Performances, Festivals and Competitions
Open Afternoons/Evenings
These are normally held the week before an examination session and/or towards the end of term as advised. This gives parents the opportunity to come and enjoy watching their child and to observe their progress.
Family, friends and prospective pupils are also very welcome to watch these classes. Please contact us to find out when the Open Days are being held.
Performances
Shows are staged every 2 or 3 years and are designed to complement and extend class work in a theatrical setting. Pupils are taught elements of stagecraft, they learn to perform with confidence in front of an audience and they gain an appreciation of the discipline required to be a working artist in the theatre. Participation is optional. Most of the rehearsals take place in normal class time.
Previous shows have been held at the Ben Travers Theatre, Epsom Playhouse, Leatherhead Theatre and the Rhoda McGaw Theatre.
Festivals and Competitions
The school provides opportunities for pupils to improve their performance skills by entering groups in selected festivals. These are run at various local and regional venues throughout the year. Participation in the festival groups, through open auditions within the school, requires a commitment to attend all scheduled rehearsals, pre-festival polishing, attending the festival(s) themselves as well as practicing at home.
The school also holds workshops and in-house choreographic competitions.
Auditions
Every encouragement and help with preparations is given to those students who wish to audition for vocational dance schools and colleges, external dance productions, pantomimes, summer schools and workshops.
Pupil Achievements
A number of pupils have gone on to vocational training at London Studio Centre, Doreen Bird College, Laine Theatre Arts, SLP (Leeds), Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts, Bodyworks, Tring Park, Legat School and Guildford School of Acting and have since enjoyed successful dance careers.
Some have participated in dance productions of English Youth Ballet (Coppelia, Nutcracker, Swan Lake), Surrey Youth Ballet and pantomimes at Dorking Halls and Yvonne Arnaud Theatre.
Many pupils have also used their dance and choreographic skills in school and local drama productions (Surrey Youth Theatre, Yvonne Arnaud youth groups, Nomads, Whippets, etc.)