ALL
ABOUTJAYNE MARIE DANCING SCHOOL
ALL
ABOUT
JAYNE MARIE DANCING SCHOOL
Formed in 1983, the Jayne Marie Dancing School
gives children throughout Dacorum the chance to learn and enjoy many different
types of dancing, as well as gaining the self confidence which comes from
appearing in front of an audience. The school's principal, Jayne Wilson,
who lives in Hemel Hempstead, trained at Norwood Green Academy in west London,
and Harrison College Watford. She has extensive experience with the
British Arts Association and is an examiner.
Classes are held on most days of the week by Miss
Wilson and her team of qualified teachers. These are held at Sunnyside
Church Hall (Berkhamsted) which has been the school's main centre for the past
22 years, Gable Hall - Berkhamsted, Potten End First School, and at the Woodhall Farm Community Centre.
Singing classes are held at Boxmoor Playhouse.
At the heart of the school's activities is
classical ballet. Children are taught the basic positions and movements from the
age of three, progressing through the various grades until, usually as
teenagers, they display all the characteristics of dancers in the country's
leading ballet companies. For those children who wish to progress through
the school, examinations are conducted annually.
The school follows the 'Imperial Society of
Teachers Dancing' for ballet and tap (for Intermediate
students) and in the British Arts Association
medal tests for tap, modern & drama.
Although children are encouraged to adopt a serious
and 'professional' approach to dancing, the school's ethic is that, above all,
they should enjoy themselves. They can achieve this in classical ballet
and by expressing themselves in other forms of dancing - mainly modern and tap, from the age of
four onwards. Classes are offered in each of
these as well as in drama and singing.
They learn in groups but an annual choreography competition enables them to perform on their own or in a duet. For those with a particular aptitude, there are categories for character, dramatic art, mime, singing, and entertainment. Pupils can also compete in the annual British Arts competition against pupils from other schools, culminating in the finals held in London.
JMDS has an excellent record over the past 24 years in this national
competition. Many children have reached the finals, with several gaining
the gold medal notably 7 year old Alex Bird who, in 1996, won an unprecedented
six gold medals and 'Best All-Round Performer' award in the 'Baby' age group. In
1999 her 11 year-old sister, Lauren, won the Intermediate Novice 'Best All-Round
Performer' trophy after four 1st places, one 2nd, and first in a ballet duet
with Alex.
(Left) Lauren & Alex Bird - click to enlarge
Jayne Wilson has twice won the coveted British Arts 'Teacher of the Year' award, in 1997 and 1999 and was runner-up in 2004 and again in 2005, based on the performances of pupils, both in competitions and exams. JMDS has also won the British Arts trophy, three times, for the best show staged by any school over the previous year. In 1993 it won with the Nutcracker, and in 1996 and 2006 for its staging of the 'Wonderful Land of Oz. 'Oz' was the school's first full-scale production in which every pupil in the school - that's over 200 children - took part. It played to packed houses at each of the four performances in the 500 seat theatre of Berkhamsted Girls School and received critical acclaim from the Arts Editor of the Hemel Hempstead Gazette. In February 1998 and 2002 productions of 'The Nutcracker' marked the 15th & 20th anniversaries of the school's foundation. In those years when such major productions are not attempted, presentation shows are staged comprising a mix of group and solo/duet dances, enabling the students to gain confidence from appearing in front of a large audience.
Individual excellence is encouraged to enable students to fulfil their dreams
of a career on the stage wherever possible. Ten pupils have been accepted for
vocational & academic training by the Arts Educational School in Tring. One
pupil, Joanne Stobbs, was awarded a place in the Junior Associate programme run
by the Royal Ballet School, while Lauren & Alex Bird both won
scholarships
for the Sylvia Young Theatre School and were head girls, probably the country's leading
children's school for
the performing arts. Before leaving JMDS for Sylvia Young, Lauren & Alex
appeared regularly in West End musicals; Alex playing the part of Tommy and
her
sister Lauren was in the cast of Showboat. Both girls played the part of the
young Cosette in Les Miserables and two parts, Charity and Brat, in Whistle Down
the Wind. Former head girl, Jo Redburn (pictured right), went on to train at the Laine
Theatre Arts in Surrey and has since undertaken engagements in South Africa,
Sweden and on an American cruise ship. She also won leading roles in the UK
tours of 42nd Street and appeared with Shane Ritchie in Boogie Nights, on tour
and in the West End.