We offer expert tuition in classical ballet from 3 years old to adult.
Pre-school, Pre-primary & Primary | RAD Grade 1 to 8 | RAD Vocational grades | Adult Ballet | Contemporary | One to ones private coaching
Pre-school, Pre-primary & Primary
For our younger members the emphasis in our classes is very much on building confidence and engaging each child’s imagination in a nurturing environment. We do this by helping our dancers to feel comfortable expressing themselves and encouraging them to take their first ballet steps. We gradually build complexity into the classes. However there are no exams at this stage. The girls wear a bespoke white ballet dress, unique to the school, and of course the prerequisite ballet shoes, to help your child feel special! For the boys, blue shorts and a white t-shirt help them to move about freely.
“ After six wonderful years at Janie Harris School of Dance my daughters says, ‘I loved it then and I love it now!’ The teaching is outstanding in addition to the highest level of care for all of the dancers. She has danced with the English Youth Ballet, attended trips to see The Royal Ballet, and performed in the school’s fantastic production of Alice in Wonderland! Elizabeth and her team are always there to give advice, encouragement and support along the way. I couldn’t recommend Janie Harris School of Dance highly enough! ”
Amy, mother of Charlotte
Royal Academy Of Dance Grades 1-8
When children are ready they move into grade 1 and then make progress through preparation of the Royal Academy of Dance grade syllabus up to grade 8. The RAD was founded in 1920 and has grown to be an international organisation at the leading edge of dance training. Its Patron is Queen Elizabeth II and the President is Darcey Bussell. The majority of our students do take part in RAD exams with a 100% success rate, many with Distinction!
Vocational Syllabus
For students who are particularly keen to expand their dance technique to the next level, we offer RAD vocational exam training from Intermediate Foundation to Advanced. This is a more in-depth training programme and is designed for students (10+) who have the technical facility to progress. Pointe work is introduced at this time when appropriate. We are happy to advise our students at vocational level about further opportunities, including auditions for youth ballet companies and further education in dance.
Photo by Mark Lees; courtesy of RAD.
Adult Ballet
We welcome adults of all ages and abilities to these classes, whether you are a young professional wishing to dust off those ballet shoes or recently retired looking for a new form of exercise in a fun, energetic and friendly environment. Ballet is a great way to get toned, improve posture and coordination and connect with the inner dancer inside us all! It’s a fantastic way of meeting like-minded people and many of our mature students have a great time on our school trips to the Royal Opera House. So come and join us in Beckenham on a Monday for beginners or Tuesday for those with more ballet experience.
“ After a 40 year gap, I joined the adult ballet classes at Janie Harris School of Dance. The adult ballet classes cater for everyone aged 18+, whatever their ability and experience, and are expertly and professionally led by Elizabeth and Sarah. The atmosphere is friendly and focused on the enjoyment of dance, underpinned by RAD classical ballet technique. I have really enjoyed my return to ballet and look forward to the classes each week. ”
Veronica, adult ballet
Contemporary
We are delighted to offer contemporary classes each week to enable students to experience another style of dance and enrich their dance training. We explore contemporary technique following various styles including the Graham and Laban methods. During these classes we delve into choreography and improvisation to expand their understanding of movement and increase versatility.
One-to-Ones
For those of our students wishing to focus on particular areas for progress, latecomers keen to catch up in classes, those entering RAD exams and others with upcoming auditions, we offer private coaching on a one-to-one basis by appointment only. This could be looking at specific areas of ballet technique, performance and confidence or helping with beginners pointe work. One-to-ones can be booked as an individual class or as a series, sessions varying from 30 minutes to an hour depending on the student’s specific needs. All one-to-one lessons have feedback after each class from the teacher.