How did it all start?

[theThirdMan]

My DS started dancing at his local primary school when he was 8, where he attended a rhythmical gymnastics club. At the time Leicester/Leicestershire Education Authority used to operate 'Arts in Education' from an ex local authority school in Leicester which had been running from the early fifties. At this facility children where invited to participate in outside school time activities including dance, drama, choir and musical instrument training (I believe this was the only such facility operated by a local education authority in the country, but with the financial constraints it was closed last year).

 

Anyway, when my DS was 9, Arts in Education employed a new ballet teacher, Graham Fletcher, who is an ex Royal Ballet Principal dancer. To encourage children to dance Graham attended local primary schools and invited children with specific dance potential to attend his 'Dance Activate' evening and weekend classes at the Arts in Education school. It was during one of his visits to see a rhythmical gymnastics class that he invited my DS to attend Dance Activate.

 

My DS progressed to Graham's dedicated ballet classes where he was encouraged to apply for RBS junior associates and subsequently he gained a place at the RBS, finally graduating from the Upper School and a contract with a European ballet company.

 

Although the local authority facility has closed, Graham has continued his work in Leicester via his own community interest company (I can post a link to his web site if that is ok).

Edited June 11, 2012 by theThirdMan

[lisadebs]

For my eldest DD – dancing round the room to the soundtrack from the ‘Muppet Movie’ and endless improvised performances of ‘Peter and the Wolf'

 

Middle DD – fell in love with a gold tutu when she was two and a half and rarely wore anything thing else until she went to school (tutu, wellies and leggings being a classic combination)

 

Youngest DD – tolerated ballet initially because sometimes she ‘got to be a giraffe’, hated pink, and looked horrified when they were told in their first RBS JA class that they would be getting 'homework' – strangely enough, she’s the one who’s ended up at vocational ballet school

Edited June 12, 2012 by lisadebs

[theThirdMan]

...just as a follow-up to my post above, this is the link to Graham Fletcher's web-site so that you can see what he is trying to achieve within the community, there is a local summer school this year that might be of interest to some:

 

http://www.danceactivate.co.uk

Edited June 13, 2012 by theThirdMan