It’s not always easy to persuade teenage boys to take on dance and performing arts – despite the success of West End musical Billy Elliot.

But teacher Tannis Kelley’s ability to coax them into the dance studio has led to her being named Kent’s top drama teacher.

In just over two years at Greenacre Academy, she has taken over the existing music department and set up a performing arts school introducing both stage and dance to the curriculum.

As well as being named the county’s best drama teacher, she was also won the top Medway secondary title in the Kent Teacher of the Year Awards.

Her first major task was win over the young lads, most of whom would have preferred to kick a ball around the school field, with the idea that treading the light fantastic was not exclusively for girls.

Mrs Kelley, 47, said: “This was a much harder challenge than I had expected. Not only did I have to convince the students that dancing was a great idea for boys, but I also had to convince their parents too.

“However, not one to give up too easily, I managed to win the boys over and within only a few months, I had established a boys’ dance crew and found whatever opportunities I could to get them to perform.”

Six months in, Mrs Kelley, mum to two teenage girls, introduced a talent show at the school in Walderslade Road, Chatham, and sure enough, more boys “came out of the woodwork” wanting to sing, dance and act.

She said: “It proved to those who may have doubted boys doing performing arts at first, that it had a truly valuable place within the curriculum.

“It offers them a creative outlet, building on their own skills for life, creative team working, building confidence and self-esteem as well as being able to take on board constructive criticism positively.”

The all-male troupe has gone from strength to strength and they have twice won the Meway Dance Fusion Festival staged at the school.

They carry out workshops and work-outs at primary schools across Medway including those within the academy trust .

They work closely with children at Warren Wood Primary in Rochester where they have helped them put on popular shows for parents.

Mrs Kelley said: “I was completely shocked to have been nominated let alone win the awards.

“But it is really lovely to think that all the hard work and commitment that myself and all teachers put in to our work to enable students to have different opportunities and to develop in to confident young people is all worthwhile. It really is a very rewarding job.”