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News  


Welcome back!


Hopefully this latest update finds you all in good health. 


Lots of work has been happening in and out of the Good Toes Studio recently. Last term my Grade 8s took their exam at the Royal Academy of Dance's HQ. It was so lovely to see these students, some of whom I have been teaching since they were Grade 1s, developing into such poised and elegant dancers. It has been many years of work to achieve such a high level of education but they performed brilliantly. We had a successful day and everyone passed with a Merit or a High Merit. Achieving in the RAD higher grades also provides UCAS points for these students to support future university applications. Well done all.


In other news, my first student to be accepted onto the Royal Ballet School's Junior Associate program (JAs) has now been accepted for White Lodge - the Royal Ballet School's prestigious junior school! Congratulations! This is such an amazing achievement! I remember going through the JAs application process over Zoom during lockdown which threw up all sorts of problems but it was all worth it. We wish her the very best of luck for the future. In the meantime we have another student accepted onto the JA's programme. The competition for such places is very tough and it is exceedingly difficult to get children onto the course but at Good Toes we have a strong track record of finding the right ones!   


Modern and tap classes are still going strong at Good Toes School of Ballet (or should that be Good Toes School of Dance?!). Miss Gwen has been providing hours of fun-filled dance classes teaching new movement vocab and routines to the pupils. Modern and tap are great if you're looking for class which is a bit less structured than classical ballet but with all the dance skills still involved. Excitingly, this term, Miss Gwen has been introducing the BBO Primary Tap syllabus! Hopefully we'll be having tap exams in the new year!!  


Last years' summer show was a resounding success with the highlight of the performance seeing my Grade 6s and 8s performing the famous Corps de ballet section of Act 2, Giselle. It was a serious challenge and I would love to have a picture of their faces when I showed them the video of what they were going to do! In the performance they were truly incredible and rose to the challenge with aplomb! Everyone was en pointe and, although we were one student down due to Covid, the girls performed beautifully. I can say with all honestly that there were a few teary eyes on watching them and some very impressed parents and younger students. The next show will be in 2024 but there will be exams and watching weeks to keep everyone busy until then.    


Good Toes continues to expand its pre-school teaching; we have four classes a week at Fresh Ground (Tuesdays 2:30-3pm and 3-3:30pm, Fridays 4-4:35pm and Saturdays 11:15-11:45am). Good Toes is now also providing all the dance provision for The Kindergartens nurseries all over London. We began providing the optional, afternoon ballet club at Mouse House in 2021 and are now covering all their curriculum 'music and movement' dance and ballet classes. It is always lovely to spend time teaching and inspiring little ones to dance and the new classes have been a joy to provide over the last two terms. The children have grown in confidence and ability, their co-ordination is improving, and even the tiniest is engaging with the sessions. I particularly love to see their smiling faces when we begin the warm-up and to see those wanting to join in an extra session due to their sheer love of dancing! Classes link to the topics being covered in nursery - Dingle Dangle Scarecrow has been particularly popular whilst the children's topic has been The Farm. And, we are using both classical and pop music, plus props and stories to inspire the children and make the classes inclusive for all including SENS students or those with learning difficulties. 


Finally, some beautiful pictures drawn for me by my Ballet Club students at Mouse House! A while ago I was welcomed by the children with a host of impromptu drawings and cards. Thank you! It is so enriching to know that these little ones are enjoying ballet and are artistically inspired by dance from such a tender age. It is magical to see. 














All the best for another positive and productive term, 

   

Olivia Boda ARAD, PDTD, RTS