easygoing tap dancer with his own performing arts school

Tom began dancing at 16 practicing jazz, tap, ballet and commercial. Although he doesn’t mind admitting he took lessons to meet girls, Tom soon found he loved dance, and at 19, was awarded a scholarship to Laine Theatre Arts, where he added contemporary, musical theatre singing and drama to his studies.

Whilst at Laine, Tom danced on stage with Meat Loaf and Jamelia in the Royal Variety performance and considers this a real career highlight. He dreams of touring with big names as a backing dancer.

Along with his two best friends, Tom is currently running dancing and singing workshops for children at his own performing arts school, Next Generation Performing Arts, in Leicester.

Tom says he is his own worst critic, but feels this will help him focus and push himself in the competition.

Although he’s trained in multiple styles of dance, Tom is a tapper at heart and wants to raise the genre’s profile on the show. “I want to show boys it’s cool to dance” he says.