Rodney's Dance School
Teaching Ballroom and Latin since 1973.
Dance classes for children and adults taught in a fun, friendly atmosphere.
Latest News
Current course - w/c 28th October 2024
We are teaching;
Beginners: Quickstep & Rumba
Intermediates: Waltz & Samba
New medal classes starting both Adults and Childrens
Starting from 18th November - we have places available in both our childrens medal classes and adult medal classes.
New Street Dance Classes with Charlotte!
Starting from 7th September - Street Dance Classes
will be held at St. John's Hall, Hitchin from 11:30am - 12:00am
Suitable for ages 8 - 16 years.
Upcoming Events
Modern Sequence Lesson
Saturday 23rd November 6:30pm - 7:30pm
Venue: Welwyn Civic Centre
New 1 hour sequence lesson before the Saturday Social
Teaching: Mayfair Quickstep and Cathrine Waltz
Cost: £9.00 or £16.00 including the Social Dance.
Saturday Social Dance at Welwyn Civic Centre
Saturday 23rd November 7:30pm - 10:30pm
Bring your own snacks, nibbles, drinks and friends.
£9.00 on the door.
Full list of Social Dance dates available here
Next course - w/c 25th November 2024
We are teaching;
Beginners: Tango & Jive
Intermediates: Quickstep & Rumba
The School
RDS was founded in 1973 by Principal R.J Perrott. Initially opened as a Ballroom and Latin American Dance School, it quickly gained popularity for its fun and informative classes. Over the years the school has continued to grow and develop.
The school's main aim is to combine high quality class content with an enjoyable teaching format. Its teachers all share a love of dance and a passion for teaching, performing, choreographing and competing.
We pride ourselves in being up-to-date in our expertise with continuous formal development for our teachers and good connections with other dance schools both locally and nationally. The dance school is accredited by the 'National Association of Teachers of Dancing' (NATD) with whom we run our examinations and teaching qualifications / training.
Aside from our regular classes we run many events such as workshops, social dances, dance holidays, parties, presentation evenings and more! As a school we have proven to be very responsive to the ideas of our students and are always updating content, classes and events.
The Teachers
Rodney Perrott
I qualified as a dance teacher in 1963 with the IDMA dance organisation, which became the IDTA in 1968, and spent the next ten years dancing competitively and winning top international awards in Ballroom and Latin, while working as Area Dance Manager for Courts School of Dancing. I opened Rodney's Dance School in 1973, teaching children and adults of all abilities. In 1976, I qualified with the prestigious NATD.
I enjoy teaching dancers of all ages and levels and am motivated by the improvement of students and the fun of the classes.
Annette Jones
I have been dancing for nearly 50 years and involved with teaching for 48. I originally started dancing in 1970 with Old Time (Sequence) and then Ballroom and Latin American, achieving 76 medals. I have been involved with teaching in various forms since 1974. I qualified in Freestyle/Disco with the ISTD in June 1989 and Latin American Dancing with IDTA in March 1991.
I joined Rodney's Dance School during the Summer of 2010 having researched a number of options within the area and have been made very welcome by everyone here.
I pride myself in teaching a standard of dance suitable to the individual and have achieved excellent results with past medallists. I am keen to teach theoretical elements to the dances to enable greater understanding and allow the student to achieve their full potential.
Everyone needs a 'constant theme' in their life and dancing has been my own - something that has been with me throughout, offering structure and direction. Let it be yours too!
Cathy Abel
I have been dancing with Rodney's Dance School since I was 6 years old and teach Ballroom, Latin American and Street dance styles. I fell in love with dancing when taking Disco exams and competing with the school in the 1980s.
Having worked for over 20 years in banking and recently moved to education, dancing has always been my outlet from a busy and demanding work life. I am passionate about teaching as I feel like dancing can be a great 'get away' for all who take part. I like to think dancing is for everyone to enjoy, it's great fun and I couldn't live without it.
Charlotte Francis
I have been dancing for 18 years, starting ballet at a young age. I found a love for dance soon after, then started lessons in contemporary, jazz and commercial. After finishing my A-Levels, I decided to take my training one step further and I studied for my Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Dance Performance at LMA in Liverpool. Graduating in 2024 with a First Class Honors, I turned my focus towards my dreams of performing and teaching.
I joined Rodney's Dance School in 2024 as a Street teacher. Searching the area for places to teach classes alongside auditions after finishing my degree, the whole team at RDS were so positive, supportive and welcoming to me!
Dance is such a large part of my life and I wouldn't have it any other way! Having the opportunity to share something I am so passionate about with others is absolutely amazing!
Classes
Ballroom & Latin
Ballroom and Latin covers 10 main dances: Waltz, Cha cha, Quickstep, Rumba, Tango, Samba, Foxtrot, Jive, Viennese Waltz and Paso Doble.
We offer medal classes for children and adults which follow a grade path from PSDTs right through to National Award levels.
Our adult social dance courses are a popular option which offer a more relaxed class format from complete beginner to intermediate and advanced levels.
Rainbow
Rainbow classes are for our younger dancers ages 4 to 8, these combine Ballroom, Latin, Disco and fun dances.
As students progress through the dance grades they receive a colour award that builds up into a rainbow trophy.
Wedding Dances
Whether a simple Waltz or a elegant American Smooth, the first dance can be a fantastic experience and we are proud to offer bespoke choreographed routines and private lessons.
Whatever your song we will build a custom routine that is both engaging and achievable.
We aim to provide enjoyable sessions with slick yet simple moves from a variety of dance styles.
Private Lessons
Private lessons offer a more tailored experience than our regular classes, allowing participants to focus on their exact area of interest. Whether it be a 'booster' in your favourite social dance, a technical one-to-one for exam work or to try something new, these lessons are a great fast-track improvement tool.
Private lessons can be booked for children or adults in any of our dance styles.
Social Night
We run regular social evenings for our adult Ballroom and Latin students. These provide a great opportunity to practice, consolidate steps and techniques from recent courses.
We play music for all Ballroom and Latin dances with teachers on hand if you require a little help. Why not join in a sequence dance?
These evenings have proved popular with many dancers as it offers a relaxed environment to practice.
Gift Vouchures
Gift vouchures are available from the school for our social dance lessons or private\wedding lessons. These are only available directly from the school and not 3rd party vendors or sites. Please note we are unable to honour any vouchers that are not issued directly from the school. For further details please contact us directly.
Price List
| Children's lessons (Inc. Rainbows - 30 mins) | £5.00 |
| Children's lessons (Wednesdays - 1 hour) | £9.00 |
| Adult medal classes (30 mins) | £8.00 |
| Adult Social class (single lesson - 1 hour) | £10.00 |
| 10 lesson ticket | £90.00 |
|
Private lessons
1 Hour 30 minutes |
£40.00 £20.00 |
Please make arrangements for payment at the time of booking a private lessons. |
Where you can find classes
Baldock
St. Mary's Church Hall
18:00 - 19:30
Adult Medal Classes
19:30 - 20:30
Private Lessons
Hitchin
Town Hall
18:00 - 19:00
Childrens Medal
19:00 - 20:00
Adult Medal
20:00 - 21:00
Adult Beginners Social
21:00 - 22:00
Adult Intermediates Social
Welwyn
Civic Centre
18:00 - 18:30
Childrens Medal - PSDT
18:30 - 19:00
Childrens Medal - Pre-bronze/Bronze
19:00 - 19:30
Childrens Medal - Bronze/Gold
19:30 - 20:00
Adult Medal
20:00 - 21:00
Adult Beginners Social
21:00 - 22:00
Adult Intermediates Social
Hitchin
St. John's Community Hall
09:00 - 10:00
Private Lessons - Adults
10:00 - 10:30
Childrens Medal PSDT
10:30 - 11:00
Childrens Medal Bronze
10:30 - 11:00
Street Dance Classes
11:00 - 11:30
Childrens Medal Pre-bronze
11:30 - 12:00
Rainbows (Ages 4-8)
11:30 - 12:00
Street (Ages 8-16)