A beloved dance teacher who made a difference to the lives of hundreds of pupils will never be forgotten.

Sidmouth Herald: Angela was a professional dancer when she was a young woman.Angela was a professional dancer when she was a young woman. (Image: Archant)

Tributes from people across the country have been pouring in since the death of 73-year-old Angela Rose, the founder of Finch School of Dancing.

Angela, who died on July 22, lived in Sidmouth for 30 years before she moved to Whimple a couple of years ago.

The mother-of-two was born in Matlock, in Derbyshire and fell in love with dancing at the age of six.

In 1961, she became a professional dancer and worked with many stars of the ’60s, including Tommy Steele, Bernie Winters, Danny La Rue, Anton Dolin and Cliff Richard.

After meeting her husband Michael Rose and having two daughters, Lucy and Julie, Angela taught extensively in London and launched a dance school in Hampshire.

Then after ten years, her and her family decided to up sticks and moved to Sidmouth.

Angela took a break from teaching before she later founded the Finch School of Dancing, which was based in Honiton before it eventually moved to Ottery St Mary.

Angela taught hundreds of people from across Sidmouth, West Hill, Feniton, Hontion and Ottery during her time as a teacher. Her daughter Lucy took the school over in 1999, but her mum continued to teach until she retired in 2010.

As well as this, Angela also choreographed countless amateur operatic shows and pantomimes in Sidmouth, Honiton, Teignmouth, Seaton and Stourhead. Her last production was the Sidmouth pantomime Sleeping Beauty in 2005.

Lucy, 48, said: “She loved her family and liked to spend time with her four grandchildren especially.

“After my mum retired, she liked to go on holiday with her husband and had a campervan at one point – they used to go to Scotland and Canada quite a lot.

“She was happiest when she had her grandchildren around her.

“My mum was very well known and had a huge influence on so many people. I have had so many messages from people saying so many wonderful things about her. I have heard from people she knew when she lived in Hampshire, almost 40 years ago, wanting to say what a big influence she had on their lives - teaching them to dance and helping them make lifelong friends.

“I know everyone says it about their mum, but she was truly special - everybody loved her. She had an air of grace about her that made everybody take notice. She would turn heads when she walked in the room and was a natural teacher.

“Her pupils have all said how much they learnt from her, from teaching them how to dance, poise, respect and to never give up and keep trying.

“She just had a love for passing on her talents and teaching children to dance.”