Buckingham Dance Studios

General information

With studios in Paignton (at the rear of Littlegate Road, Paignton, Devon TQ3 3AZ) and Totnes (Chapel House Studios, Station Road, Totnes, Devon TQ9 5HW), the team of experienced ex-professional dancers strive to give every child from 2 years old and upwards, the guidance, support and confidence they need to realise their dreams in the world of dance.

The accessibility of Paignton and Totnes reduces travel time and multiple studios keep classes small allowing better pupil teacher ratios. Classes are also duplicated but at different times of the week making more classes accessible to more children and accommodating hectic family life.

A child’s confidence grows with their ability and the experience of the teaching staff is key when encouraging a reluctant child who can’t quite bring themselves to join in. The school caters for all abilities and where a child wishes to compete, a structured school year involves a spring term that focuses on festival practice in preparation for local and national competitions. Festivals are a small part of the overall activity of the school which teaches Royal Academy of Dance (RAD), Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD) and British Ballet Organisation (BBO) curriculums and the end of the summer term sees the progress of the children being assessed by external examiners before the summer break.

A summer school is another annual event where the school hosts external teachers from current West End shows or academic institutions. The summer school provides an opportunity for the children to enrich their knowledge and be taught by professional dancers.

The winter term focuses on preparing the children for what has become the most enjoyable event of the school year – for the parents as well as the children; the annual show performed shortly before Christmas at the Princess Theatre, Torquay. The show treats the children to the thrill of performing in front of a large audience. The performances also show case their work and affords the school the opportunity to celebrate their achievements. It is a hugely popular event featuring a classical ballet (such as ‘Coppelia’ or ‘The Nutcracker’) followed by a tribute to a popular contemporary vocal artist or artists and features music that allows the children to show their modern ballet, tap, contemporary and commercial dance skills.

A thriving, growing school where the child comes first, http://www.buckinghamdancestudios.com always strives to achieve it’s underlying goal of the pursuit of ‘excellence in dance’.