Exceptional Dancers, Exceptional People
• We put our students at the heart of everything we do and strive to maximise potential by providing rigorous, brilliant, inspirational opportunities that prepares them for life.
• We are passionate and proud of our work and the excellence of the dance and academic outcomes we achieve.
• We actively listen by dynamically researching, evolving and adapting our elite performance environment to be leading-edge through world-class teaching.
• We foster a caring culture that is inclusive, demonstrates integrity, and where people are aspirational, energetically engaged and take ownership in maximising their own potential.
• We believe that talent is classless and we only engage with and teach top people who have the desire to perform exceptionally.
• We demonstrate the courage to question, challenge and change the cultural norms in the dance world.
Founded in Camberley, Surrey in 1923, Elmhurst was one of the UK’s first vocational dance schools.
In 2004, the school moved to its purpose-built new home in Edgbaston, Birmingham forming a close association with Birmingham Royal Ballet, formerly Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet.
Elmhurst has a history of notable alumni and continues to be a world-renowned centre of excellence, providing full-time vocational training in classical ballet in conjunction with a sound academic education across the whole school.
Elmhurst is an independent school for classical ballet students aged 11-19 years’ old. Entry to the school is by audition with students joining from Year 7 onwards and graduating after Year 14.
In a typical year, 80% of our students receive financial assistance to train with us.
In geographical terms 25% of our students are from the Midlands; 26% from London and the South East; 6% from the South West; 19.6% from the North of England; 1% from Scotland; 1% from Wales; and 21% are from overseas.
Most of our students are new to boarding when they join Elmhurst. We have capacity for 169 students to live on-site and nearby at The Elms boarding house. Our graduate students live independently. We also welcome day-students.
Our state-of-the-art facilities include:
