Jane Coleman School of Dancing
Jane Coleman established her dance school in Burwash with just a handful of students in 1979. Her excellent teaching abilities, enthusiasm and kind nature soon had pupils arriving from surrounding villages and farther afield.
Jane built the dance school into one of the leading schools in the area with students being taught styles varying from Classical Ballet to Contemporary Modern Jazz, all with wonderful technique. Former students have gone on to further professional training in The Royal Ballet School, Arts Educational, Rose Bruford, Trinity Laban and Elmhurst Ballet School.
The Dance School is now run by Kate Riches who met Miss Jane at age 6 in Ballet lessons at school. She advanced through her dance grade work with Miss Jane and then progressed into her teaching qualifications. Miss Jane was a teacher and also a close friend to her and now running the dance school is special because of this. Miss Lizzie also teaches within dance school from guiding preschool children in their first steps to instructing adults in their ballet lessons.
Being based in Burwash, Catsfield and Hawkhurst allows us to cover a wide area with the dance school and every student is part of our wonderful dancing family!
Dance Teachers
Kate Riches - IDTA Bt.L4Dip
Principal
Kate is our teacher based at Catsfield Village Hall, Burwash Village Hall and Battle Abbey Prep School.
​
Kate started dancing at the age of three and has loved it ever since! The enjoyment she experienced from learning ballet and going through the grade work is something that she now loves to share with her students.
​
Dance has increased her confidence which has helped her in so many aspects of life. She competed in dance festivals where she performed in group and solo dances in ballet, tap, contemporary, lyrical and modern. Kate completed her dance GCSE qualification at fifteen, her background in ballet complimenting the contemporary style of dance within the qualification. At school, Kate was selected to participate in a dance project with Google, where ballet was combined and integrated alongside motion and computer science technology. Through this experience she had the opportunity to perform in many venues such as the V&A, Brighton Pavilion, Amex Stadium and Excel centre in London.
Kate's interests have always surrounded dance, with her interest in textile design beginning from being surrounded by costume and set design.
​
She has participated in exams as a demonstrator for other dance teachers at fellowship level. Once gaining her intermediate qualification in ballet, she decided to progress further and continue with teaching qualifications.
​
Kate was six and a pupil at Battle Abbey school when she met Jane Coleman. Miss Jane always encouraged Kate and will always be an inspiration to her, being a close friend and wonderful teacher. Kate hopes to follow in Jane's footsteps with everything she taught her.
Lizzie Jenner - IDTA Bt.L4Dip
Dance instructor
Lizzie is another one of our lovely teachers that was trained by Miss Jane and Miss Rachel.
​
She has been part of the JCSD family for years in various forms and has a huge passion for ballet and teaching dance.
​
Lizzie is also a fully qualified Nanny and valued teaching assistant in a local primary school. She has a wonderful way with children and her love of teaching them has been a real bonus for us, as she adores teaching our tiniest dancers.
​
Lizzie has been known to fully embrace our weekly themes by dressing up with the children and creating magical worlds for them to dance and let their imaginations run wild!
​
​
​​​​Only the parents / parents of children will be allowed to enter the venues during class times, so that we are aware of who is in the building during. ​​The doors to the halls will be locked throughout the duration of lessons. This is for safety of the dancers and teachers. Dancers will need to be dropped off and collected on time. Classes run back to back without allowing time for teachers to wait with students. Any students that have not been collected will be asked to wait inside the hall with the teacher.​​​​
​
​
​
Catsfield Risk Assessment​​​
Jane Coleman School of Dancing Terms & Conditions
​​
​​​
Privacy Policy ​​
​
