Welcome to Our Dance School

The Buckhurst Hill and Woodford School of Dancing was established in 1922. 

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Classes are offered in Cecchetti Classical Ballet, Classical Greek, Jazz, Tap and Pointework. Children are also encouraged to participate in festivals, competitions and an annual Summer Showcase held at the Harlow Playhouse.

SUMMER SHOW 2023

Our annual Summer Showcase took place at Harlow Playhouse on 9th & 10th July! It’s always a fantastic opportunity for the girls & boys to display their talent and for the little ones it’s a wonderful introduction to performing on stage in a real theatre setting. 

This year it’s our 100th Annual Summer Showcase. Our Centenary Showcase was a HUGE success & Bhwdance astounded our audiences yet again! 

The 2023 DVD of the show & photos are all available to buy now!

About BhwDance

Sonia Bond and Juliet Locks are the present principals of the Buckhurst Hill & Woodford School of Dancing. Sonia Bond’s two daughters, Emma Jane Padfield and Lucy Pohl are full time dance teachers for the school. This family run school is the longest established dance school in the area and continues to grow with branches now in Ongar and Thornwood.

ABOUT

ABOUT

CGD National Finals
British Empire Medal (BEM)
3x Winners: National CGDF

AWARDS

AWARDS

Watch How We Work

The BHW Community

Professional and Family Fun.

We pride ourselves in achieving the highest possible outcomes for exams, competitions & performances for our pupils. Although most importantly we do our best to create positive, uplifting and confidence building environments during each class, in every genre we offer!

Family  Fun

Family  Fun

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Professionals

Our 100 Year Anniversary!

Future Events

We post upcoming dates and events here, so keep up-to-date by constantly checking back here! Our latest events include: The Classical Greek Dance Festival Finals, Choreographic Competition (BHW Dance’s very own) and the 100th Anniversary Summer Showcase! Our 2022 Summer School is also on the agenda too… keep your eyes peeled as places are limited!

Join us for our celebrations

Congratulations to all of our 2022 Exam Candidates, Epping Forest Dance Festival Competitors & to all pupils for completing the Easter Term! Find latest timetables, programmes and information here!

Upoming Classes

Stay in the loop with the class times for each term here. We offer a variety of lessons during the week; from Ballet (all ages), Classical Greek Dancing, Jazz & Tap. Even Yoga & Pilates too!

PROFESSIONALS

PROFESSIONALS

Our BHW Dance Community

As a family-run business through generations since 1922, we have always held onto the family-feel sense of the school. We’ve experienced, first-hand, the impact our dance school has had on so many individuals: life-long friendships, special memories and a place to grow and develop both as a dancer and person, inside & outside the studio!

Working hard to achieve personal and performance driven goals, we are here to help you succeed and thrive!

We create positive, supportive and engaging environments for all ages & abilities.

See why students train with us for professional training

The Buckhurst Hill & Woodford School has past pupils attending Vocational Schools. They are currently at: The Central School of Ballet, Northern Ballet School , Italia Conte, London Studio Centre and The Urdang Academy. Four students are attending on full scholarships.

Don't miss it!

Future Events

Classical Greek Dance Festival Finals, Choreographic Competition, 101st Anniversary Summer Showcase & our very own Summer School, run by professional dancers & teachers.

Click below to find dates, times and how to get involved!

Summer Showcase
101st Anniversary

July

2023

Location

Harlow Playhouse (CM20 1LS)

FUTURE  EVENTS

FUTURE  EVENTS

TEACHERS  &  STUDENTS

TEACHERS  &  STUDENTS

Our Teachers are Best in the Biz!

Fully qualified, highly trained and wired with enthusiasm; our teachers have a wealth of knowledge and experience to feed to the pupils of BHW Dance.  Inspiration & creativity are the basis of each class and these teachers know how to deliver!

Our classes

The Cecchetti method of Classical Ballet offers a complete and well-structured system of training which caters for the small child through to the professional dancer and the future teacher. Our ballet classes are designed to teach Children the art of discipline and social fulfilment and enjoyment combined.

Our jazz classes are taught by industry professionals, who have experience dancing in professional companies and have trained with experts in their field. The knowledge and expertise these classes offer combines fun and teaching of a very high calibre. These classes guarantee an encouraging, fun atmosphere and ensure a space to allow the pupils to thrive and gain confidence through exploring the genres

These classes are full of fun aiming to give our pupils a good taste of different routines to chart music. Pupils gain versatility, co-ordination, rhythm, style and flexibility from these freestyle classes. Confidence and increased awareness of what they can achieve is also encouraged by taking part in a Festival and performing at the Playhouse Theatre

 

From Grade 5 (Cecchetti Ballet Level), our pupils have the exciting opportunity to advance ‘en pointe’. They have the chance to travel to ‘Freed of London’ or ‘Bloch’ for a specially designed pointe-shoe fitting. We help them to book an appointment with the experts, to ensure they find the correct fit for their feet. Our teachers at BHW Dance will then work with each individual to build strength through The Cecchetti Exam Syllabus, specific strengthening exercises and tailored corrections for each student. Pointe-work requires a certain degree of strength, endurance, discipline and maturity, so it’s an incredibly momentous point within a dancer’s training. Our highly qualified teachers will guide the pupil through this journey and ensure they get the highest quality attention and training. Pointe-work at BHW Dance is featured in our classwork, examinations & potential performances at Harlow Playhouse too.

This form of movement provides immense enjoyment and an opportunity for creativity. The student also acquires balance and control, relaxation, elevation, clarity of line, grace and ease of movement and the development of musical understanding. The more advanced work allows for a greater study of the visual arts, literature and mythology and develops the various different aspects of this work which includes not only lyrical dance but also athletic, pyrrhic, bacchic, choric, ritual and tragic, all of which can be applied to the world of today. It is undoubtedly one of the best methods of teaching stage movement and dramatic expression in dance form

  • Whether you’re in need of extra ‘exam preparation’, competition practice, audition training or just want to refine and work on your technique, these classes are always available.
  • Taught by the highly qualified teachers within the school, progress and improvement is inevitable when investing time and hard work during these lessons
  • The 1-1 focus really helps the specific individual find ways to work on their weaknesses and improve on their strengths. The intimate approach creates a lesson tailored to the goal, to ultimately reach the individual’s full potential.
  • These classes are available on request, in all genres of dance we offer at BHW Dance.

Our Students and their Success!

We have pupils who have made West-End Debuts, gained Scholarships to Prestigious Vocational Schools, won various National Competitions, gained acceptance into Scholarship Schemes & so much more! We are proud to support each & every one of our students on their journey to success.

BHW Dance Academy

We look forward to welcoming you.

Our pupils’ achievements have made us proud teachers with their work in Royal Ballet Associates, Cecchetti Scholars, Cecchetti Senior and Junior Cecchetti Associates, National Youth Ballet, London Junior Ballet, Mabel Ryan Awards, Ruby Ginner Awards, Choreography Competitions, Summer Schools, Classical Greek Festivals, Epping Forest Dance Festival and Chelmsford Ballet Company.

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