The Performing Arts Club - In Harpenden
| Venue |
Harpenden United Reform Church, Vaughan Road, Harpenden AL5 4ED |
| Date |
Tues 26th/27th - Friday 29th July (flexible Tuesday or Wednesday start date to accommodate your school's last day of term) |
| Times |
1000-1500 (early drop off and late pick up available) |
| Price |
£100 for 4 full days (£75 for children starting on the Wednesday) |
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Price includes specialist tuition from professional actors, singers, dancers, singers and artists, t-shirt, fruit snacks and drinks. |
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Final day show for family and friends to enjoy. |
Creative Director / Dance - Helen Thomas
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Helen is a co-founder of The Performing Arts club
After completing a Degree in Contemporary Dance in Australia, Helen came to the UK where she studied at the renowned London Contemporary Dance School. She toured and performed with companies in both Australia and the UK before becoming a mother of three and focusing much of her time on teaching.
Helen has extensive experience teaching dance to children as well as adults, in schools, colleges and the community, from beginners to those training as professionals. She has also worked for many years with adults and children with learning difficulties both as a carer, a manager of voluntary services and college tutor.
In 2002, Helen got together with Lorry Slater to form Motion Commotion and The Performing Arts Club with the aim of providing creative fun and funky dance, action and arts-based classes for both boys and girls aged 4 -14 years in schools and the wider community. The popularity of these classes led to the running of the first Summer School in 2003 and the development of the Community, In-school and Club based programmes which are now a part of the company known as Active Creative Ltd for which Helen is joint Director.
Helen is an Appointed First Aider.
Creative Director / Dance - Lorry Slater
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Lorry is a co-founder of The Performing Arts club
She is an honours degree graduate in physical education and special educational needs, specialising in Dance.
Her teaching experience is extensive including several years as Head of Dance in a large secondary school in North London and as a teacher of children with behavioural difficulties.
Lorry is Managing Director of Active Creative Ltd whose products Dinky Dancers, Boogaloo Boogie, Motion Commotion and The Performing Arts Club are taught widely across the country.
In 2002 she co-founded Motion Commotion and The Performing Arts Club with Helen Thomas, with the aim of providing creative, fun and funky dance, action and arts-based classes for boys and girls aged 4-14 years in schools and the wider community.
Mother of four children, Lorry has choreographed many musicals for a variety of theatre schools and drama societies. She additionally holds a variety of coaching awards at club level including gymnastics, sports acrobatics and trampolining.
Lorry is a nominated firstaider.
Art - Angelina Ioannides-Beer
Having graduated from Roundwood Park Secondary School in 2006, Angelina studied BTEC National Diploma in Art and Design at Oaklands College in St. Albans, specialising in illustration and photography.
In 2008 Angelina moved from Hertfordshire to London where she is currently completing a Degree in Illustration at Westminster University.
Having joined us during her summer break last year as our general Classroom Assistant and all-round creative helper, we are really happy to have Angelina join us this year as our official Art teacher.
Singing - Joshua Edwards
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Joshua began his singing career as a chorister at St. George’s Windsor, where he sung at royal weddings, funerals and Jubilee celebrations.
In 2002 he became Head Chorister, and in the same year was awarded a music scholarship to Haileybury College. During his time at Haileybury, he joined the prestigious Rodolfus choir and sung solo with the ESO and
Katherine Jenkins.
After his studies, Joshua moved to New York to serve as a Lay Clerk in St. Thomas’ Cathedral, and to teach theory of music in the choir school. He also formed the Close Harmony Quartet which travelled as far as Kazakhstan to perform for the President.
Joshua recently graduated with a Degree in Music from King’s College London where he was awarded a Choral Scholarship. Since then, he has worked for top London groups such as Siglo de Oro, The Armonico Consort, Solistes de Musique Ancienne and St. Paul’s Cathedral Choir, and continues to study with Nicolas Clapton at the Royal Academy of Music.
This is Joshua’s 1st year teaching at The Performing Arts Club.
Drama - Penny Grey
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Penny studied music and voice at Leeds College of Music. During this time she sang in many college opera productions and concerts and in her final year had the opportunity to sing professionally for an opera company in Cheltenham.
Since leaving college Penny has trained as a Suzuki Piano teacher and aside from teaching piano and singing from home she runs piano workshops, choirs and is a rehearsal MD for St Albans Operatic Society.
Penny has toured England with the show a "Night at the Musical" and enjoys being part of Hertfordshire’s many amateur dramatic societies. She has sung principal roles in HMS Pinafore, The King & I and Hot! Mikado with Harpenden Light Operatic Society as well as Dido and Aeneas and La Perichole with St Albans Chamber Choir.
Penny is now working with St Albans Operatic Society and has taken on the roles of Mable from Pirates of Penzance and Joanna from Sweeney Todd. She is also currently looking forward to performing in Thoroughly Modern Millie.
This is Penny’s 6th year at The Performing Arts Club.
Singing - Victoria Holden
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Victoria’s interest in music began at The Prebendal School, Chichester where, at the age of only 13, she achieved grade 8 on the flute, before being awarded a music scholarship to The Portsmouth Grammar School. Whilst there, she became Head Chorister of the Chamber Choir and had the opportunity to perform a number of commissioned pieces by a series of prolific composers, sing at The Royal Albert Hall and perform Mozart’s Flute Concerto in G major, accompanied by The London Mozart Players.
In the same year she also achieved her performance diploma (Dip.ABRSM).
Victoria is currently a choral scholar at King’s College London, in her final year of studying music. As well as singing for regular services in the college chapel, Victoria has recently performed with the Chapel Choir in the Queen’s Chapel of The Savoy, The Cadagon Hall, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey and St. Petersburg Philharmonic Hall. She also continues to study the flute, receiving lessons at The Royal Academy of Music with Kate Hill.
Alongside her studies, Victoria teaches music at Bishop Thomas Grant School in Streatham, and has recently spent time working for The National Children’s Choir of Great Britain.
This is Victoria’s 1st year teaching at The Performing Arts Club.