Walsall Academy of Dance celebrates 60 years of helping youngsters follow their dreams.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00 We're here at Walsall Academy of Dance and an incredibly special year.
00:04 How old is the Academy?
00:06 It's 60 years old.
00:08 60 years, that's fantastic.
00:10 And you're the founder I believe?
00:12 Yes.
00:13 What's your name Adam?
00:14 Diane.
00:14 What's your last name?
00:15 Millard.
00:16 Because there'll be a lot of people I'm sure over the years that have kind of come through the school.
00:20 So we've got Diane Millard and now the running the ship is?
00:26 Christa Collard.
00:27 How long have you been involved in Christa?
00:29 Well I started here when I was two.
00:31 Wow.
00:32 And then began teaching when I was 14.
00:34 That's a young age to be teaching isn't it?
00:37 Well it was assisting so I used to help.
00:39 And then I became an assistant principal for a while.
00:45 And then used to help you run the school and then I took over myself in 2010.
00:50 Oh wow, fair play.
00:52 And, yeah well that's it.
00:54 Well you wouldn't want to pass it down to just anyone would you?
00:58 No.
00:59 And I guess if she's been dancing since she was two she knows her stuff.
01:02 So it was, what did this building used to be Diane?
01:06 We were chatting a bit earlier.
01:07 Well it was a pub, a children's butler's pub.
01:11 Yeah.
01:12 And it was up for sale and then it was taken off the estate agents.
01:21 So we put a bid in and got it.
01:26 It was derelict basically.
01:28 So it was the butts in?
01:29 The butts in.
01:30 Possibly dancing on a Saturday night but that was the most dancing I ever saw.
01:34 So you'd been dancing since you were a young girl yourself?
01:37 I, yeah, in the 50s to do ballet was thought to be not for ordinary people.
01:48 It was thought to be posh.
01:50 Okay.
01:51 And only rich kids could do it.
01:54 Yeah.
01:55 So my dream was to bring very high standard of classical ballet to my own hometown.
02:04 Oh that's interesting.
02:05 So there was a whole different kind of take on it really and yeah looking at it in a different way.
02:10 Yeah.
02:11 I was very lucky my parents sent me to probably the best teacher that there was at the time in Birmingham.
02:19 Yeah.
02:20 Madame Helena Nowitzki.
02:21 Yeah.
02:22 And I stayed with her for a few years, quite a few years.
02:26 And through her amazing teaching and inspiration I was able to open my own school.
02:34 Fantastic.
02:35 Fulfil my own dreams.
02:37 Yeah.
02:38 So 2010 Christa when you took over had it been in your mind, I'd like to have my own dance school or was it just kind of?
02:45 I think because I'd worked here for so long beforehand and had such a big part in the kind of the growth of the school.
02:54 Yeah.
02:55 Yeah I think it was something that I always wanted to do.
02:58 Yeah.
02:59 And what's, you're involved in lots of different things aren't you and have been over the years.
03:04 Tis was back in the day you were saying you used to have a regular slot there and?
03:08 We danced for the Queen's 90th birthday part of their parade.
03:12 Wow.
03:13 We took a selection of students to do that.
03:15 That's a great experience isn't it?
03:16 Yeah it was phenomenal.
03:17 Yeah yeah.
03:18 And Christa does it take its toll on your body?
03:21 You know you've been dancing since you were two.
03:23 No but I think it keeps us very young.
03:25 Well that's true actually yeah yeah I guess it does doesn't it really?
03:29 Perhaps we won't mention a birthday that we've just had.
03:32 Go on, go on.
03:33 What's the birthday?
03:34 80.
03:35 80.
03:36 Yeah.
03:37 80 years young we shall say.
03:38 Yeah.
03:39 It keeps us very young.
03:40 Yeah.
03:41 So you've still got a bit of life in them legs, do you still have a bit of a dance?
03:44 Well a bit.
03:45 Yeah.
03:46 So what's special about this school then?
03:50 I guess it's the history, the legacy and you know it's a cultural institution isn't it?
03:56 Places like this are very special really.
03:58 How many students do you reckon you've had come through here over the 60 years?
04:02 No they're all over the world now.
04:05 Yeah.
04:06 Actually there is a little wall of fame isn't there?
04:08 So you've had people that have gone on come through the school and gone on to do good things?
04:11 A lot of them, they've got their own schools and they've been on television and stage.
04:18 Yeah.
04:19 That must make you very proud then to be, you know what I mean?
04:21 Yeah I'm very proud.
04:22 And who knows there could be a little Christa behind us, she'll be taking this over and.
04:26 Maybe.
04:27 Yeah yeah.
04:28 So how are you going to mark the 60 years?
04:30 You're gonna you know is there going to be a couple of couple of tipples?
04:33 I've got a few celebrations lined up yeah, we've got a showcase so we'll do that first and then kind of spreading it out throughout the year.
04:40 Yeah, where's the showcase at?
04:42 We're holding it in Sutton Coalfield.
04:45 Yeah.
04:46 Yeah, it's a demonstration for the parents to see what the children have been learning in class all year.
04:50 Wow yeah, have we got a date set for that then?
04:52 Yeah that's July the 13th.
04:53 July the 13th, cool.
04:55 Right well I shall leave you to your classes then, thank you ever so much for inviting us down ladies, all the best.
05:01 Thank you.
05:02 Thank you.
05:03 So we've got Lou Rae here and she was in a show that came to the grounds.
05:07 Yeah they were in Queens.
05:10 Oh fantastic.
05:11 And then who've we got coming along, was one of these mentioned worked in the Moulin Rouge?
05:16 Yeah Kate worked in the Moulin Rouge and the Lido, she's still living in Paris at the moment.
05:21 Awesome.
05:22 And Aoife is currently finishing a contract in Frozen on the West End.
05:29 Great stuff.
05:31 It's lovely that you've celebrated them, you know with the pictures up here as well.
05:36 Yeah they're really kind to send me their photos and a bio and then I've got a lot for them.
05:40 Yeah and that just plays a part in inspiring the youngsters coming through to school doesn't it?
05:44 That's what we hope yeah.
05:45 Yeah.
05:46 Yeah that what they can achieve and what opportunities the world of dance can give to them.
05:50 Aoife up there, you were just saying he's travelling round on a ship performing.
05:54 Yes he is on his second contract after graduating from Ballet Theatre UK after he left us.
06:00 Fantastic.
06:01 And you know it's a lot of girls involved in dance but it is open to boys isn't it?
06:06 Oh yes definitely we do get a lot of boys come through and we do have a really good success rate of getting boys into ballet schools.
06:13 Yeah.
06:14 If they continue their training with us I think nearly all have gone on to further training.
06:19 Wow.
06:20 So just talk us through what we've got here on the wall.
06:22 Oh yeah we call this our Wall of Fame.
06:24 Yeah.
06:25 So basically we just like to celebrate the successes of some of our students and most of the students on here are those that have been awarded a scholarship nomination for achieving really high examination marks.
06:38 Yeah.
06:39 And when they get nominated it means that they're in the top 10% of the country.
06:44 Wow.
06:45 So we've just got a few here so for example we've got one there and one of our students there Francesca she is a performer who's been on the West End and travelling around the world.
06:56 Esme she has been currently touring on board ships across the world.
07:03 Cool.
07:04 Fantastic what a lovely thing to have there.
07:08 Lovely set of pictures as well.
07:10 And you've even got your own shop shall we just go on let's have a look.
07:14 Oh it's a good size as well isn't it.
07:18 It's like a treasure trove.
07:19 How you doing ladies?
07:21 As they run away camera shy.
07:24 One of those ladies was my mum.
07:26 Dance like no one is watching.
07:28 This is great isn't it so literally they can get suited and booted then.
07:36 Yeah anything that a dancer wants we've got it.
07:38 Yeah.
07:39 So I guess you are open to people who are not necessarily linked to this school then?
07:43 Yes we have lots of people come in and lots of people have bought their own shoes as well and put on fittings.
07:48 Fantastic.