A GROUP of Malvern dance students have passed their contemporary exams with flying colours – less than a year after they started the discipline.
Out of the 25 Ballet Malvern Centre of Dance students who took the National Association of Teachers of Dancing (NATD) test, 21 gained distinctions.
The remaining four were just one or two marks away from the highest grade and were all awarded high merits.
The girls, aged between eight and 16, have been learning the new contemporary syllabus for just under a year and took either Grade One or Two exams.
Dance school principal Rebecca Sloan Kirton said all Grade Two students gained distinctions.
“We’re incredibly proud,” she added.
“We’ve only just started using the syllabus so for our students to gain such outstanding results is incredible.”
The dance school, in Cowleigh Road, is one of only a handful in the country able to offer the NATD syllabus.
And its students are in demand.
Twelve dancers have been performing in the musical Joseph at Malvern Theatres with Stagecoach over the past week.
Four more were on stage at the Birmingham Hippodrome, performing in Birmingham Royal Ballet’s production of Cinderella Dreams, following auditions which saw 170 dancers bidding for parts.
“They were so thrilled and excited to be given the opportunity,” said Rebecca.
“And we’re so incredibly proud of their achievements.”
Ballet Malvern offers classes on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays in classes ranging from pre-school Little Swans, ballet, pointe, repertoire and older beginners. Private lessons are also available.
Visit www.balletmalvern.co.uk for details.
