Performance Academy

January marked a vibrant and exciting return to the Academy. It was brilliant to welcome our new and returning students to our home in The Avenue Arts Centre! It’s amazing to see our studios buzzing with life, fun, and friendships being formed and strengthened. The one thing that unites us all is our passion for musical theatre, and it’s wonderful to see our students working hard to achieve a shared goal. Our Junior Performance Academy have started their rehearsals for Newsies Jr., getting into the characters incredibly well. Their energy and enthusiasm are second to none, and they are taking new learning, including direction, music, and choreography, in their stride. Every week is incredibly busy but our Juniors are more than capable to learn this fast-paced show in the time they have! Following the Christmas break, the Senior Academy hit the ground running. We had set ourselves the near impossible task of learning the music, choreography, and dialogue of the musical Sister Act in just two months. However, we clearly underestimated our amazing students, and we are now well on the way to producing another amazing Academy show. This has required significant commitment from the students, especially at a time of year when winter illnesses are prevalent. However, all of our students are not just rising to the challenge; they are putting principles into practice by putting in extra time when needed, arriving early on Saturday for extra rehearsals, and, in some cases, offering to give up their Friday night. We have no doubt that all the hard work they are putting in will pay off when both shows hit the stage in March. Make sure you get your tickets for these incredible shows to enjoy truly out-of-this-world performances!

Training Academy

Dance

January was an exciting and energetic month, filled with a vibrant mix of jazz and tap. We were delighted to welcome lots of new students who experienced tap for the very first time. It’s been fantastic to see their confidence grow each week as they developed their rhythm, coordination, and understanding of basic steps. The enthusiasm in the tap classes has been wonderful, creating a fun and supportive atmosphere for everyone. In jazz, we focused on combinations and targeted exercises designed to enhance technique and build strength. Dancers worked on improving posture, flexibility, and control, with particular attention given to kicks and corner turns. Across the floor, students practised travelling combinations that challenged their balance, precision, and performance quality. It’s been great to see their hard work paying off as they become sharper, stronger, and more confident in their movement.

Music

This term, I decided to set the students a creative challenge. I split everyone into small groups and asked them to create their own version of Welcome to the Rock from Come From Away. Each group had to select a director, choreographer, and musical director, and then interpret the piece in their own way. It has been fascinating to observe each group and see how differently they approach the same material. A range of qualities have already started to emerge, including leadership, teamwork, and organisational skills, which we will continue to develop as we move forward. The winning group will have the opportunity to perform their piece at our end-of-year showcase and will be selected over the next few weeks.

Drama

It was amazing to welcome our Training Academy students back in January, and what better way to start the term than with Shakespeare! During the first two weeks, students explored Shakespearean monologues, with our Juniors working on Romeo and Juliet and our Seniors delving into Hamlet. We focused on how to break these monologues down and perform them with truth and clarity. The students were fantastic and rose to the challenge of Shakespeare’s language, discovering that the themes he writes about are just as relevant and apparent today as they were hundreds of years ago. We then took a week’s break from Shakespeare to explore theatre etiquette, which brought lots of laughs and fun along the way. This allowed us to look closely at the importance of teamwork and communication, particularly when organising and working in backstage spaces. We are now back to Shakespeare, with the Juniors exploring The Tempest and the Seniors continuing their work on Hamlet. Over the coming weeks, students will investigate a range of themes within these texts, take part in ensemble-building exercises to help tell the story, and work on selected pieces of text to perform.

Junior Prep & Pre-Prep

This month, we were thrilled to welcome both new and returning students back to Junior and Pre-Prep as we embarked on our exciting new adventure with Annie Kids! Rehearsals are already off to an incredible start, and our students have completely blown us away with their boundless energy and enthusiasm. So far, we’ve been developing our acting, dancing, and singing skills through our rehearsals. The students have been busy blocking scenes and dances, learning lines, and mastering lyrics, all while exploring their characters and creating unique personalities for the roles they play. A big focus has been on building confidence, encouraging strong character choices, and helping each student truly take ownership of their role. Their dedication and commitment to learning continue to inspire us as teachers, and it’s a joy to see their skills in acting, singing, and dancing grow week by week. We cannot wait for audiences to experience our production of Annie Kids. With their hard work, magical energy, and incredible talent, our students are sure to blow the house down! 2026 has certainly started with a BANG!

The Diploma in January

The Diploma in January

As we enter the new year, we are now in the final stages of preparation for the upcoming Diploma exam. The students have worked incredibly hard and have fully embraced the musical guidance given to them, showing real maturity and commitment to refining their performances. We have been recording their run-throughs, allowing each student to review their work independently before coming together as a group to reflect. These discussions focus on celebrating strengths while clearly identifying areas to develop for the following week, creating a constructive and supportive rehearsal environment. We are currently gearing up towards the exam by finalising script edits and sharpening the overall structure of the piece. A strong emphasis has been placed on understanding the exam format and the expectations of the examiner, ensuring that every performance choice is purposeful and polished. Together, we are shaping a comprehensive 25-minute one-man show that flows seamlessly, demonstrating range, characterisation, technical control, and storytelling ability. Alongside exam preparation, we continue to enjoy working through musical numbers, giving different students the opportunity to lead sessions. This not only builds confidence and leadership skills but also highlights their strong natural abilities. It is exciting to see their potential developing, with many showing the capability to work both on and off stage in the future. We would wholeheartedly recommend this course to anyone considering it, as it truly nurtures talent, independence, and professionalism.

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