Situated in the heart of Clifton and just a stones throw away from the famous Bristol landmark, the Clifton Suspension Bridge. The main school studio is on Lansdown Road, Clifton. We also have locations in Southville (at the Southbank Centre) and Clevedon (St John the Evangelist on Hillside Road.) The school was founded in 1947 by Mary Hoskyn and Muriel Carpenter and occupied numbers 55-57 Pembrok
e Road, Clifton. From the beginning, classical
ballet was a strong feature of the school with many senior students winning the annual Espinosa Scholarship to The Royal Ballet School. The Western Theatre Ballet, now The Scottish Ballet, was founded in Bristol with students from the The Bristol School of Dancing. Basil Patterson joined the staff in the 1950's and introduced and developed jazz throughout the school. During this period, numerous artistes who were performing at both the Bristol Old Vic and The Bristol Hippodrome rented rooms above the studios as 'theatrical digs'. One such artiste was Julian Slade, who co-wrote the musical “Salad Days”. Whilst working in Bristol (and staying above the studios), Julian began composing the musical using the piano which used to be in the studio in Clifton. When one knows the story of “salad days”, a piano that has the magic ability to make people dance whenever it is played, it is not difficult to see where and how he got his inspiration. In 1970, Angela Redgrave took over the Bristol School and new premises were acquired in Lansdown Road. The Studio , as it is now known, also has an interesting history. Built in 1893, it stands in the garden of 20 Vyvyan Terrace and was built to house the Swedish Gymnasium owned and run by Theodora Johnson who also owned 20 Vyvyan Terrace at that time. In the early 1920's it was acquired by the prima ballerina, Miss Phyllis Bedells, and when she founded her ballet school in Bristol, it became known as “The West of England Academy”. A plaque bearing this name is still in the schools possession. Miss Bedells, together with a small group of eminent dance professionals, went on to organise the emergence of the “Association of Operatic Dancing” in Great Britain. In 1935 this became “The Royal Academy of Dancing”, now known as “The Royal Academy of Dance”, and is respected worldwide. Today's Bristol School continues the long tradition of classical ballet but, over more recent times, has also added Commercial Jazz, Tap, Modern and Musical Theatre to its curriculum. The Bristol School has the privileged position of regularly supplying children for productions at the Bristol Hippodrome theatre and has provided the “babes” in pantomime at this theatre for well over half a century. Many students audition and are accepted for places at major academies such as Elmhurst, Tring Park, The Royal Ballet School, Urdang Academy, Performers College, Laine Theatre Arts, Bird College and dance teacher training courses.
Former students now appear regularly in London's West End in Musicals such as Mamma Mia, The Great Gatsby, Sunset Boulevard and Young Frankenstein as well one of our former boys is now an Artiste with The Royal Ballet at Covent Garden.
Other former pupils have recently been on Broadway in Sunset Boulevard.
The school believes in nourishing a passion for dance that will last a life time and give every child the chance to shine and be the very special individual they are.
