Louise Ryrie, the founder of the Louise Ryrie School in Northgate, Crawley, has been providing dance education for over 25 years. Her school offers classes for all ages, focusing on preparing students for exams, auditions, and performances. Louise and her team of qualified teachers aim to create a positive and supportive environment for all dancers.
Situated in St Elizabeth's Church, Northgate since 2005, the school boasts a fully equipped studio. The facilities include a professional dance floor, full-length mirrors, barres, a secure entrance, and a variety of Pilates and dance equipment. Ballet and Pilates are key components of the curriculum, fostering strength, flexibility, coordination, improved posture, and control.
Louise Ryrie School offers numerous opportunities for dancers to compete and perform locally and in London. The school collaborates with professional companies, providing students with enhanced training experiences. Many former pupils have gone on to further education in Performing Arts colleges and now work in the industry.
The school’s extensive timetable caters to everyone, from toddlers to retirees. Whether it's a parent and toddler dance group or seated Pilates for retirees, there’s something for everyone. Louise also offers private lessons, guest teacher workshops, holiday workshops, and summer schools.
For juniors and teens, ballet and Pilates are strongly recommended. These classes develop and enhance strength, flexibility, coordination, mind-body connection, spatial awareness, dance technique, weight placement, posture, and control. In addition to ballet, students receive training in PBT (Progressing Ballet Technique), modern theatre dance, contemporary, musical theatre, and tap.
Louise has over 25 years of experience teaching Pilates. She promotes self-awareness, injury prevention, and alleviating posture-related issues. Her Pilates classes teach students how to apply Pilates principles to everyday life. Louise has also created a unique dance-movement-imaginative-storytelling method for children’s Pilates classes and offers relaxation sessions and prayerful Pilates for adults.
The school is open to adults of all levels, offering mixed-level and beginner classes in ballet, fitness and dance, Pilates, and tap. These classes provide a fun environment with the possibility of working towards performance opportunities.
For retirees, classes in ballet, musical theatre, and seated Pilates are available. These sessions promote well-being, allow for learning new skills, and provide a social opportunity. Retirees can also pursue performance opportunities if they wish.
Louise Ryrie School is highly regarded by parents and students. Their New Generation Performing Arts programme and Mix the Generations initiative have received much praise.
For more information on dance classes at Louise Ryrie School, visit their website or contact them directly to find the right class for you or your child.