Elmhurst Ballet School is an

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in Pennsylvania, United States * Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...

boarding school A boarding school is a school where pupils live within premises while being given formal instruction. The word "boarding" is used in the sense of "room and board", i.e. lodging and meals. They have existed for many centuries, and now extend acr ...

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 en pointe, pointe work, turnout (ballet), turnout of the legs, ...

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 Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the 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 training course in ballet and dance. School inspection report, June 2011
at

Ofsted The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) is a non-ministerial department of His Majesty's government, reporting to Parliament. Ofsted's role is to make sure that organisations providing education, training ...

History

One of the earliest vocational dance schools in the United Kingdom, Elmhurst was established in 1923 in

Camberley Camberley is a town in north-west Surrey, England, around south-west of central London. It is in the Surrey Heath, Borough of Surrey Heath and is close to the county boundaries with Hampshire and Berkshire. Known originally as "Cambridge Tow ...

, 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 a suburb of Birmingham, West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. It lies immediately south-west of Birmingham city centre, and was historically in Warwickshire. The Ward (electoral subdivision), wards of Edgbaston and Nort ...

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...

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 private schools in the United Kingdom. The organisation comprises seven independent school associations and promotes the business interests of its ...

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.Ismene Brow
Nuclear star dancer Robert Parker leaps to head ballet school
at The Arts Desk, 19 September 2011. Retrieved 6 May 2018.

Staff and former staff

* Mary Goodhew, former Artistic Director * Robert Parker, Artistic Director * Pamela Motley Verrall, music teacher *Jessica Wheeler, Principal

Notable alumni

Jenny Agutter Jennifer Ann Agutter (born 20 December 1952) is an English 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 seri ...

* Joseph Aumeer * Melissa Hamilton * Helen Baxendale * Hetty Baynes *

Sarah Brightman Sarah Brightman (born 14 August 1960) is an English classical crossover soprano singer and actress. Brightman began her career as a member of the dance troupe Hot Gossip and released several disco singles as a solo performer. In 1981, she made ...

* Tracey Childs * 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's James Bond film ''A View to a ...

* Imogen Hassall * Jacqueline Chan *

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 an ...

* Jennie Linden * Deborah Makepeace *

Hayley Mills Hayley Catherine Rose Vivien Mills (born 18 April 1946) is an English actress. The daughter of Sir John Mills and Mary Hayley Bell and younger sister of actress Juliet Mills, she began her acting career as a child and was hailed as a promisi ...

Juliet Mills Juliet Maryon Mills (born 21 November 1941) is a British-American actress. Mills began her career as a child actress and was nominated at age 18 for a Tony Award for her stage performance in ''Five Finger Exercise'' in 1960. She progressed to ...

* Pamela Franklin *Dame Merle Park * Polly Parsons * Prunella Ransome * Paul James Rooney * Hermione Norris * Jane Slaughter * Tessa Wyatt * Lorna Yabsley

References

External links

* * Mary Goodhew
''The making of a dancer''
at Birmingham Royal Ballet
Inspection report, June 2011
at

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 Private 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