
I LOVE Sophie Dee School of Dance, Cheadle Hulme
19 Jul 2016I love Sophie Dee School of Dance in Cheadle Hulme is a fun and friendly dance school for everyone.
There are classes for children from 18 months old, right up to adults. Miss Sophie and her team specialise in exceptional dance training in all genres – ballet, tap, modern, jazz, street dance, musical theatre and pre-school dance. Sophie Dee School of Dance is also well known for the opportunities given to the children to be involved in shows, competitions and performances within in the community. There are classes for EVERYONE – from serious dancers to those simply looking for a fabulous hobby!
Miss Sophie started Sophie Dee School of Dance on a snowy January morning back in 2010, with just four children in the scout hut on Oak Avenue. From little acorns mighty oak trees grow, as they say, and Miss Sophie hasn’t looked back since that day. Having trained at the Northern Ballet School, Sophie has been teaching and performing since 2004. She tells us that running her own dance school was always her dream – so she’s quite an inspiration to her students, too.
So, that cold winter’s morning was an exceptionally proud one for Sophie – although she’ll admit, a tad nerve-wracking, too. Soon, more and more children began to hear about Miss Sophie’s classes and the school began to grow. Now in her own full-equipped studio – complete with sprung floor, mirrors and barres – above Whittaker’s on Station Road, Sophie Dee School of Dance has over 500 pupils as well as a uniform shop, office and a team of EIGHT fantastic teachers. All share that same passion for dance and teaching. All consider themselves blessed to have a career doing something they love.
Sophie tells us:
‘I just LOVE teaching dance to children, and sharing my passion and love for dance, sharing my experiences from when I was learning to dance when I was growing up and how I learnt from them, seeing the children achieve goals, do well in exams, beam on stage, all these things are what our job is about and why any dance teacher does what they do.’
‘There are always challenges when running your own business, especially when it has grown so fast… it’s very hard to get a work/life balance as dance teachers work evenings and weekends mainly. I have a toddler son and it can be hard to juggle. This is probably the biggest challenge, but having fantastic staff and family really does help.’
Sophie is full of praise for her team. Vice Principal Miss Liz is one of Sophie’s best friends, and Sophie says, she couldn’t have built Sophie Dee School of Dance into what it is today without Liz and the other fantastic teachers. All are fully qualified and highly experienced as well as DBS checked, insured and first-aid trained. Children learn to dance in a fun yet safe environment. It is Sophie Dee School of Dance’s mission to ensure everyone leaves with a smile on their face!
There have been many more proud moments than challenging ones. Sophie Dee School of Dance have produced three amazing shows at Stockport Plaza. Their next school show is booked at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester as they’ve outgrown the Plaza!
As Sophie says ‘the shows are always a huge challenge but SO rewarding and even though they are extremely stressful we all LOVE showtime! Our last show was definitely a proud moment. I looked on the stage and saw all those hundreds of children smiling who had just had the time of their lives… I couldn’t hold the tears in.’
Sophie is also extremely proud whenever Sophie Dee School of Dance get their students’ exam results. The children work hard to achieve their results – which are always absolutely fantastic. It’s the same with competitions. The competition children work so hard for Sophie Dee School of Dance. They’re pushed, and give everything they have, but the results speak for themselves. They continue to improve with every single competition. Amazing though the competitions are, Sophie and her team are equally thrilled when children who’ve struggled suddenly ‘get it’ and their smile is just amazing to see. Those little achievements are every bit as important as the bigger ones at Sophie Dee School of Dance. The toddler classes can be great stress busters as the little ones will often have the teachers in stitches!
A particularly proud moment came recently. Sophie Dee School of Dance were asked to provide four ballerinas for boxer Amir Khan’s daughter’s 2nd birthday celebrations. The event was amazing – a spectacular party at Bolton Football Club, covered by ‘Hello’. The dancers loved every minute, and were invited to join the party after the performance. What an honour!
Sophie Dee School of Dance offer so much more than just traditional ballet classes and even have a vocal coach and drama teacher. Have a look for yourself:
Mummy & MePre School Dance This 30 minute dance class is designed for children from 20 months + and their Mummy to come and enjoy music and movement. It will help your child develop confidence, co-ordination, rhythm, music and spatial awareness and all the fundamental motor skills we want to develop in children. |
Rhythmic RascalsPre School Dance The Rhythmic Rascals classes for 3 and 4 year olds are a development on the introduction to dance they had in “Mummy and Me” through various stories, themes and adventures. |
BalletBallet, Tap & Modern At the age of 5 your child will move into the Pre Primary Class and follow the ISTD syllabus, which at this level is still very much fun and themed. |
TapBallet, Tap & Modern At the age of 5 your child will move into the Pre Primary Class and start learning the Pre Primary Tap Syllabus in preparation for taking their first tap exam. |
ModernBallet, Tap & Modern Modern is a progression from Mini Modern that that children did with in the Rhythmic Rascals classes and the Pre Primary Class where they learnt various exercises from the Primary Modern Syllabus
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Street DanceStreet Dance Street Dance – Come along to our very popular Street Dance classes to learn all the latest funky Street Dance moves as seen on MTV, pop videos and great dance films such as ‘Step Up’ and ‘Street Dance 3D’. These classes are a lot of fun and suitable for all abilities to enjoy.
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Musical TheatreMusical Theatre Dance, Sing and Act in out Musical Theatre classes – You will learn extracts from all of your favourite musicals. For anyone who loves the stage and performing this is the class for you, filled with fun and variety from drama games to using props whilst dancing and learning lyrics to songs, this class really does build confidence in children and lets the performer inside them come out. |
Adult TapAdult dance Classes Get those toes tapping, you do not need to be Fred Astaire to come along and join in with a tap class, its great fun learning new steps and routines each week. |
Sophie and the team at Sophie Dee School of Dance love Cheadle Hulme – and the lovely children in their classes and their families.
Sophie points out ‘Cheadle Hulme is such a friendly village, we LOVE being part of it. We’re proud that Sophie Dee School of Dance’s home is – and always will be – in Cheadle Hulme.’
Sophie Dee School of Dance
- Web : sophiedeeschoolofdance.co.uk
- Facebook : Sophie Dee School of Dance
- Twitter : @SDSDDance
- Phone : 0161 485 7188
- Email : [email protected]