"I started at Merrylands on Woodville Road," Tracey said. "My mum took me there because I had turned in feet . . . to help turn them out."

After 32 years teaching physie in Greystanes and Glenhaven, Mrs Henwood is pleased by changes set for 2012.

The Australian Dance and Physie Association launched on January 14, with a new syllabus which aims to bridge the gap between physie and dance.

Mrs Henwood is on the advisory committee of the association and said all involved are excited by the new direction for the sport, which combines exercises and dance to promote flexibility, strength and control. "The new syllabus was actually created by trained choreographers," Mrs Henwood said.

"It's more energetic, the dances are more modern and the syllabus flows more. The actual growth of ADPA has been double what we thought it would be in the first year.

"I think with the new association what I find exciting is that the teachers have a voice in the way it is run and the direction the sport will take, and that we have an independent board to run the business side of ADPA."

Then there's the family oriented nature of the sport. Mrs Henwood teaches students of all ages and she said people were often drawn to doing dance without the same expense.

"Physie is a form of exercise and dance all rolled into one," she said.

"We do marching, warm up exercises, ballet routines, floor routines similar to gymnastics and we do everything in bare feet."

Details: Tracey, 9629 4415, theglenhavenclub@gmail.com. Australian Physie and Dance, physieanddance.com.au.