Company News! 

How the HLDC began...Following on from a childhood of dancing, performing and teaching at 18 Helen was fortunate enough to be offered a place at The Royal Ballet School, Ballet Rambert and The Royal Academy of Dance as well as a place at Cambridge University to study Biology. Helen chose to train at The Royal Academy of Dance, London on the teacher-training degree program as teaching was her passion.

 

After graduating from the RAD Helen was an offered a job dancing, modelling and teaching in Austria. On returning to the UK, Helen taught in 2 dance schools in Exeter before moving to Yeovil where her husband was offered his first job as a Radiographer. The school started with just three pupils, it very rapidly expanded into a school that has trained many thousands of students over the years!

 

Since the school was founded, our pupils have consistently excelled in dance examinations, gaining QCA-accredited qualifications that have helped them access further education opportunities. Our pupils have gained places at all of the UK’s leading dance and performing arts colleges and universities, while others have gone on to train at prestigious dance institutions overseas.

 

I have also been privileged to mentor many pupils through their training to become fully-qualified RAD Ballet teachers, sharing my experience with them and watching them grow and succeed as teachers.

 

Our pupils have the opportunity to perform and compete locally every year, improving their confidence, skills and love of performing. Some of the highlights over the past 40 years have included, performing with The Royal Ballet Company at The Royal Opera House, Ballet Theatre UK, London Children’s Ballet and other professional ballet companies; performing alongside the Strictly Come Dancing stars on tour and performing in numerous professional pantomimes in Yeovil, Weymouth and Taunton. Other memorable events include numerous “Everybody Dance” productions involving the entire school, “Dance Sing Shine” performances, full-length musical theatre productions with The Somerset School of Performing Arts and our Christmas spectaculars. Through these productions, we have raised many thousands of pounds to help local and national children’s charities. Our most recent performance highlight was taking a group of dancers to Disneyland Paris to perform on the huge Videopolis stage and in the magical Disney parade, A truly unforgettable experience for all of our dancers and their families!

 

Many of our pupils have gone on to enjoy successful professional careers in dance and performing arts. They have worked in the West End, on Broadway, in UK and worldwide tours; worked as backing dancers and choreographers for global superstars; performed at Disneyland Paris and Hong Kong; performed on cruise ships; danced with Ballet and Contemporary companies; musical theatre companies; and appeared in films, television and radio productions. Whilst many pupils choose not to pursue professional careers in dance, performing or teaching, we are continually told how much their time at our school has improved their confidence, supported their physical and mental wellbeing, helped them to form lifelong friendships and given them a whole range of skills that they can use throughout their lives.

 

None of these wonderful achievements would have been possible without the backing and unwavering support of some very special people, our incredible teachers Catherine, Jo, Rhiannon, Hayley, Evie and Izzy, all former pupils of HLDC who work tirelessly to share their passion, expertise, enthusiasm and love of dance with the next generation. It is a privilege to watch them inspire and nurture our pupils, helping each and every one become the best dancer and performer they can be. As we celebrate our 40th Year, we would like to thank every pupil, parent, grandparent, teacher and supporter who has ever been part of our journey. Here’s to the memories we have made, the lives that we have enriched, the friendships we have cherished and many more exciting years of dance come.