Our ethos is “to nurture“
Our slogan is “Nurture. Inspire. Achieve“
North Liverpool Dance Academy was established in 1993. It was originally set up in a Community Centre in Bootle, Liverpool. Its purpose was to offer the expert tuition of the Principal Cathi Conroy-Jones to the general public in the heart of a working class area. Miss Conroy brought the expertise and experience of having worked at the Northern Ballet, Manchester and The Hammond, Chester to her own hub and it has continued to thrive, progress and develop. NLDA has become well respected and has a reputation as a centre of excellence.
In 2024, former pupil, mother of two NLDA Allumni and Studio Manager Kerry Tolcher took the reigns as Managing Director. Kerry appointed Hayley Halcrow as Principal Teacher of the Junior Department and Jenna Bradshaw as Principal Teacher of the College. Both Miss Hayley and Miss Jenna are also NLDA Allumni and as the Senior Leadership Team Miss Kerry, Miss Hayley and Miss Jenna all continue to foster the values established by Cathi Conroy-Jones over the years. Miss Conroy continues to be part of the NLDA Family, as a Patron and also by providing artistic direction and support.
Today, North Liverpool Dance Academy is based in Walton, Liverpool and occupies 2 floors of an early 1900’s Art Deco Building. Our 3 studios are spacious, light and airy with semi-sprung floors, full length mirrors, barres and heating. Each floor features changing and washroom facilities and we welcome students to use either of our 2 kitchens with hot and cold water, kettle, toaster and microwave facilities. Our school is easily accessible by car or public transport as it is on a main route to Liverpool city centre.
The ethos of the school is “to nurture“; this is our prime intention when teaching our pupils, young and old. All staff are caring and understanding to each individual as well as being highly qualified and experienced in their field. All staff hold current DBS checks and are monitored by the Managing Director.
Children are allocated classes at their ability level rather than age level. They are constantly monitored and entered for ISTD exams when they are individually ready for them.
At North Liverpool Dance Academy, we hold our own performances every 12-18 months, of which we encourage all of our students to take part. We are renowned for producing excellent shows that audiences thoroughly enjoy and show all of our pupil’s strengths to the maximum.
We hold a separate department for selected pupils to take part in Festivals/Competitions. These pupils are invited by the staff and classes are solos, duets and groups. We have had many successes since we started entering festivals and are proud of the awards the pupils have achieved.
We actively encourage all of our pupils and their families to participate in fundraising activities so as to involve as many pupils as possible to take part in numerous events throughout the year.
Dance Genres
Ballet
The Ballet syllabus we cover at NLDA is the Imperial Classical Ballet style. The roots of this stem form the early ISTD days when the syllabus was written in 1913. The style is based on the teaching of the French Paris Opera. Over the years it has evolved to promote the English Classical style and addresses the changing needs of ballet dancers today.
Tap Dance
Tap has evolved from an American dance form, thought to have come from an amalgamation of African dance and Irish step dance and/or English Clog dancing. The dancer uses their feet to strike the floor, beating out different rhythms. Special tap shoes are worn which have small metal plates on the ball and heel. These give a distinctive sound which the proficient tap dancer can make incredibly interesting in tone and quality. Tap dance is a theatrical art for seen on stage in musicals. NLDA enter their pupils for ISTD Tap examinations.
Modern Theatre Dance
Modern theatre dance is a rhythmic dance style which originated in America and spread across the world. It is widely seen on stage in musical productions and is known for its theatrical qualities. Modern dance can be a highly energetic dance style but beautiful, lyrical modern dance also exists. In this we see strong emotion, expression and quality along with the dancer’s precise technique. NLDA enter their pupils for ISTD Modern examinations.
Musical Theatre
This is a theatrical art form for that combines singing, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical are communicated through the words, music and movement. This class nurtures our dramatic pupils who have natural talents in the acting field and who may progress to performing in musicals. Improvisation forms part of the class and pupils enjoy the freedom of allowing themselves to express their emotions and experiment with different story lines and plots.
Jazz Dance
This style is very broad. Every jazz dancer/teacher is individual and interprets their chosen music in different ways. Students enjoy this genre as it is usually performed to music that is current and familiar to them. It is usually bright and vibrant, but fluid and soulful music is also used enabling the students to express many differing qualities.
Commercial
Commercial / Hip Hop is a form of street dance performed to current music. Initially it was founded in the 1970s in the U.S. Where ‘dance crews’ evolved. The TV show ‘Soul Train’ and the 1980s films ‘Breakin’ ‘Beat Street’ and ‘Wild Style’ showcased these crews and their styles giving Hip Hop mainstream exposure. The dance industry responded with a commercial, studio based version of Hip Hop that we see today.
Lyrical
Lyrical Dance is a style of Dance that combines elements of Ballet, Jazz and Contemporary Dance. It focuses on expressing emotion and telling a story through fluid, graceful movements. Lyrical Dance emphasises balance, flexibility and fluidity whilst incorporating elements like jumps, turns and floor work. This class is open to all children aged 6+.
Acro Dance
Acro Dance is the performing of extraordinary feats of balance and agility in a dance form. Apparatus such as mats and springboards are used for practice purposes. This genre enhances the other dance forms by increasing flexibility and strength.
Festivals
Dance Festivals are basically competitions. Students at NLDA have to be invited to take part in Festival classes as a very high level of technical ability and performance is required. We hold solo, duet and group Festival classes. NLDA pupils have been very successful in the Festivals they have entered. We encourage our pupils to enjoy these opportunities and to support each other, as well as other dance schools. Professional Conduct is imperative and NLDA encourage this at all times.
