Derby Academy (School of Dance)

Derby Academy is the oldest private dance school in Derby city centre, United Kingdom, and was founded in 1978 by its current principal, Eve Leveaux. Ms Leveaux has spent the last 30 years building the school which now has over 150 pupils working towards grades and standards primarily in the Cecchetti form of ballet.

The school occupies 261m² across 2 levels and includes 2 purpose-built dance studios complete with audio and lighting facilities for performances to audiences of 100 seats.

Derby Academy is an Approved Dance Centre ^[1] of the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD) and Cecchetti ballet forms the central core of the Academy’s work.

Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares

In 2006 Derby Academy was approached by the Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares production team to provide salsa dancers & tuition for the filming of an episode in the La Gondola restaurant in Derby. Two teachers and a number of pupils from Derby Academy appeared in the series 3 episode first broadcast on 14 March 2006 ^{[2] [3]}

Patron

Ben Wright, a former pupil of Derby Academy (School of Dance) and a successful director, choreographer and dancer, is patron of Derby Academy. Ben trained under the direction of Eve Leavaux, Derby Academy's principal, before joining Ballet Rambert.

Past Pupils

Notable past pupils of Derby Academy include:

Ben Wright (credits include Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake at Sadler's Wells playing the Prince) ^[4]

Taira Foo (original cast member - We Will Rock You (musical), Dominion Theatre - London's West End) ^[5]

History

Derby Academy's founder and principal, Eve Leveaux, trained at Ballet Rambert in Paris, and was taught by Dame Marie Rambert before returning to England to start a family.

Derby Academy (School of Dance) is located in a former textile mill until it was lovingly restored and renovated in 1978.

References

1. ^ http://www.dance-teachers.org/ADCs/#12
2. ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramsay's_Kitchen_Nightmares
3. ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0771977/
4. ^ http://www.stagework.org.uk/webdav/harmonise?Page/@id=6010&Session/@id=D_TDnlvNLBu4bWQFeAIDYr&Section/@id=339
5. ^ http://www.footlightsyouththeatre.co.uk/taira_foo.htm

Coordinates: 52°55′04″N 1°29′25″W / 52.9177°N 1.4903°W / 52.9177; -1.4903