November 2022

Bree had a wonderful time in London.  As a RB associate, she was invited to watch the Royal Ballet rehearse. Lovely opportunity for the student.

August 2022

Lovely to return from my family holiday with news that all students passed with silver or gold medals in their recent exams. Well done to everyone!  Will hopefully have certificates and medals by the start of term.

Congratulations to Dawid – former pupil of Monnow Ballet and Elmhurst – for being selected to (break)dance at the Commonwealth Games!

Very proud of former pupil Liam winning his latest professional boxing match, whilst supporting Herefordshire Mind in memory of good friends lost.  Went to support him in Birmingham and what a night! At the end, he did his signature double tour en l’air which he managed after six whole rounds – fabulous!

July 2022

Wonderful evening with these two former students at Elmhurst Ballet School. Amelia caught up with old friends and we watched Dawid’s last performance there. End of an era but start of new exciting chapters for both of them

New Silver Swans classes starting at Goodrich on Mondays and Ewyas Harold and Abbey Dore on Tuesdays.  Let’s get dancing!  For more info message Nina on 07974 117 701

Ready for class!  Heather sporting a ‘Fame’ look today.  Never a dull moment with my Silver Swans, not sure what’s better the ballet or the laughter, all good for body and soul.

June 2022

Lovely ballet moments at Ewyas Harol.  My lovely Juniors and Grade 1s dancing with the new scarves.

Beautiful dancing today!  First vocational ballet exam for Carys, Yasmin and Ella-May. Well done girls so much hard work, feeling proud whatever the results will be.

May 2022

Stunning performance by Belle, Polly and Louis in Monmouth Music Theatre’s Sound of Music at the Savoy Theatre last night.  Standing ovation no less! Lovely to see pupils past and present and to support our amazing local theatre groups.

April 2022

New ballet classes! Wednesday mornings at Whitchurch.  For preschool and homeschooled children age 3+.  Photo of Carys one of our Intermediate Foundation students, also a Habs dance scholar and Senior Associate of Ballet Cymru.

February 2022

Calling all ballet dancers age 4+!  Classes at Ewyas Harold, Llangrove and Whitchurch (nr Monmouth) starting 28th Feb.  Boys and girls of all abilities welcomed and nurtured.  Royal Academy of Dance registered teacher.  Photo – one of our Grade 4s, a Junior Associate with Royal Ballet and Elmhurst.

July 2021

Fabulous performances of our summer show, Alice in Wonderland. Our seniors enjoyed dancing for the residents of the Priory Care Home, Llandogo.  And most of us got together at the stunning Usk Castle for a whole school performance the week after.

We even had a guest solo by ex pupil Dawid, currently studying full time at Elmhurst Ballet School, as our breakdancing Ace of Clubs! We had smiling faces all round, lots of bunting and family picnics. A lovely end to a tricky year.

January 2021

All Classes Back to Online

We’ve got this though – we know how to have productive fun lessons whilst staying safely at home doing our bit.

Nothing better than a ballet class to start the day. Full of smily faces and fantastic dancing.  In junior ballet, we learnt our new pirate dance, optional dress up next week.

Thinking of all my lovely ballet families, whether homeschooling or out at work.  Keep checking emails and Facebook for ideas to keep the kids happily dancing throughout the week.

Stay safe all x

December 2020

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all my lovely ballet families!  A few pics of our end of term xmas dances (online or socially distanced). Can’t let a pandemic stop those!

Dances included:

Playing in the snow, twinkly stars, Xmas morning, countdown to Christmas and A Christmas Carol.  Extremely Christmassy costumes, props and make up!

A fun last session of term with my fabulous Silver Swans.

November 2020

Congratulations to Carys

Huge congrats to Carys for gaining a highly coveted place with Ballet Cymru associates.

Carys will train with them at weekends and continue her Monnow Ballet training during the week.

Wonderful happy news much needed right now!

October 2020

Exciting News!

Results just in from Royal Academy of Dance summer exams – Golds and Silvers all round!!

Congrats to all students, they worked so hard.  They had to study online and then dance in such strange/challenging conditions and they still got fabulous results.

I am very proud of them all.

September 2020

Elmhurst Associates

Our two Elmhurst associates loving being back in the studio!

May 2020

Exciting News!

So excited that Amelia has been accepted into the sixth form of Elmhurst Ballet School with funding.

Amelia danced with us whilst a JA of the Royal Ballet and then started full time at Elmhurst at 11.  Auditions are even more competitive at sixth form so huge congratulations from all of us!

April 2020

Online classes a success!

Although sadly not all students can access them easily; those who can are enjoying the routine, fitness and social aspect to them.  And I am getting so much from seeing my wonderful dancers each week!  Especially now I’ve overcome my tech fears!  The kids have their chatty catch ups at the end of class and we’ve even seen all sorts of beautiful pets make an appearance too… including llamas, rabbits and a budgie!

Thanks to Kate for her lovely review of my online teaching endeavours:

” Thanks so much Nina, I just wanted to say how utterly impressed I have been with how amazingly you have adapted to online lessons.  Freya and Erin have really enjoyed them and I have really enjoyed watching them!  Thanks for being so flexible and creative with making it work.”

March 2020

Classes are stopping for now, please stay safe and follow updates via email.  Thinking of you all.

January 2020

Brilliant Exam Results!

100% Silver and Gold medals. Well done everyone!!  Certificates and medals should arrive in the new few weeks.

New Ballet Venue

We are about to start another venue for Monnow Ballet classes. This will be at Llangrove Village Hall on Sunday afternoons.

Please contact Miss Salmon for more info.

Silver Swan Classes

Just starting our second term of very successful fun classes for adult learners. All ages and abilities welcome. These are at Whitchurch Memorial Hall on Wednesday mornings.

Contact Miss Salmon for details.

December 2019

Amazing Christmas Performance!

Nearly all Monnow Ballet children danced our own version of ‘Hansel and Gretel’ at the Blake Theatre Monmouth on 14 December 2019. From the twinkly stars, giant sweets and swirling snowflakes, we had a wonderful time putting on their performance in a proper theatre!

A long day for the children with a wonderful performace at the end that everyone enjoyed. We even had Amelia and Dawid visit us for solo performances, our ex-Monnow Ballet pupils, now training at Elmhurst Ballet School. Well done everyone!

November 2019

Exams

Brilliant effort from all the students who have worked so hard on primary/Grade 1/Grade 2 Royal Academy of Dance examinations. We had a lovely, exciting day with a very friendly welcoming examiner, who made the children feel very at ease. Chocolates were, quite rightly, given out at the end, all smiley faces!

July/August 2019

Summer Workshops

The children had a wonderful time exploring the themes of ‘Fairytales’ and ’Sleeping Beauty’. We fitted in exam revision classes, choreography, craft and some picnicking. Fun all round!

MARCH 2019

Fantastic effort in Grade 3 exams at Ballet Cymru.

Such a lovely venue for our students, who felt they did their best and really enjoyed dancing in a professional studio!

FEBRUARY 2019

Congrats on great exam results from our new Grade 6s, plus first pointe shoes all round. Exciting times!

JANUARY 2019

Well done to Josef for attending the Royal Academy of Dance boys only dance course.

Josef enjoyed trying different types of dance led by male teachers and dancing with just boys.  Even though Street Dance is a particular favourite, Josef was keen to try it all.

DECEMBER 2018

Our first ballet show at our lovely new branch in Ewyas Harold.  Students from age 3 to 15 years danced a selection of class work and their own Christmas themed choreography.

Parents provided fantastic home baked goodies and we had a great end to the term.

We had ex pupils Amelia and Dawid join us, both full time students at Elmhurst Ballet School. They wowed us with their technique and trickier enchainements.

Merry Christmas all!

SEPTEMBER 2018

Adult ballet restarting in Redbrook on Wednesdays.  All welcome.

New Grade 2 class at Ewyas Harold starts on Saturday mornings.

A new pre-school class starting in Redbrook after Christmas, names are being taken already, so please sign up if you’re interested.

AUGUST 2018

Results in!  Grade 1s all passed with either merit or distinction.  Well done all of you!

JUNE 2018

Lovely to visit Amelia and Dawid at Elmhurst Ballet School for their end of year show in Birmingham. Both danced brilliantly, a proud moment seeing their vocational training turning them into fab dancers!

Lots of hard work paid off for our wonderful Grade 1s. They travelled to Ballet Cymru for their exams, after much exam practise, and came out smiling having done their best!

Fantastic to hear that Josh has been accepted into the Brit school in London to follow his dream of musical theatre.  We all knew he would after bringing so much talent and enthusiasm to all the shows he did with us!  After being accepted into Tring but not being able to take the place age 11, he worked solidly at school and in musical theatre groups to prepare for 16+ places.  Good luck Josh, you so totally deserve it!

February 2018

New adult ballet classes starting!  All welcome.

January 2018

Results are in! Our Grade 2s did extremely well – all received silvers or golds which is brilliant and hugely deserved from all of them.

December 2017

Congratulations children on a fabulous performance! The Blake Theatre was such a great venue to dance at, lots of excited faces and smiles as the lights and music started.

Thank you to our fabulous narrator Reueben for being such a great Charles Dickens.  And thank you to Amelia and Dawid for guest starring as young Scrooge and Belle. How wonderful to have past pupils dancing with us. Amelia and Dawid are both studying full time at Elmhurst Ballet School in Birmingham but wanted to dance with their old ballet friends and be with us for the day, just lovely!

November 2017

Costumes ready, photos sorted, props being made (thank you parents for being fabulous as always)

Grade 2 mock exams went very well indeed. All the children feel ready and confident for the real thing.

Grade 2 exams – fingers crossed they went well. The children felt they did their best which is the most important thing. Dancing at Ballet Cymru, Newport was as always such an inspiring venue for the children.

October 2017

Getting excited for our Christmas production ‘A Christmas Carol‘ at the Blake Theatre, Monmouth.  The students have chosen parts/characters so now music is chosen and we have started the choreography.

September 2017

Ewyas Harold classes start at the Memorial Hall. Very exciting to start another branch of Monow Ballet School!