Sophie Gallie Dance Academy

Our lovely Jessica is starting her BA (Hons) in Ballet Education at the Royal Academy of Dance this month!! 🩰✨

This is such a huge achievement and we honestly could not be prouder of her. Jess has worked so hard for this and it is so exciting to see her heading off to start this next chapter at one of the most prestigious dance schools in the world!

Jessica has danced with us for the past couple of years and it has been so lovely watching her grow into the dancer and person she is today, and we know she is going to absolutely thrive. We cannot wait to see where this journey takes you, Jess.

The RAD is very lucky to have you 💛

🤸 DID YOU KNOW WE OFFER ACRO AT SGDA? 🤸

Until quite recently, there weren’t many options for Acro classes in Chester, so I don’t think lots of local families realise we now have a full Acro programme at SGDA!

We have five different classes, from complete beginners right through to Level 4. This means children can be placed in the class that actually suits their current ability and can keep progressing as they develop.

We have full mats and an AirTrack, brilliant teachers and, because we are a dance school too, the children get strong dance training alongside their Acro. We also offer Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Lyrical, Commercial and Musical Theatre, so they can access everything in one place.

We welcome children who have never tried Acro before, as well as children who already have experience and might be looking for somewhere new to train.

Classes run on a Thursday, Friday & Saturday at The Hammond School in Chester.

If you’d like to know which class would suit your child, just send us an email to [email protected] 💜

We asked, you told us what you wanted, so we’ve added THREE brand new classes to our September timetable 💚

One of the things that really matters to us at SGDA is listening to our families and making sure there are opportunities for children at different ages, stages and confidence levels to find their place with us.

So we’ve added:

🎭 Mini Musical Theatre
Saturday 09:30-10:00
Age 3.5-6

🎭 Junior Musical Theatre
Saturday 10:05-10:50
Age 6-9

🤸 Beginner Acrobatics
Saturday 14:05-14:35
Age 6-10

All three are completely new classes, which makes September such a lovely time to join. Nobody is walking into a group that has been together for years, everyone gets to start and grow together.

Our Musical Theatre classes are for the children who love singing, dancing, acting, storytelling and performing. Lots of confidence building, creativity and fun, while still learning proper performance skills along the way.

Beginner Acrobatics is a genuine beginner class, giving children the time to build the strength, flexibility and foundations they need safely before progressing onto more advanced skills.

No previous experience is needed for any of them.

We’re really excited to see these new little groups grow and to welcome some new faces into SGDA this September.

Trial bookings are now open 💚

We’ve been shortlisted for THREE UK Dance Awards and I am honestly so chuffed about the actual categories we’ve been shortlisted for.

✨ Excellence in Pre-Professional Training
✨ Outstanding Studio Culture
✨ Nurturing Young Movers

Because really, those three things together are exactly what we are trying to do at SGDA.

We want to train dancers properly. We want the kids who want to go further with dance to have really good teaching, opportunities and somewhere they can actually progress.

But just as importantly, I care A LOT about what it feels like to be a child at SGDA.

♦ Are they happy here?
♦ Do they feel safe?
♦ Do they feel like they belong?
♦ Do their teachers actually know them as people and not just as a name on a register?
♦ Can they have a rubbish day and still walk into class and know they are alright?

That stuff matters to me just as much as technique.
And I think that is why being shortlisted for these particular awards means so much.

We know people looking in from the outside only get a little snapshot of what SGDA is really like day to day. They don’t see all the tiny things that happen in classes, the relationships our teachers build with the kids, the confidence that grows over time, or the moments where a child suddenly feels like they’ve found their place.

That’s why our parents’ voices matter so much.
So I am going to shamelessly ask for your help.

If you love SGDA, if your child has found their place here, grown in confidence, made friends, been supported through something, or just genuinely loves coming to dance, PLEASE tell people.

Comment on our posts. Share things. Leave us a Google review if you haven’t already. Tell the story from your side.

Because I can bang on all day about what I think SGDA is, but hearing it from our parents and dancers is what really shows people who we are.

Miss Ecc and Miss W are heading down to London at the beginning of October to represent us and I am SO excited for them.

Whatever happens, being shortlisted for these three feels pretty special. 🫰

✨ A very special congratulations to Verity! ✨

We’re so proud to share that Verity has been offered a place on The Royal Ballet School’s Online Classes, as well as being placed on the short waiting list for their face-to-face classes.

Such a brilliant achievement and a lovely recognition of all the hard work, commitment and passion she puts into her ballet training.

We are incredibly proud of you, Verity, and can’t wait to see where this next opportunity takes you. 🤍

🩰 Congratulations Verity!

Quick September update…

A few of our classes are now almost full, and RAD Grade 1 Ballet is completely booked.

We do still have spaces in some of our other classes, particularly across our younger age groups, so if you’ve been thinking about joining us in September now is a good time to get in touch or book a trial.

I’ll pop some more specific class availability up over the next few days so you can see where we still have room.

www.sgda.org.uk

Massive congratulations to Ellis on successfully auditioning and accepting a place at The Hammond on their Acting and Musical Theatre Course! 🌟

We're so proud of you and everything you've achieved.

The best part? Ellis will be continuing his dance training with us at SGDA alongside his studies at The Hammond, so we can't wait to keep supporting him on his journey.

Congratulations, Ellis. Here's to an exciting next chapter! 💙

Huge congratulations to Zara on successfully auditioning for English Youth Ballet and being offered a place to perform in Swan Lake! 🦢

This was such a fantastic achievement and we're incredibly proud of her.

Although Zara made the difficult decision not to accept the place because she had already committed to performing in Fifteen, it says so much about her character and loyalty to her peers.

Well done, Zara. We are very proud of you.✨

We're so excited to share that Lucy has been offered a place on the 3 Year Professional Diploma in Musical Theatre at The Hammond! 🌟

Lucy joined us before Christmas to strengthen her dance technique in preparation for her auditions, and we're absolutely delighted to see all of her hard work pay off.

A huge congratulations, Lucy. Thank you for letting us be part of your journey, and we wish you every success for the exciting years ahead! 💙✨