Buckingham Dance Studio

Welcome to Buckingham Dance Studio

Buckingham Dance Studios has two studios situated in Torquay and Paignton, classes are held daily for Adults as well as children starting from as young as two years. Subjects include RAD Ballet, ISTD Modern, Tap and Jazz, Freestyle Street Jazz/Hip Hop and Musical Theatre Workshop/Singing and Vocal training. Pupils may take examinations in all these disciplines if they wish to.

Recent pictures from the schools bi-annual show at The Princess Theatre, Torquay of the Ballet “Coppelia” featuring National Dance Circle Award winner Brad Corben as Dr. Coppelius and Elizabeth Thorpe as Swanilda.
The second half of the show “That’s Entertainment” featured all the Modern, Tap, Jazz and Musical Theatre numbers. These groups are entered for The All England bi-annual Dance Festival held in London 2007.

Festivals and Competitions
The school encourages pupils to take part in three South West dance festivals each year, which qualify for the local semi-finals and London finals. There are also classes available for novice competitors (children who have never danced or competed on stage before) in Ballet, Modern, Tap, Song & Dance solos, duets, trios and group dances. The three festivals are Exeter Festival of Performing Arts held at The Barnfield Theatre, Exeter in February half term, The Torbay & South West of England Festival held at The Palace Theatre Paignton over Easter and The City of Plymouth Festival Held at The Atheonium Theatre in Plymouth at the end of July.

Janet Cram Awards
We also enter pupils for the Janet Cram Modern dance Awards each year. The semi-finals are held in Swindon and those who qualify will dance in London. Former pupil Kerry-Anne O’Brien who went on to The Royal Ballet Upper School won the Premier section in 2004 and James Mackie who went on to train at Laine Theatre Arts won the Boys Cup in 2006. This year the school has five pupils through to the London finals.

Fontene Nureyev Young Dancer of the Year Awards.
The School has also enjoyed enormous success with pupils entered for this new and very prestigious award. In 2006 pupils from Buckingham Dance Studios won three out of the four places available for dancers from the South (from Bristol down). The finals were held at The Lowry Centre, Manchester. Oliver Taylor pictured receiving his award from Dame Antoinette Sibley won the Junior section and Matilda Naylor came runner up in the Senior section.

West End Staring Role for pupil
Oliver Taylor pictured here is now in his fifth month of rehearsals in the title role of the hit West End Musical “Billy Elliot”, he opens in June and the school is planning a coach trip up to see him once he settles into the role.

Graduates from Buckingham Dance Studios
2001 Helen Collins scholarship to Bird College of Performing Arts
2001 Adam French scholarship to Bird College of Performing Arts
2001 Claire Edworthy scholarship to Bird College of Performing Arts
2003 Lucy O’Neill scholarship to Performers College
2004 Sophie Gilbert scholarship to Tring Park Arts Educational
2004 Kerr-Anne O’Brien scholarship to The Royal Ballet Upper School
2004 Anna Shircliff scholarship to Elmhurst Birmingham Royal Ballet
2005 Emily Gilbert scholarship to Tring Park Arts Educational
2005 Laura Pinsent scholarship to Tring Park Arts Educational
2005 Hannah Evans scholarship to Laine Theatre Arts
2006 James Mackie scholarship to Laine Theatre Arts
2007Eleanor Sharpe scholarship to English National Ballet School

Royal Ballet Associate programme
The school also encourages pupils to audition for The Royal Ballet Outreach Programme, which enables children from age nine to sixteen can travel to Bristol or London to attend classes with members and ex members of The Royal Ballet Company.
Buckingham Dance Studios currently has nine pupils involved in all three levels Junior Associate, Mid Associate and Senior Associate.

But you don’t have to be an expert or a budding ballerina to join Buckingham Dance Studios with plenty of Modern, Tap, Jazz and Street Jazz style classes. It’s a fun way for your children to exercise and be a part of something they will remember all their lives.

The Teaching Staff
All the staff at Buckingham Dance Studios are fully qualified registered members of The Royal Academy of Dance and The Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance, all of the senior members of staff have had professional dance careers in Ballet Companies throughout the world and the West End in hit London Musicals.

Guest teachers include Antony Dowson who is currently head of Dance at The English National Ballet School and former pupil Lauren Cuthbertson who is currently First Soloist with The Royal Ballet Company Covent Garden.