Founded 1961

Beverley School of Performing Arts

Principal:  Ruth Ann Goodwin

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Welcome

Francesca Thakorlal

Having begun her dance training at the Beverley school of Performing Arts from the age of seven, Francesca advanced to full-time vocational training at Central School of Ballet. Gaining a Foundation Degree in Professional Dance & Performance, she went on to complete her BA Honours Degree in Contemporary Dance at London Studio Centre. In her final year she toured around the UK with INTOTO Dance Company 2011, working with renowned choreographers Kerry Nicholls & Lea Anderson. Throughout her professional training Francesca has been teaching ballet & contemporary dance at various schools in London.

 Upon Graduating, Francesca has since been working with Wavelength Dance Company, Kansaze Dance, The People Pile, and is now delighted to be teaching ballet twice a week to the students at The Beverley School of Performing Arts.


Vivien Batchelder

Until she recently retired, Vivien was the Principal of the Beverley School which she established in 1961. Vivien trained at the Arts Educational School in London, receiving her Imperial Ballet training from Joyce Mackie. She has served as Ballet Mistress for the Young London Ballet Company, been a committee member of the Watford Dance Festival and a founding member of the Regional Dance Council's Talented Children's Scheme. She was awarded her Fellowship of the Imperial Ballet Faculty in 1996. Since 2001, Vivien, together with Pamela Sheen, has run the Imperial Ballet Teachers Group (London). Vivien became an examiner in 1998 and was a committee member of the Imperial Ballet Branch for 3 years.

Click on this link to see the 60th Anniversary memory book.


PRINCIPAL  -  Ruth Goodwin (F.I.S.T.D)

Ruth graduated from Harrison College with all her teaching qualifications and proceeded to teach in Canada for 2 years. Since then Ruth has taught at many prestigious colleges including Mountview, Italia Conti, North London Dance Studios and Bird College of Performing Arts.

 Ruth has achieved Fellowship status with the I.S.T.D. and has taught students at the highest levels, who have gone on to perform in West End productions.

Ruth's close association with the Beverley School of Performing Arts spans many years, teaching Ballet, Modern, Tap & Jazz.  She continues to keep her work current and up to date by spending time at Broadway Dance Studios in New York. Ruth recently attended the PULSE Teacher Workshop, New York, taking classes with Brian Friedman, Tyce Diorio, Laurieanne Gibson and many others.

Based on her Gymnastic experience during her teenage years, Ruth has successfully completed the ACROTRIX training course, which now enables her to include Acro classes in the school’s timetable.

GUEST TEACHERS


Alexzandra Sarmiento trained at the Fiorello H. La Guardia High School for Music and Art & Performing Arts in New York City and has also studied at the SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Dance. She is also a National Young Arts Foundation Winner in Modern Dance. Alexzandra is currently the Dance Captain in the West End company of Hamilton (Victoria Palace Theatre). Previous credits include Connie Wong in "A Chorus Line" (London Palladium, Japan, USA), Rufus Norris' "Cabaret" (UK Tour), Lambchops in "Fame" (UK Tour), Associate Choreographer for the Olivier Award winning production of "In The Heights" (King's Cross Theatre), Daisy in the McOnie Company's "Jekyll and Hyde" (The Old Vic), Sally in "Broad Shadow" (The National), Dance Captain for "Strictly Ballroom" (West Yorkshire Playhouse and The Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto), and the London development workshops for Drew McOnie's "King Kong", currently running on Broadway. Alexzandra has also worked with Bill T. Jones, Dwight Rhoden, and Desmond Richardson amongst other choreographers. Other commercial credits include the BRIT Awards, the Voice UK, and the British Summer Time Festival.  Click on Alex’s picture for more info:




Heather Scott-Martin currently appearing in “Mama Mia”

Heather graduated with a First Class BA (Hons) degree in Dance and Theatre Performance from Bird College. Since graduating her professional theatre credits include: Ice’ in The Prodigals (Gilded Balloon, Edinburgh), ‘Dance Captain’ in Blink Again (Above The Stag Theatre, Victoria), ‘Luli’ in Aladdin (The Courtyard Theatre, Hereford), ‘Red Girl’ in Shout-The Mod Musical (European Tour), ‘Ensemble’ in Encore ( Stardust Theatre, NCL Productions) ‘Mange-tout’ in Beauty and The Beast (The Courtyard Theatre, Hereford).





Katie Wilson - Beverley School of Performing Arts

Katie Love, finalist from the well know TV series "So You Think you can Dance"!

Katie, 24 started ballet at the age of two, making her first appearance on a stage,

managed by her dad, through her local Worcester amateur dramatics society.
She then began training at Doreen Bird College where she was scouted by an agent.

Katie now has her own theatre company; Default Theatre and she had already directed,

choreographed and produced her own show called Dangerous Fields.


Dharmz Patel currently appearing in “The Bodyguard”

Dharmz is originally from Leicester and moved to London to attend college and pursue his dance career. He grew up doing modern and tap dance and went on to also study ballet, jazz and contemporary dance.

Dharmz specialises in tap dance and has had the great honour of performing a tap piece for

HRH Price Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall.




Katie Wilson

Katie is a former pupil of the school, completing her teacher training at Deborah Capon College. Whilst training with Vivien Batchelder, Katie successfully auditioned for the National Youth Ballet, Royal Ballet School Associate Programme attending lessons weekly at White Lodge and Covent Garden and at Sixteen achieved a scholarship to train at The English National Ballet School.

Katie holds the Licentiate Ballet qualifications and is a tutor for the DDI and DDE qualifications.

Katie currently works at Linda Sweetzer Teacher Training College  teaching Intermediate to Advanced 2 Ballet, and from DDI to Licentiate. She also works at Castle Street Dance Studios and is the Principal of Katie Wilson School of Dance.


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Annabel Betts

Annabel trained to be a professional actor at LAMDA. She has performed in theatres all across the country, and even abroad. She recently completed an international tour that took her to Singapore, Norway, South Africa and China! Before LAMDA she got a degree in Theatre, Performance and Cultural Studies from the University of Warwick. Annabel loves sharing theatre with new cultures and enjoys sharing her love of it with young people even more. She has also worked in Voiceover, TV and Radio, and along the way has managed to play pretty much every fairytale princess you can imagine. She is very pleased to be at BSPA working with such a talented and imaginative bunch, and is developing her own work with her own theatre company in Folkestone.


Andy Coxon  Andy trained at the prestigious Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts. Since graduating Andy has performed in numerous shows including the West End cast of Les Miserables, West Side Story, Hair and the original West End cast of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. Andy has also appeared in the Oscar winning movie musical version of  Les Miserables alongside Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway. Andy has a true passion for teaching and has obtained outstanding LAMDA results to reflect this. With 10 years stage/screen experience Andy’s passion is now  to help those who want to pursue drama as a career, a hobby and also those who just need to lose inhibitions and learn new skills that will stay with them for life.

Click on Andy’s picture for more info:

Gabriella Acosta

Gabriela is a recent graduate from The Urdang Academy. Since graduating she has performed in ‘West Side Story’ as Francisca, performed at the film premier of ‘Everybody’s Talking About Jamie’, performed at the O2 with Gola, and performed in the Cliff’s Pavilion’s pantomime production of ‘Cinderella’.

Gabriela has taught at various dance schools in London and is very excited to teach the lovely students at BSPA.