Welcome to Ashtead Ballet School, established in 2009 by Maxine Simpson, LRAD, AISTD, RAD Registered Teacher.
Starting with just two classes a week the school has grown to offer a full timetable for children aged from 3 years of age, through to teens and adults! As well as Royal Academy of Dance ballet (RAD) we also offer Tap & Modern classes based on the Imperial Society for Teachers of Dancing (ISTD) syllabi. Additionally there are Body Conditioning classes for older students, pointe work and fun, non syllabus ballet classes for adults.
Our ethos is to instil a love and enjoyment of dance in our students through our fun, inspiring classes, in which everyone is encouraged to develop to their full potential. We strongly believe that dancing promotes self-confidence as well as developing musicality, strong physique, co-ordination and grace.
As well as having the chance to succeed in exams with recognised training bodies and to perform in our whole school productions, we hope that our students will learn to love dance for its own sake, becoming not just the dancers, but the audiences of the future.
INSPIRE - DEVELOP - NURTURE
Our Teachers
Maxine Simpson
Miss Maxine, the school Principal and founder, trained initially in Leeds and then at the Royal Academy of Dance in Battersea, London. After freelance teaching in the London area and overseas for several years, she took a career break to raise a family, during which time she continued to dance herself and to choreograph for various local productions. She opened Ashtead Ballet School in 2009, initially with two classes a week. Maxine is also a qualified Pilates teacher through the Body Control Pilates Association.
Eleanor Forrest
Miss Eleanor (ballet teacher) trained at the Central School of Ballet in London before embarking on a professional dancing career. She then qualified as a teacher with the Royal Academy of Dance on their Professional Dancers Teaching programme and has extensive experience of teaching both syllabus and non syllabus classes to students of all ages.
Grace Perez-Diaz
Miss Grace (tap, modern and contemporary teacher) began dancing locally at the age of five and continued her dance education with the Royal Academy of Dance, before earning a First-Class Honours degree in Contemporary Dance from the University of Roehampton.
She is passionate about choreography and has also performed at major industry events such as MOVE IT. Grace has taught at dance schools across Surrey and London and is currently working towards her DDE qualifications in Modern and Tap, as well as her Advanced ISTD grades in both.
