Saturday School

Primary Ballet (ages 5 - 8 years, ISTD)

GSA has recently introduced ISTD classes to its timetable and we are fortunate enough to have an ISTD (Imperial Classical Ballet) examiner among our staff. This is a 30-minute class where the children will be working on the ISTD syllabus working towards their Primary examination. Ballet is the most important part of a performer's training and the core of all dance forms, it helps with posture, coordination, poise, strength, and flexibility.

Grade 1 Ballet (ages 8+, ISTD)

Grade one ballet is for those who have taken their Primary either with the ISTD (Imperial Classical ballet) or another syllabus, or for children aged 8- 10 years who would like to start Ballet. This is an hour-long class where students will participate in the core elements of ballet and refine their skills. When they are ready, they will be entered into their Grade 1 Ballet examination. The class will include Barre work, centre work, adage and allegro, focusing on posture, coordination, poise, strength, flexibility, artistry, and musicality.

Grade 3 Ballet age (10+, ISTD)

Grade 3 Ballet is for those who have taken their Grade 2 with the ISTD (Imperial Classical ballet) or another syllabus, or for children aged 10+ who would like to start Ballet. We find children are often later at starting ballet due to realising it is the most important part of any performance training, and this class is the perfect start for our late starters. This is an hour-long class where students will participate in the core elements of ballet and refine their skills. When they are ready, they will be entered into their Grade 3 Ballet examination. The class will include Barre work, centre work, adage, and allegro, focusing on posture, coordination, poise, strength, flexibility, artistry, and musicality.

Grade 5 Ballet (ISTD), you must have passed Grade 4 to join)

Grade 5 Ballet is for those who have taken their Grade 4 with the ISTD (Imperial Classical Ballet) or another syllabus. They must have passed their Grade 4 examination to join this class. This is an hour-long class where students will participate in the core elements of ballet and refine and develop their skills. When they are ready, they will be entered into their Grade 5 Ballet examination. The class will include Barre work, centre work, adage, pirouettes, and allegro, focusing on posture, coordination, poise, strength, flexibility, artistry, and musicality.

Intermediate Ballet (age 14+, non-syllabus class)

This one-hour class is aimed at students aged 14 and above who have taken ballet previously, or those with dance experience and would like to develop ballet. This is a free Ballet class and doesn’t contain any syllabus content; it would work well alongside syllabus classes taken elsewhere and would complement other subjects within Saturday school. The class will consist of Barre work, centre practice, adage, pirouettes, allegro, batterie, and grands allegro, focusing on posture, coordination, poise, strength, flexibility, artistry, and musicality, as well as picking up enchainment.

Pointe class age (11+, non-syllabus class)

This class is only open to those who have reached Grade 5 ballet standard in either ISTD (Imperial classical ballet) or another syllabus. Students should have had extensive Ballet training before joining this class. If they don’t already have pointe shoes, we would suggest they start the class on demi-pointe, and when we think they are ready, we would advise them when to get pointe shoes. This is a 30-minute class working on the skills of pointe work alongside the technical skills covered in our other ballet classes. The class is aimed at the level of the students, and some students will only do barre work, whilst others will be ready to progress into centre work. This class would work well if you attend ballet classes elsewhere and would like to focus on developing your pointe work skills.

Grade 3 Tap (age 10+, ISTD)

This class is for those who have taken their Grade 2 examination in either ISTD or another syllabus, or those wishing to start Tap as a beginner, but must be 10+ years old. Students will be working towards their ISTD Grade 3 examination. Tap helps to develop rhythm, style, and timing, and is an extremely fun form of dance. A minimum age of 10 is required.

Grade 4 Tap (ISTD)

This class is for students who have passed their grade 4 Tap examination in ISTD or any other syllabus. The students will be working towards their ISTD examination as well as covering free work. Tap is a fun form of dance and works on developing rhythm, style, artistry, performance, and precision of footwork.

Grade 5 Tap (ISTD)

This class is for students who have passed their grade 4 Tap examination in ISTD or any other syllabus. The students will be working towards their ISTD examination as well as covering free work. Tap is a fun form of dance and works on developing rhythm, style, artistry, performance, and precision of footwork.

Intermediate Tap (ISTD)

This class is for students who are experienced tappers, they must have been Tap dancing for several years and reached Intermediate level in any syllabus. The class covers the ISTD Intermediate syllabus as well as working on free work, which will help develop the tapper's rhythm, style, artistry, performance, and precision of footwork.

Street dance is a fun and energetic style that helps create coordinated dancers. If you want to dance like the music videos, then this is the class for you. Using pop music and a fun atmosphere, this is a hugely popular class with the young of today.

Jazz is a technical class and is aimed at helping develop a more technical dancer. The class consists of warm-up, technical exercises and combinations. These will help develop a student’s coordination, flexibility, strength, and endurance. Jazz is an essential part of the training in musical theatre. All levels welcome.

Intermediate and Advanced Jazz

These classes are for experienced dancers who have had a high level of training and developed excellent technique and skills. Within these classes, we will be looking at challenging the students to further develop different styles and techniques.

Introduction to Musical Theatre (ages 5 - 7)

This is a 90-minute class. Students take part in three 30-minute classes of equal length in the three main disciplines: Singing, Acting, and Dancing. This class helps to develop children’s confidence as well as gives them an insight into the performing arts world. Within the class, we have recently worked on numbers and scripts from Annie, Lion King, and Oliver. All classes are taught by professionals who have worked within the industry and are experienced and qualified teachers.

Musical Theatre

Musical Theatre is the class where all the skills you have gained are put together. Students will work on script, song, and dances from well-known Musicals. Recently, our students have been working on Six the Musical, Wonderland, Grease, Hairspray, Mack N Mabel and Newsie.

Singing

Within the group singing class, you will develop self-expression, musicality, rhythm, and harmonies. Classes will consist of warm-up, technical exercises, group singing and harmonies, and staging a performance. The class is designed to help improve your singing ability, work within a group, and gain confidence. These classes are taught by experienced professional tutors.

One-to-One Singing Tutorials (Ages 10+)

Every singer has a unique voice, and in your lesson, the focus is entirely on you. The aim is to help you discover the full potential of your voice while making the experience fun, supportive, and confidence-building.

In your one-to-one singing tutorial, you can expect:

• Personalised Warm-Ups & Exercises – Tailored to your voice type, goals, and current ability.
• Breath Control & Technique – Learn how to support your sound, improve stamina, and sing with ease.
• Pitch, Tone & Range Development – Strengthen your voice, expand your range, and find your unique style.
• Song Coaching – Work on songs you love, improving expression, confidence, and performance skills.
• Confidence Building – Develop stage presence and overcome nerves in a safe and encouraging space.
• Audition Preparation – Specialist coaching to help you succeed in professional auditions, drama school entry, or theatre jobs, including song choice, delivery, and performance confidence.
• Flexible Pace – Lessons move at your speed, whether you’re a beginner wanting to find your voice or an experienced singer looking to refine technique.
• Optional Exams – For those who want a formal goal to work toward, you’ll have the opportunity to take London College of Music (LCM) Musical Theatre exams, gaining recognised qualifications while developing your performance skills.
• Flexible Pace – Lessons move at your speed, whether you’re a beginner wanting to find your voice or an experienced singer looking to refine technique.

Acting

Our Acting classes help to develop confidence and acting skills. Within the class, you will work on improvisations, scripted work, and technical acting skills. Many of our students use these classes as preparation for drama school and to develop their love of acting. These classes are taught by experienced professional tutors.

One-to-One Acting Tutorials (ages 10+)

These personalised lessons are tailored to each student’s ability, confidence level, and goals. In a 30-minute session, students will:

• Develop Core Acting Skills: Explore voice, movement, character work, and stage presence through practical exercises.
• Build Confidence & Creativity: Gain self-assurance in performance while learning to interpret scripts and express emotions effectively.
• Work on Monologues & Text: Receive guidance in choosing and preparing age-appropriate, impactful monologues.
• LAMDA Exam Preparation (optional): Structured coaching to prepare students for graded examinations, focusing on technique, clarity, and interpretation.
• Audition Coaching (optional): Support in preparing for drama school entry or professional auditions, with detailed feedback to strengthen performance.

Benefits for Students

• Practical tools to tackle nerves and improve delivery.
• A growing repertoire of well-prepared monologues.
• A clear pathway to LAMDA exams or audition readiness.

Our classes are designed for students wanting to attend as a hobby and for those wanting to improve their skills for a career in the performing arts. These classes are taught by professionals who have had years of experience teaching within the vocational and recreation sector. We have students of all ages and abilities attending the classes.