Wells School of Dancing
© The Wells School of Dancing

Principal

Miss Sarah Wells FISTD

ISTD Cecchetti Classical Ballet Examiner Holder of the Enrico Cecchetti Diploma AISTD Modern Theatre, AISTD National Dance 3 Year Dance Diploma, Arts Educational Schools, London ‘Miss    Sarah’    trained    at    the    Arts    Educational    Schools    in London    for    four    years.    There    she    gained    her    teaching qualifications     in     Cecchetti     Ballet,     ISTD     Modern     and National   Dance.   After   leaving   college   she   went   to   teach   at her   old   school   in   Surrey   when   her   former   teacher,   Felicity Jaffe   (who   was   an   ISTD   Examiner),   retired.   She   also   taught Ballet,   Modern,   Tap   and   National   Dance   at   the   Weston School   of   Dancing   in   Chelmsford,   between   1986   and   1996. To    keep    up    her    dancing    Sarah    joined    The    Chelmsford Ballet   Company,   a   local   amateur   dance   company,   and   has performed   roles   such   as   the   Lilac   Fairy   in   ‘The   Sleeping Beauty’,   Teresina   in   ‘Napoli’,   Lise   in   ‘La   Fille   mal   Gardée’, and   the   Black   Berkshire   Pig   in   ‘Tales   from   Beatrix   Potter’. She     finished     her     performing     as     Carabosse     in     the Chelmsford   Ballet   Company’s   1995   revival   of   ‘The   Sleeping Beauty’.   In   1989   Sarah   became   a   fully   registered   member   of   the ISTD      when      she      passed      her      Licentiate      Cecchetti examination   with   distinction   and   in   August   1995   gained the    prestigious    Enrico    Cecchetti    Diploma,    the    highest ballet    examination    bestowed    by    the    Cecchetti    Society. Since   1986   Sarah   has   been   choreographing   dances   and competition   set   work   for   the   Cecchetti   Society,   primarily for    the    Mabel    Ryan    Awards.    She    enters    pupils    for    the Awards   nearly   every   year,   as   the   opportunity   to   compete with   children   with   similar   abilities   is   invaluable   for   dancers wishing for, and thinking of, careers in the theatre.   August   2001   saw   the   ending   to   Sarah’s   Ballet   Exams,   when after   a   week   long   intensive   Cecchetti   Summer   School   in Chichester,    she    took,    and    passed    with    over    90%,    her Fellowship teaching exam.   Sarah   was   a   member   of   the   Cecchetti   Group,   who   met   in London   to   organise   events   for   the   Cecchetti   Society   such as   the   Mabel   Ryan   Awards.   She   created   a   booklet   that outlines       all       the       Cecchetti       Society’s       events       and competitions   which   is   given   out   to   the   members   of   the Society     across     the     country.     In     June     2007     she     was appointed   a   Cecchetti   Society   Children’s   Ballet   Examiner by   the   ISTD   Grand   Council.   Sarah   has   been   a   member   of the   ISTD   Cecchetti   Classical   Ballet   Faculty   Committee   since September   2008   and   continues   to   work   on   behalf   of   the ISTD    to    organise    and    promote    the    Cecchetti    Classical Ballet faculty.   The   Wells   School   of   Dancing   has   been   running   in   Laindon for    over    30    years,    formally    at    the    Laindon    Community Centre   and   continues   from   April   2021   at   the   Langdon   Hills Methodist   Church   Hall.   Sarah   hopes   it   will   continue   for many   more   years,   possibly   with   more   children   reaching for the stars!
Miss    Sarah    is    married    to    David    Marley,    they    have    two children,   Abigail   (now   teaches   Dance   in   secondary   school) and    Timothy    (studying    for    a    Phd    at    Imperial    College, London   and   RAL).   Both   children   performed   at   the   schools’ 25th   and   30th   anniversary   shows   at   the   Towngate   Theatre, Basildon   as   a   special   thank   you   to   David   for   his   endless love,   help   and   support,   to   Patricia   Lambert   (Miss   Sarah’s mum)   for   the   years   of   making   the   dancers   costumes   for every    school    show    and    in    memory    of    Eric    Wells    (Miss Sarah’s   father)   who   always   wished   that   dance   would   be   a career path for her.
Wells School of Dancing
© The Wells School of Dancing

Principal

Miss Sarah Wells FISTD

ISTD Cecchetti Classical Ballet Examiner Holder of the Enrico Cecchetti Diploma AISTD Modern Theatre, AISTD National Dance 3 Year Dance Diploma, Arts Educational Schools, London ‘Miss   Sarah’   trained   at   the   Arts   Educational   Schools   in   London   for four     years.     There     she     gained     her     teaching     qualifications     in Cecchetti   Ballet,   ISTD   Modern   and   National   Dance.   After   leaving college   she   went   to   teach   at   her   old   school   in   Surrey   when   her former   teacher,   Felicity   Jaffe   (who   was   an   ISTD   Examiner),   retired. She    also    taught    Ballet,    Modern,    Tap    and    National    Dance    at    the Weston   School   of   Dancing   in   Chelmsford,   between   1986   and   1996. To    keep    up    her    dancing    Sarah    joined    The    Chelmsford    Ballet Company,    a    local    amateur    dance    company,    and    has    performed roles   such   as   the   Lilac   Fairy   in   ‘The   Sleeping   Beauty’,   Teresina   in ‘Napoli’,   Lise   in   ‘La   Fille   mal   Gardée’,   and   the   Black   Berkshire   Pig   in ‘Tales     from     Beatrix     Potter’.     She     finished     her     performing     as Carabosse   in   the   Chelmsford   Ballet   Company’s   1995   revival   of   ‘The Sleeping Beauty’.   In   1989   Sarah   became   a   fully   registered   member   of   the   ISTD   when she   passed   her   Licentiate   Cecchetti   examination   with   distinction and     in     August     1995     gained     the     prestigious     Enrico     Cecchetti Diploma,   the   highest   ballet   examination   bestowed   by   the   Cecchetti Society.   Since   1986   Sarah   has   been   choreographing   dances   and competition   set   work   for   the   Cecchetti   Society,   primarily   for   the Mabel   Ryan   Awards.   She   enters   pupils   for   the   Awards   nearly   every year,    as    the    opportunity    to    compete    with    children    with    similar abilities    is    invaluable    for    dancers    wishing    for,    and    thinking    of, careers in the theatre.   August   2001   saw   the   ending   to   Sarah’s   Ballet   Exams,   when   after   a week   long   intensive   Cecchetti   Summer   School   in   Chichester,   she took, and passed with over 90%, her Fellowship teaching exam.   Sarah   was   a   member   of   the   Cecchetti   Group,   who   met   in   London   to organise   events   for   the   Cecchetti   Society   such   as   the   Mabel   Ryan Awards.    She    created    a    booklet    that    outlines    all    the    Cecchetti Society’s    events    and    competitions    which    is    given    out    to    the members   of   the   Society   across   the   country.   In   June   2007   she   was appointed    a    Cecchetti    Society    Children’s    Ballet    Examiner    by    the ISTD    Grand    Council.    Sarah    has    been    a    member    of    the    ISTD Cecchetti   Classical   Ballet   Faculty   Committee   since   September   2008 and    continues    to    work    on    behalf    of    the    ISTD    to    organise    and promote the Cecchetti Classical Ballet faculty.   The   Wells   School   of   Dancing   has   been   running   in   Laindon   for   over 30   years,   formally   at   the   Laindon   Community   Centre   and   continues from   April   2021   at   the   Langdon   Hills   Methodist   Church   Hall.   Sarah hopes   it   will   continue   for   many   more   years,   possibly   with   more children reaching for the stars!
Miss    Sarah    is    married    to    David    Marley,    they    have    two    children, Abigail    (now    teaches    Dance    in    secondary    school)    and    Timothy (studying    Physics    at    Imperial    College,    London).    Both    children performed   at   the   schools’   25th   &   30th   anniversary   shows   at   the Towngate   Theatre,   Basildon   as   a   special   thank   you   to   David   for   his endless   love,   help   and   support,   to   Patricia   Lambert   (Miss   Sarah’s mum)    for    the    years    of    making    the    dancers    costumes    for    every school   show   and   in   memory   of   Eric   Wells   (Miss   Sarah’s   father)   who always wished that dance would be a career path for her.