Wexford School of Ballet and Modern Dance has now been successfully running since 1965. Many of its past students have written their own success stories, dancing professionally in London and abroad and setting up their own dance schools in Ireland and beyond. The School now comprises of three centres, our own private studios in Wexford town are used for examinations and training. The Waterfront Swimming Pools two studios host our Enniscorthy classes and St. Mary’s Youth Centre is home to our students in New Ross. Running three centres takes an amount of work and care so we are well staffed with four fully qualified teachers in ballet RAD (Royal Academy of Dancing) and L.S.T.D Modern and Tap (Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing). We also have a qualified Drama teacher and school working in conjunction with the school.

We train Ballet/Modern and Tap, Hip-Hop and Drama as well as producing two full scale shows a year. The students also do examinations in Ballet and Modern and Drama. The School has always prided itself with a high standard and that is very obvious in our examination results and performances. Three to four sessions of exams are organised annually along with a Christmas Ballet and Summer Show performance.

Fundraising such as fashion shows etc saw the school contribute nearly €10,000 to good causes and the students also get the opportunities to perform with other theatre groups such as the Wexford Light Opera Society, Wexford Pantomime Society and Oyster Lane Theatre Group, not to mention Wexford Festival Singers and Wexford Festival Opera. Also, students performed with the European Ballet Company in their production of “The Nutcracker” and their production of “Coppelia”.

So, after an impressive school year you would look forward to the holidays but we also run annual Summer Schools for those who like to keep busy. These are usually a week long and include a show in the Jerome Hynes Theatre at Wexford Opera House on the final day which the parents enjoy thoroughly.

Mission

Our mission at WSBMD is to provide professional dance instruction and instill an appreciation for the art of.  We will encourage students of all ages and skill levels to excel to their fullest potential while having fun.

Ballet

Ballet is the most demanding type of dance.  All other forms of dance benefit from its precise execution of movement and artistic interpretation.  These classes will help the young dancer develop balance, timing, strength, and creative expression.   Students will also establish a foundation of proper form that will help prevent injury and establish the confidence necessary to move forward to other forms of dance.  Required attire includes pink ballet shoes, pink tights, and navy or pink leotard.  Ballet skirt and ballet sweaters are optional

Pointe

This class is offered to students who have had ballet training and have developed the strength that is required to move forward into pointe training. Placement in this class wil be made at the discretion of the ballet director and faculty.  Required attire includes pink pointe shoes, pink tights, and black or pink leotard. 

Tap

Tap is the discipline that teaches dancers to use their feet as a rhythm instrument.  Students in this class will learn fancy footwork that helps to develop agility, musicality, and stylized movement.  Also included are the basic exercises, time steps, and tap combinations that make tapping so much fun.  Required attire includes black tap shoes, black lycra tights, and a leotard in any colour. 

Jazz/Hip-Hop

Jazz places emphasis on contemporary technique, rhythm, and style.  All classes begin with a warm-up using isolations, bending, and stretching exercises,  followed by dance combinations of turns, kicks, leaps, and jumps.  Younger jazz students will learn basic acrobatics.  As students progress, more advanced combinations and different styles of jazz, such as modern dacne and hip-hop, will be introduced.  Required attire includes black jazz shoes, black lycra tights, and a red or purple leotard.