I recently graduated in July of this year from Tring Park School of Performing Arts (formerly Arts Educational School) with a National Certificate in Professional Dance, having trained at the school for two years from the age of 16. I also left the school with A Levels in English Literature, Film Studies and Dance and an AS Level in Classical Civilisation. My time at the shcool not only provided me with excellent training and skills in terms of performing arts but also essential life skills. In many ways my time at Tring Park has shaped me as a person and taught me an excessive amount about both myself and others around me.
Prior to commencing my full time training at Tring Park, I trained for 4 years on the Pre Senior Associate Course at Central School of Ballet, London and 1 year as a Senior Associate at Birmingham Royal Ballet. It was at Central School of Ballet where I first found the inspiration to teach. This inspiration came in the form of my Prep 1 teacher, Larissa Bamber. Her gentle teaching nature along with her obvious passion to spill her knowledge out to the aspiring dancers in her class was what initially made me consider following the path of teaching. I decided to ask the principal of my dance school at home in Staffordshire if I could commence observing classes and even assisting with the teaching, allowing me to look at dance classes from a teaching point of view and learn the necessary skills of a good teacher.
As my passion for teaching grew and I gained more experience I began teaching both groups of children, as well as private and 1 to 1 lessons. It became ever apparent to me that teaching was not just something that could be learnt but something that had to come from deep inside, a burning desire to share.
At the age of 16, having impressed my local coucil with my classical performance at the Staffordshire Annual Arts and Sports Award, I was offfered a position as an assistant dance teacher in a leisure centre, teaching street dance to three age groups of children between the ages of 3 and 13.
Whilst I was training at Tring Park I regularly travelled home to help out with preparing children at my local dance school for dance examinations and assist in choreographing and staging productions, as although I was enjoying my training and performing experience at the school, I felt my need to teach.
Since graduating from Tring Park I have moved back home to Stoke-on-Trent as I was unsure whether I wanted to perform or whether to develop the love I found for teaching and pursue a career in education. I decided to apply for the Work Based Learning BAPP course to enable me to eventually gain qualified teacher status and was recently asked by my local high school to teach extra curricular dance classes in a variety of styles after school. Being so impressed with my classes, the physical education teacher from the school has offered to contact other high schools and primary feeder schools in the area to recommend me. So hopefully this will lead on to great things in my chosen path.
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