The Performance Platform Summer School

Confidence and dealing with nerves – this is such a vital skill in itself and rarely gets “taught”.

Without the ability to control nerves; all those years of striving for technical perfection can’t be displayed as nerves can totally undermine even a seasoned professional!

Have your legs ever let you down just when you needed them most? Then this is the course for you!!

Mindset and visualisation – life skills as well as an essential ballet dancer’s tool to greatness.

This will be explored within all classes.

Solos and performances – daily coaching in all competition listed solos including performances to peers and parents. Its only through practise that dancers can harness their nerves and control them enough to turn nerves in to strength.

Acting for dancers – How do you portray a role? Enjoy exploring how to realistically deliver a character or meaning of a solo.

Dynamics/Musicality/Artistry- whilst daily ballet classes and solos will be taught the focus of the entire week is on these absolutely essential skills that separate the true artist from the gymnast or sports person.

You may have heard of the debate; is ballet a sport or an artform?

Well; I defy any audience to enjoy high kicks and multiple pirouettes without those 3 key elements. That’s what makes ballet truly special; unique to each dancer and an artform that is both as deeply fulfilling to watch as it is to perform.

How does your aspiring dancer stand out in today’s world of gravity defying tricks – ARTISTRY.

Join us for a week of pure indulgence in everything that makes ballet great.

Each of the 4 groups will cover all the relevant solos listed on the competition criteria setting them up for the next round as well exposing them to “company style” coaching sessions that pick through every detail.

Even if you won’t be entering the competition the study of these solos will enhance the dancers skillset immensely and open their eyes to a whole world of learning that is essential across their training.

Being coached in this way is a very necessary skill and vital to understanding how to thrive in a company environment; No dancer can ever be too young to learn the art of attention to detail!

It’s different to learning a solo on mass and “having a go” – the dancers will be coached in each solo and will then step up and perform it to the class. Peer and teacher feedback will then further enhance their training and understanding of what’s noticeable and why.

Teachers for 2023 were:

Yosvanio Ramos (RB, BRB, YBSS teacher as well as fabulous Cuban trained principal dancer)

Joshua Barwick (Elmhurst upper sixth teacher/Wayne McGregor dancer))

Joel Morris (RBS Associate cover)

Emma Northmore (Artistic Director)

And our very special guest awaiting confirmation from Boston Ballet – Taina Morales!

Super star teacher and mum of Caesar Corrales. Exciting!!

This course was extermely well received and certainly fills a void in both training and style of courses on offer. Totally unique! So miuch growth was seen in one week - an extremely posotove experience for all involved.

2024 teachers wil be:

Joshua Barwick (Elmhusrt Upper School teacher)

Emma Harris (assistat repetiteur and coach, previoulsy West End Star and trained at The Royal Ballet School)

Emma Northmore (Artistic Director)

Katie Deacon  (West End star and Ballet teacher)

Liesl Dowsett  (Ballet dancer, West End performer, now a PBT and ballet teacher)

Special Guests Schedule permitting - Erina Takahashi and James Streeter of English National Ballet Company!