welcome
To Didsbury Theatre School!
You are about to experience something truly amazing!
We have been established in South Manchester for over 30 years, teaching Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Drama, Singing, Musical Theatre and Hip Hop for children aged 2 to 18 years, in a friendly and professional environment.
Our team are industry professionals who possess a wealth of knowledge and experience,
most importantly, they have the well-being of our students at heart.
We have a bespoke development pathway and ensure every child feels seen, heard and valued.
About
We teach Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Drama, Singing, Musical Theatre and Hip Hop for children aged 2 to 18 years
Didsbury Theatre School has built a strong reputation over many years. Classes are professional, fun, and dedicated to developing confidence and creativity, alongside mastering technical ability in the performing arts disciplines.
Students have performed at many prestigious venues including The Royal Albert Hall, Sadler’s Wells and Disneyland, Paris. We are contacted regularly by the BBC and other film, TV, and commercial advertising companies, and our children have appeared in numerous TV shows and media productions. Every year we host a large-scale production at The Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester.
As well as offering exam grades and performance opportunities, we also support older students through Duke of Edinburgh awards and offer valuable, paid work experience.
Together we support community charity projects and have raised several thousand pounds for Wood Street Mission over the last decade.
"At our school every child is seen, heard and valued"
Principal, Katy McVitty
our
community
Didsbury Theatre School has raised several thousand pounds for local charity Wood Street Mission, over the last decade. Wood Street supports families living in poverty in our local area. We raise funds through pre-loved uniform sales, charity runs, cake sales and many other regular events. We support the Mission’s Books Forever Appeal and our teachers help entertain children at the Mission’s community events.
We were ambassadors for Manchester City Council’s Our Year project, and are working together towards helping the city achieve UNICEF Child Friendly City status.
Our holiday camps and workshops have provided training in the performing arts to over 1000 children living in the Manchester area.
our
culture
We have developed a strong culture over many years. We are clear in our mission: to make the performing arts available to all, and we embody our values daily. Our values are: POSITIVITY AMBITION RESPECT KINDNESS We aim to provide a happy and protected space where ALL students can freely express themselves and grow in confidence in a professional and non judgemental environment. It is wonderful to see our students develop in character and technical ability during their time with us; we support them fully towards whatever path they choose in life. Our philosophy is to encourage and nurture talent and creativity while providing a positive space for learning and development.
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OUR
SUCCESSES
Several of our students have had successful performance careers, from West End stages to the cobbles of Coronation Street! Many more have gone on to pursue professional careers, and still speak fondly of their dancing days, while acknowledging the many memories and benefits they acquired from being part of Didsbury Theatre School. In 2022, we joined forces with several Manchester schools to celebrate what it means to be a child in Manchester today. 'Our Manchester' was a memorable event with M People star Heather Small and former Lord Mayor Sir Richard Lees coming along to support our students.
Our people
Our teaching collective is 100% committed to bringing out the best in every child. They each embody our values of positivity, ambition, respect and kindness. We are fortunate to have some high- profile industry professionals in our team who have performed in exciting productions - from the West End to Hollywood! We have built a strong collective culture over many years and you can be absolutely sure your children will receive the highest standard of teaching in a warm, friendly and nurturing environment.
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STUDENT DEVELOPMENT PATHWAY
DANCE, DRAMA and SINGING
Didsbury Theatre School builds confidence and prepares students for public speaking later in life.
We provide learning opportunities in a range of performing arts disciplines, either for fun, or development towards a professional career. Many of our students have pursued successful careers in the Performing Arts in the UK and overseas.
Lessons in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Drama, Singing, Musical Theatre and Hip Hop are taught in a friendly, nurturing and professional environment. We follow world-renowned Ballet, Tap, Jazz and Drama syllabi (IDTA and LAMDA), and external examination bodies rigorously test our teaching standards. Learning a technical skill such as ballet requires commitment and dedication over many years. Reading and performing scripts develops language skills and nurtures creativity, cultural exploration and friendship. Singing has been shown to reduce anxiety and boost well-being.
UNIVERSITY and WORK EXPERIENCE
As well as helping children pursue graded exams and achieve UCAS points in Ballet and Drama, we have helped several children through Duke of Edinburgh awards, and offered work placements and assistance with references and personal statements.
Our students build life-long friendships in a positive environment and most importantly, they have a lot of fun!
TIMETABLE
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term dates
FEES
New students can have two pay-as-you-go sessions while settling in,
payments will then be taken by Direct Debit.
Monthly payments are calculated based on the hourly tuition rate
and the number of theatre school weeks left in the current year.
A few examples are shown below:
One hour Ballet class: £7.50 x 32 weeks = £24 per month
One hour Drama class: £8 x 32 weeks = £27.20 per month
90 min Musical Theatre class: £9.50 x 32 weeks = £30.40 per month
In accordance with our terms and conditions,
we require six weeks notice for students wishing to give up their place.
Should you wish to leave before the end of the year, we will calculate the residual amount owing
(up to your leaving date), and invoice you for any outstanding fees.
UNIFORM
• Black DTS T Shirt £15.00
• Black Named Hoodie £25.00
• White Hip Hop Hoodie £25.00
• Black Dance Leggings Junior £16.50
• Black Dance Leggings Senior £19.50
• Black Jazz Shoes £24.00
• Blue Ballet Dress £24.00
• Pink Crossover £14.00
• My First Ballet Shoes from £9.50
• Ballet Shoes (from size 2) £12.50
• Silver Tap Shoes £24.00
• Pink Tap Shoes £24.00
• Pink Ballet Tights £6.50
• Black Leotard £24.00
• Black Crossover £14.00
• Black Tap Shoes £24.00
shows
Experience the magic of show day!
As well as performing in class, students frequently perform live in world-renowned theatres, boosting their self-confidence and providing invaluable life experience.
We hold shows in prestigious Manchester theatres, and have taken part in performances at many famous venues, including RNCM, The Royal Albert Hall, Sadler’s Wells Theatre, Her Majesty’s Theatre in London, and Disneyland Paris.
We are often contacted to perform at prestigious events and have strong links with the BBC at Media City. Our children have appeared in several CBeebies programmes.
All children from age 3 are invited to take part in our shows. We ask that you purchase a show costume from us and encourage you to use it again and again. You will have an amazing dressing up box! We are always mindful of costs and try where possible to choose something that can be worn again or passed on.
We strive for the highest standards in everything we do and beautiful show costumes are essential to reflect our creativity, talent and professionalism whilst on stage.
EXAMS
Dance syllabus classes can be taken to examination level, from beginner to professional teaching grades. Students receive awards and reports to measure progress and assist with future development.
We also teach Acting and Public Speaking, following the LAMDA syllabus (London Academy for Music and Dramatic Arts). OFQUAL credits and UCAS tariff points can be attained. For example, LAMDA Grade 5 Acting is equivalent to a GCSE.
For exam preparation in dance (Grade 3 and above) and to achieve the required standard, children should attend at least one evening and one Saturday class each week. Class times depend on age and experience. Please contact us to discuss an appropriate class for your child. When your child is ready to graduate to a more experienced class, your teacher will let you know.
FAQs
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When does the next term start and finish?Please check our term dates here.
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When do fees need to be paid?Fees must be paid in advance of each term. All registered students will receive an invoice before the beginning of each term. Please read our full terms and conditions here.
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How do I sign up to Direct Debit?After you child’s two week trial period, you will be invited to join our direct debit scheme. This is a great way to spread out termly costs across the dance year.
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How do I join?Please email us and we will check class availability. Payment terms for new starters will be ‘pay-as-you-go’ for 2 weeks, then you can sign up to our direct debit scheme or payment must be made for the rest of the term for students to continue. Comfortable clothing and footwear can be worn initially but our regulation uniform must be purchased from us at the earliest opportunity.
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How do I order uniform?Dance shoes, costumes and uniforms can all be ordered from us online or via email. Goods will despatched when payment has been made.
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When is the annual show?Our next show is booked for the 9th November 2024! All students are expected to take part.
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What is the best way to contact teachers and staff?Email is the best way to contact us. We can arrange a meeting if necessary.
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Can we stay and watch?Parents with young dancers can stay on a Saturday morning, however all other weekday and Saturday classes will be held behind closed doors.
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How will my child progress in technical ability?Students follow internationally recognised dance and musical theatre syllabi. They can take exams and progress through grades in ballet, tap, jazz, musical theatre and drama. University credits can be achieved for higher LAMDA grades. As well as growing in confidence, students learn new skills, maintain a high level of fitness, develop life-long friendships and have a lot of fun!
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
CONTACT US
VENUES
Beginners train in our welcoming venue in Didsbury. Parents can stay and enjoy a hot drink while their children settle in.
Older students train in our beautiful dance studio in Didsbury which has barres and mirrors and a sprung floor.
Please contact us for exact locations.