Chantraine Centres in England
The Chantraine School of Dance in England has three centres:
North-West and Central London, Wanstead and High Wycombe
Foundation & Development: The School in England has been created since 1978 by Patricia Woodall, who first met Françoise Chantraine in 1976, when, as a dance teacher, she was taking further training at a dance faculty in Paris. This was also part of a quest to understand more about the meaning and value of dance as a lifelong art, which had previously taken her to research and dance in Romania. Greatly inspired by the work of Françoise and Alain, and the ethos, energy and joy of the whole approach, she transferred to the Chantraine School and, convinced of its value to all dancers, amateur and professional alike, decided to bring it to England. She trained to become a Chantraine professional while continuing to teach in England, and now directs the English branch and runs the North-West and Central London centre. The School expanded with the creation of the Wanstead centre in 1990 by Kate Green, and the High Wycombe centre in 1991 by Jane Greenstreet. All the teachers work closely with Françoise Chantraine and the School in France, and continue a permanent training.
First Cycle - Children from 4 - 7 years
Courses and classes
All centres offer a range of independently run classes, arranged over three terms, for children from 4 years, teenagers, students and adults without age limit. Classes for children and students take place on weekday afternoons after School in all centres, and also on Saturday mornings in London and High Wycombe. Adult classes take place in the daytime and evening in London and Wanstead and in the evening only in High WycombeChildren and Teenagers
Classes are arranged according to the main cycles of age, with the level becoming more advanced as the children progress.Adult
Classes are classified as “All Levels with Beginners”, “Intermediate” and “Advanced”. The North West London Centre also runs two adult classes with Westminster Kingsway College’s Neighbourhood Learning Programme, including one for senior citizens with no upper limit.Fees and Concessions
Fees vary according to the Centre and the rates are available on application. It is the School’s policy that no one should be prevented from joining because of financial hardship and concessions or grants are available. The first class is always a free trial.Second Cycle - Children from 7 - 11 years
Short Courses In England & France.
An opportunity to discover the Chantraine Dance of Expression, through choreographies to be danced at the Jubilee performance in Paris in May. All levels and ages above 9 years welcome! Please visit the events page for details of short courses or contact Patricia Woodall, Chantraine School of Dance for full details.Professional Training
The professional training to become a Chantraine teacher is arranged on a part-time basis at first, and gradually becomes more intensive. Theory and practice are balanced throughout and the duration depends on previous training and experience. Details on request..Who comes to the classes?
A very wide variety of people from all over the world: dancers, aspiring dancers, who would like to broaden and deepen their experience; complete beginners of any age from 4 to adults without age limit; people from all walks of life – musicians, artists, actors, therapists, teachers - including dance teachers - job-seekers, architects, engineers, nurses, people working in retail, design, the media, the possibilities are endless …All are welcome!
Teenagers, Students and Adults