New ballet school opens doors

HENLEY Ballet School opens on Tuesday, September 23, in Vicarage Road at the Sacred Heart Church Hall.

Classes will be held for children from the age of two-and-three-quarter years and pupils will follow the Royal Academy of Dance syllabus.

Principal Hilary Thomas, who trained at the Royal Ballet School and was a dancer at Covent Garden, has been asked over the years to fill a gap in the town where there is no classical school offering RAD classes on a weekday.

Hilary has been running the Wargrave Ballet School for more than 30 years which has an excellent reputation. She will be working with her senior ballet mistress, Julia Timmons, who is a professional dancer and has just completed a teaching programme at the RAD. She already has many years of teaching experience and this joint venture promises to be a very exciting one.

Children will be entered for RAD examinations at the appropriate time but it is not a necessary requirement as some children may wish to participate without these tests.