The Full Story
About
For the past 10 years, I (Laura) have dedicated myself to managing our competition teams, guiding them to world champion status across the globe. Two years ago, I took full ownership of the school with huge dreams and ambitions and then, the worst hit us. In that very same month, my son fell critically ill. Over the next 18 months, he endured three cardiac arrests, 23 minutes without breathing, strokes, end-stage kidney failure, pneumothorax, septic shock, and numerous other life-threatening complications.
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I had to take just under two years off of work. During this unimaginable period, our dance school continued. The children faced the fear and uncertainty alongside us, mourning Rafi but showing incredible courage and resilience. T & E were welcomed into the school as emegency cover, and Gemma “held the fort” with unwavering strength and dedication. The staff's ambition and bravery to keep the school going, along with the unbreakable spirit of our dancers, has been nothing short of extraordinary.
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With this in mind, I have appointed Charlotte Forster to step up into a leadership role of the dance school. Whilst I will remain equally present and passionate, this necessary delegation will allow me to take some time off from the admin and workload ‘behind the scenes’, providing me a much needed respite to begin dealing with the personal trauma that fell upon our family two years ago. With the size of the dance school and the amount our dancers compete at an international level it really is a two-man job. ​​
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Over the past decade, we have also built a reputation for excellence in the competitive dance world. Our dancers have been crowned World Champions at The Dance World Cup, won Dance Mums UK, gained first place at the All England Dance Finals, and won national and international titles. We are immensely proud of these achievements, and with an ever-growing calendar of competitions and conventions ahead, we are excited to see the next chapter unfold.
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Looking ahead, we are more ambitious than ever. With Dean and Charlotte managing all things behind the scenes, I am finally able to be at dance more and pick up more teaching again. With our dancers’ unwavering passion driving us forward, the school is thriving like never before. New opportunities and international competitions are on the horizon, and we are confident that our legacy of excellence will continue to grow. Together, we are not just building a school — we are shaping champions, inspiring futures, and proving that resilience, dedication, and heart can turn even the toughest challenges into remarkable success.

Mission
At Berkshire Dance Academy, we help dancers reach their full potential — from learning for pure joy to achieving world champion success.

Vision
To be a leading dance academy where excellence, creativity, and compassion come together — nurturing dancers who are not only world-class performers but also confident, kind, and resilient individuals.
