Maggie Purr

ARAD RAD RTS, Head of Ballet
Maggie Purr

Miss Purr is Head of Ballet and teaches at Welland and various schools locally.

Maggie is a former pupil of Welland School of Dancing. Under the tutelage of Miss Desbruslais, Maggie gained a place at the Royal Ballet School as a junior associate, and then at Central School of Ballet in 1996. In her final year, Maggie toured the UK with Ballet Central, selected as soloist for the reworking of Christopher Gable’s beloved ballet “Celebration”. Maggie’s first professional contract was with Vienna Festival Ballet touring the UK, Austria and Germany with Swan Lake, Coppelia, and The Nutcracker. Maggie’s Musical Theatre debut came in 2000, when she joined the UK tour of Phantom of the Opera as one of the Corps de Ballet. Her other performance credits include the 2001 World Tour of Rhythm of the Dance, with the National Dance Co. of Ireland, and the World Tour of Phantom of the Opera from 2005-07, touring Seoul, Taipei, Hong Kong and Singapore, where she met Mr Skinner.

In 2004 Maggie graduated from the Royal Academy of Dance, Teaching Certificate Programme, with Distinction. Since then she has taught extensively throughout the UK and Australia, as a guest teacher for New York State University, Head of Dance at St. Georges School Windsor Castle, and Ballet teacher for Bodyworks Cambridge.

In 2006 Maggie started up her own children’s dance company in Windsor called Twinkle Tots Dance, specializing in Under 5 movement, dance and creativity. The company now has over 200 pupils in the Surrey, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire areas. Maggie has brought this exciting new Twinkle Tots class to Welland School of Dancing.

Maggie and her husband James ran Welland School of Dancing from 2010-2024 before taking a step back to focus on family life and traning to become a RAD Ballet examiner.

 

Maggie’s Classes

Pre Primary RAD Ballet (Reception)
Pre Primary RAD Ballet (Reception)
RAD Pre-Primary ballet is the first grade of the Royal Academy of Dance syllabus, and is designed for children who have just started reception year at school age 4-5.
Pre-School Ballet
Pre-School Ballet
Pre-School ballet is suitable for 3-4 year olds. The classes are imagination-based, using fun stories, props, illustrations and classical music specially arranged for pre-school age children.
Primary RAD Ballet
Primary RAD Ballet
RAD Primary Ballet (Year 2) is suitable for pupils in Year 2 at school aged 6-7.
Grade 1 RAD Ballet
Grade 1 RAD Ballet
RAD Grade 1 Ballet (Year 4 )is suitable for pupils in Year 4 at school age 8-9. By this stage pupils are expected to have completed a year in RAD Grade 1 Transition Ballet, and will be approaching the stage where they can take their Grade 1 ballet exam should they so wish.
Grade 2 RAD Ballet
Grade 2 RAD Ballet
RAD Grade 2 Ballet (Year 6) is suitable for pupils in Year 6 at school age 10-11. By this stage pupils are expected to have completed a year in RAD Grade 2 Transition Ballet, and will be approaching the stage where they can take their Grade 2 ballet exam should they so wish.
General Ballet - Teen & Adult Beginners
General Ballet - Teen & Adult Beginners
General ballet is an unset ballet class recommended for older teenagers and adults who have never danced before, or who did a small amount of dance when they were younger and wish to get back into it.
General Ballet Level 2
General Ballet Level 2
Level 2 Ballet is a continuation from General Ballet offering a slightly more challenging unset class for adults who have mastered the basics and want to learn slightly more complex steps and enchainements. In fact many of our adults stay for both classes on a Wednesday evening.
Junior Pre Major Ballet
Junior Pre Major Ballet
Junior Pre Majors is an invitation only gifted and talented class for students of RAD grade 2-4 ballet level who show potential for classical ballet. Students are invited on the recommendation of Miss Purr.