For nearly four decades Carol Kristian has been keeping young people on their toes – not just in the literal sense of dancing ‘en pointe’ at her ballet classes, but by preparing them for any unexpected challenges in life.
“Performing” she says “is sound preparation for any career, it builds confidence for giving presentations and is excellent grounding for being able to work effectively in groups and to cope with anything life throws at you.”
Carol, who runs the long established CK Theatre School in Chorleywood, has lost count of the number of students who have passed through her door since she set up in the 70s but has decided that it’s time she closed one door and opened another. This month will be her last at the CK helm as she prepares for retirement while Josh Sills, theatre professional and Venue Manager at Watersmeet, along with his partner Lucy, takes over the business from September.
Josh knows the school inside out
“I came to my first lesson at Carol’s in 1991 when I was six and have been involved every year – as a student, a drama teacher and as a Director. At fourteen I was Assistant Director on a Tom Sawyer production and I remember asking Carol to let me know if she ever wanted to sell the school! It seemed a completely sensible request at the time!”
I am taking the school on together with my fiancée Lucy who is a professional dancer and currently lectures in Performing Arts at Uxbridge College. We are really excited, although slightly apprehensive – Carol has big shoes to fill! Standards are very high and the school has such a strong reputation. It is unique in the enthusiasm from both students and teachers. We plan to follow the same ethos that Carol has established and maintain the core values but will add some new elements and have lots of exciting plans in the pipeline.”
Carol, a professional dancer, was much the same age as Josh when she started teaching a few neighbours’ children to dance at Heronsgate Village Hall in 1977. The groups soon outgrew the space and Carol moved her lessons to the British Legion Hall underneath the Memorial Hall, at first teaching modern theatre and then taking over the existing ballet school run at the time by Penny Holroyd. Gradually more options were introduced and classes spilled over into the Memorial Hall. Children from the age of 3 to 18 have been able to learn a wide variety of techniques at the school ever since. They love it, make great friends and CK’s greatest boast still is that the fees work out at around half the price of the franchise schools.
So what have been the highlights for Carol?
“ It has to be the shows which Josh will be continuing…the next one this coming October at the Elgiva is Jungle Book. Productions are always exciting bringing together so many people. I have made so many friends along the way too and there’s nothing better than seeing the pleasure the students get out of it.”