Elmhurst Ballet School is an independent school for professional

classical ballet Classical ballet is any of the traditional, formal styles of ballet that exclusively employ classical ballet technique. It is known for its aesthetics and rigorous technique (such as pointe work, turnout of the legs, and high extensions), it ...

in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

. It takes students aged 11–19 years who intend to pursue a career in professional classical ballet. Elmhurst provides a full academic day in conjunction with a full vocational course in ballet and dance training."School inspection report, June 2011
at Ofsted

History

One of the earliest vocational dance schools in the United Kingdom, Elmhurst was established in 1923 in Camberley, Surrey, by Mrs Helen Ida Mortimer in the grounds of the Prep School run by Miss Violet Crisp. The school moved to purpose-built premises in

Edgbaston Edgbaston () is an affluent suburban area of central Birmingham, England, historically in Warwickshire, and curved around the southwest of the city centre. In the 19th century, the area was under the control of the Gough-Calthorpe family a ...

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1. ...

in 2004.School inspection report, 2008

Independent Schools Council The Independent Schools Council (ISC) is a non-profit lobby group that represents over 1,300 schools in the United Kingdom's independent education sector. The organisation comprises seven independent school associations and promotes the bus ...

The facilities occupy an area of and include a 250-seat studio theatre, a theatre workshop and seven dance studios. There is also a medical centre and a physiotherapy/exercise centre.An Introduction to Elmhurst
at official website In addition to day students, there is on-site boarding accommodation for up to 121 resident students and off-site boarding for 30 sixth-formers. Robert Parker, a former Birmingham Royal Ballet principal dancer, has been Artistic Director since 2012.

Staff

*Principal – Jessica Wheeler *Artistic Director – Robert Parker Mary Goodhew is a former Artistic Director.

Notable alumni

Jenny Agutter Jennifer Ann Agutter (born 20 December 1952) is a British actress. She began her career as a child actress in 1964, appearing in '' East of Sudan'', ''Star!'', and two adaptations of '' The Railway Children''—the BBC's 1968 television seria ...

* Melissa Hamilton *

Helen Baxendale Helen Victoria Baxendale (born 7 June 1970) is an English actress of stage and television, known for her roles as Rachel Bradley in the British comedy drama '' Cold Feet'' (1997–2003), and Emily Waltham in the American sitcom '' Friends'' ( ...

* Hetty Baynes * Sarah Brightman *

Tracey Childs Tracey Childs (born 30 May 1963) is an English actress, known for playing Lynne Howard in the 1980s drama series '' Howards' Way''. Her other television roles include Marianne Dashwood in '' Sense and Sensibility'' (1981), Linda Cosgrove in '' ...

* Thomas Forster *

Fiona Fullerton Fiona Elizabeth Fullerton (born 10 October 1956) is a British actress and singer, known for her role as Alice in the 1972 film ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' and as Bond girl KGB spy Pola Ivanova in the 1985 James Bond film ''A View to a ...

Imogen Hassall Imogen Hassall (25 August 1942 – 16 November 1980) was an English actress who appeared in 33 films during the 1960s and 1970s. Early life Named after Shakespeare's ''Cymbeline'' heroine, she was born in Woking, Surrey, to a financially comf ...

Caroline Langrishe Caroline Langrishe (born 10 January 1958) is an English actress. Early life Born in London, Langrishe is the elder daughter of Patrick Nicholas Langrishe (1932–2022), of The Manor House, Sellindge, Kent, a Lieutenant in the 11th Hussars, late ...

Tanja Liedtke Tanja Michaela Karin Liedtke (6 October 1977 – 17 August 2007) was a German-born professional choreographer and dancer. She was most noted as a dancer, choreographer and director of contemporary dance in Australia and Europe. Early life and ...

* Jennie Linden * Deborah Makepeace * Hayley Mills *

Juliet Mills Juliet Maryon Mills (born 21 November 1941) is an English-American actress. She is the daughter of actor Sir John Mills and Mary Hayley Bell and the eldest of three siblings; her younger siblings are actress Hayley Mills and director Jonathan ...

Pamela Franklin Pamela Franklin (born 3 February 1950) is a British former actress. She is best known for her role in the film '' The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie'' (1969), for which she won a NBR Award and received a BAFTA Award nomination. Franklin made her a ...

*Dame

Merle Park Dame Merle Park (born 8 October 1937) is a British ballet dancer and teacher, now retired. As a prima ballerina with the Royal Ballet during the 1960s and 1970s, she was known for "brilliance of execution and virtuoso technique" as well as for h ...

* Polly Parsons * Prunella Ransome * Paul James Rooney *

Hermione Norris Hermione Jane Norris (born 5 December 1966) is an English actress. She attended the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art in the 1980s, before taking small roles in theatre and on television. In 1996, she was cast in her breakout role of Ka ...

* Jane Slaughter *

Tessa Wyatt Tessa Wyatt (born 23 April 1948) is an English actress best known for her role as Vicky Tripp (née Nicholls) on the ITV sitcom '' Robin's Nest''. Early life Wyatt was born in Woking, Surrey in 1948 and attended Elmhurst Ballet School. She was ...

* Lorna Yabsley

References

External links

* * Mary Goodhew
''The making of a dancer''
at Birmingham Royal Ballet
Inspection report, June 2011
at Ofsted
Description of the reredos from the school chapel in Camberley, and the founder of the ballet school, Mrs Helen Mortimer, and her famous Christmas play
{{Coord, 52.4542, N, 1.9127, W, region:GB_type:landmark, display=title Independent schools in Birmingham, West Midlands Dance schools in the United Kingdom Ballet schools in the United Kingdom Performing arts education in the United Kingdom Performing arts in Birmingham, West Midlands Edgbaston

History

Staff

Notable alumni

See also

References

External links