We offer a range
of classes in many subjects
Ballet
Musical Theatre
Street Dance
Tap
Lyrical & Contemporary
Modern Jazz
Acro
Ballet
Ballet serves as a backbone for many other styles of dance, as many other dance genres are based on ballet. Ballet is based on techniques that have been developed over centuries. Ballet uses music and dance to tell stories. Ballet through the study of our syllabus aims to improve the students technical knowledge and understanding and helps with posture and presentation.
Tap
Tap dancing is an exciting form of dance in which dancers wear special shoes equipped with metal taps. Tap dancers use their feet like drums to create rhythmic patterns and timely beats. The tap dance syllabus develops a strong tap technique with good posture and co-ordination.
Musical Theatre
Musical Theatre combines music, songs, spoken dialogue and dance. The varied emotional aspects of the production—humour, pathos, love, anger—as well as the story itself, are communicated through the words, music, dance, and staging of the entertainment as an integrated whole. Musical Theatre works, usually referred to as ``Musicals,`` are performed around the world.
Lyrical & Contemporary
Lyrical dancing is performed to music with lyrics to inspire movements to express strong feelings and emotions the choreographer feels from the lyrics in the chosen song. Because lyrical dancing focuses on the expression of strong emotion, the style concentrates more on individual approach and expressiveness than the precision of the dancer's movements.
Street Dance
Street Dance is an upbeat and fun style that follows the latest dancing trends. Highly energetic and exciting, street dance has become one of the most popular dance forms. All our classes are taught by professional dancers and choreographers.
Modern Jazz
Modern Jazz is where we learn how to kick, leap and turn like pros! Our modern jazz syllabus helps to develop co-ordination, sense of rhythm and musicality and improves strength and flexibility.
MEET OUR TEAM
Rachel Gilbert
Rachel graduated from Expressions Academy of Performing Arts in 2013. She completed a 3 Year Musical Theatre Course and has a Diploma in Performing Arts and a Diploma in Speech and Drama with Trinity Guildhall. She has also achieved a Level 4 Diploma in Dance Teaching with the IDTA. She is qualified in First Aid and Child Protection. Rachel Performed as a dancer in the 2012 London Olympic opening ceremony. She has also performed as a Dancer in the Bollywood film “Shaadi Ke Side Effects” in 2013 and she was assistant entertainment manager and dancer at the Louis Imperial Beach Resort Paphos, Cyprus in 2014. Rachel has had a lot of experience in teaching and started teaching professionally whilst at college. Since then she has enjoyed teaching an array of subjects including Hip Hop, Ballet, Modern Jazz, Tap, Lyrical, Drama and Musical Theatre. More recently, Rachel has become a full member of The British Theatre Dance Association, enabling her to enter students into ballet, tap and modern jazz exams. Rachel has also received her Acro qualifications through Acrotrix and is excited to bring this knowledge into her classes. She is thrilled to be taking the lead at Theatre Artz and is very thankful to Roz Clarke who has helped her achieve this.
Roz Clark
Roz is the founder of Theatre Artz and has been running the dance school in the local area for many years. She has a wealth of knowledge and experience within dance and has taught many successful students who have gone onto incredible careers in the arts. Roz teaches Ballet and Modern Jazz, but her passion and her forte is teaching tap! She is an established member of the BTDA and a fantastic and friendly teacher.
Natalie Halliday
Natalie went to University in Roehampton to do a dance degree and whilst she was there she obtained her teaching certificate in ballet with the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance. She did her PGCE in dance at Brighton University and has become a registered teacher member of the British Theatre Dance Association. She teaches in secondary education at Impington Village College, Cambridge, and for we are lucky enough to have her if we ever need a cover teacher or an extra pair of hands!
Olivia Drane
Olivia has been dancing for about 18 years. She started modern and tap at Theatre Artz and then progressed onto ballet, hip hop and later on I also started contemporary. She was teaching dance after school before she started her GCSE’s. She got an A* in dance at GCSE level which then allowed her to study dance, performing arts and English at Impington Village College for two years after she left school. From there she did a degree in Dance and Professional Practice at Bedfordshire University, where she graduated from in 2020. She then spent a year working towards her QTS (Qualified Teaching Status) where she did placements at 2 secondary schools in Peterborough. Olivia is now working full time at Bedford Academy as a performing arts teacher and we are very lucky to have her at Theatre Artz, passing on her vast knowledge of dance!
Katie Exton-Barnett
Katie has been dancing since the age of 3 in all different genres and completed her professional training in 2022 at Stageworks Studios. Alongside her professional training she gained her teaching qualifications with Acrobatic Arts and the IDTA in Ballet and Contemporary Modern Jazz. She is qualified in first aid, safeguarding and fully DBS checked. Katie is passionate about teaching the next generation of dancers and a wonderful addition to the Theatre Artz team!