Ten on Tuesday No 29

This week it's the turn of Emma who you can find on twitter as @yoga_emma

1. Who are you & what do you do?

I’m Emma. I live in Ipswich with my husband and my one year old daughter. As it is for most parents, life has changed rather a lot since becoming a mum. I used to work in the arts and originally trained as a dancer but now I’m a stay at home mum and I also teach yoga. I have been training to be a yoga teacher for the last 3 years and will qualify in December and have now been teaching for nearly a year.

On top of that I have developed a recent addiction to crochet, and I tweet rather a lot. I have recently started to blog a bit, just about my yoga classes so far and you can read it on my website www.yogaemma.com

2.How did you get started?

Well I always danced. I studied contemporary dance at Uni and that’s when I first did some yoga. After University I worked at DanceEast for five years and it was during my time there that I did a lot of yoga and I decided to do the British Wheel of Yoga foundation course and after that the teaching diploma. What has been exciting is that the more I have studied yoga the more I have come to love it and in recent months it has been really exciting to begin forming links between my dance training and yoga, particularly in establishing how I want to teach as I use a lot of contemporary dance principles in my yoga teaching but also in terms of clarifying how useful yoga can be for dancers and training dancers.

3.Who has inspired you most in life?

This is a very tricky one as I honestly can’t think of someone in particular. I have a tendency to go through phases of being really inspired by a person or thing and I will read loads about it and then twitter will suggest someone else interesting! My current ‘thing’ is Elizabeth Taylor. I adored the documentary that was on the other week about her diamond collection and just found her approach to life so admirable. She also had fabulous eyebrows, I aspire to have her eyebrows.

4.Do you have a favourite holiday destination?

I’m going to be cheeky and have two. Cornwall and Dubai. Since I met my husband (nearly 10 years ago, gosh I feel old) we’ve spent a lot of time in Cornwall, particularly camping in Porthcothan. We have had lots of good times there with friends and family so it will always be a special place. Dubai is my other favourite because my Dad moved there to work three years ago and since then we have been twice. I love the atmosphere, it’s so multicultural and cosmopolitan but relaxed and easy, there is no crime and life is all about having a good time. I especially love that it feels very easy to have glamorous holiday there!

5.Which 4 people, dead or alive, would you invite to dinner and why?

Now, if the question had been for 5 people I would have just put Take That, but I shall try and put a few more sophisticated choices!

The first one has to be Robbie Williams. I have a lifelong mild obsession. That’s all that needs to be said.

Michelle Obama, she just strikes me as a perfect dinner guest, cultural and political, a good mum, can appreciate a good pair of shoes. I think I would really enjoy a good chat with her.

Claudia Winkleman, because she has good make up, but also because she knows about things I love: dance, shoes, films and the arts. And she’s funny and is already my bff because she tweeted me once.

And finally Jerome Robbins, director and choreographer of West Side Story, my favourite film. But also because he worked with everyone important in dance and musicals at such an important time.

6.Who makes you laugh most?

My husband and my daughter, every single day. I think they will be a double act when she gets a bit older.

7.Who do you turn to for advice?

My husband, but also my girlfriends. Every week me and my four best girls have dinner, we take it in turns to cook and that guaranteed girly time every week is so needed.

8.Describe yourself in 5 words

Supple, honest, reliable, organised (most of the time) and sensible (I’m not always convinced that that’s a good thing).

9.If you won £1million what you spend it on?

Mine, my family and my friends mortgages. Not having a mortgage sets you up for life.

10.What was the best gift you’ve ever received?

Surprise tickets to see Take That live for the first time last year. My husband knows the way to my heart. He bought me a nice engagement ring once too ;-)