En Pointe
Pre-Vocational Training

Ages 8 to 16

En Pointe Pre Vocational Training is a high quality daytime training pathway for dedicated young dancers who are considering dance school, college, or a future in the performing arts. It is ideal for home educated students, and for those attending school on a part time timetable.

Pre vocational dance training is well established across the UK, but until now there has been no comparable option in York. Our aim is to provide excellent local training, giving students the opportunity to develop seriously while staying at home and maintaining a balanced education.

Programme Structure

Junior Programme
Ages 8 to 11

Senior Programme
Ages 12 to 16

Training Days (term time)
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday
9am to 2pm

Training Offered

Students receive comprehensive training across the following disciplines:

Ballet
Technique
Body conditioning
Repertoire
Pointe work for Senior students

Contemporary
Contemporary technique
Choreography

Jazz
Technique
Repertoire

Musical Theatre
Monologues
Song
Repertoire

Teaching Faculty

Ballet and Contemporary
Donya Keys

Jazz and Musical Theatre
Heather Heyburn

The programme is further enriched through regular guest teachers from the professional dance and performing arts industry, offering specialist workshops and additional performance insight.

Educational Approach

This programme differs significantly from traditional after school dance classes. Training is non syllabus based and focuses on developing strong technical foundations to a pre vocational standard.

Class sizes are kept small to allow for individual attention. Students receive bespoke feedback, regular assessments, and detailed progress reports. Teaching is responsive to the specific needs and abilities of the students attending.

In addition to practical training, students undertake contextual studies including dance history, anatomy, and repertoire studies. All folders and notebooks are provided as part of the programme.

Pathways and Qualifications

En Pointe is actively developing recognised qualifications and progression opportunities within the programme, including those offered by:

Royal Academy of Dance
The Royal Ballet School
Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing

The programme also aims to include GCSE Dance for students aged 10 to 14 as part of the training pathway.

Education Partnerships

We are currently exploring partnerships with home education providers offering both online and in person learning. Some local schools may also be open to part time timetables of two to three days per week.

For core academic support, we recommend Kip McGrath York, an established provider of English and Maths tuition.

Fees

Training is priced at £8 per hour
£40 per day
£120 per week

Location

All training takes place at:

En Pointe Studios
Rose Centre
Rose Avenue
York Business Park
York
YO26 6RU

En Pointe Pre Vocational Training offers a carefully structured, supportive, and aspirational pathway for young dancers who wish to train seriously while remaining at home and maintaining a balanced education.