A WIRRAL dance school that has been open for over 70 years has opened its first premises for its pupils.
Barbara Roberts School of Dance opened in Moreton in 1950. For 73 years the classes, which range from ballet to tap and jazz, have been taught in church halls such as Moreton Methodist Church and St Chads Church.
This year Anne Millington who has run the school since 2000, passed the running of the school onto Rebecca Gardner, from Moreton and Hannah Grice, from Birkenhead, who both trained at the school before gaining their qualifications.
Hannah and Rebecca (Image: Hannah Grice)
Rebecca started dancing at the school when she was three, and Hannah started when she was five. Both women went to university and then came back and taught with Anne.
Speaking to the Globe, Hannah, 27, said: "Anne knew she wanted to retire, and she calls me a Becky her 'dance daughters' because we've been teaching there for such a long time so she decided to pass it on to us."
As the new directors, Rebecca, 33, a teaching assistant, and Hannah, a civil servant, have decided to open the school's first premises. The new venue, which is on Moreton Cross, has two studios, a waiting area, an office, and new dance equipment.
Inside the studio (Image: Nadine Soutar Photography)
Hannah added: "We had a 10-year plan, and we wanted a studio by the time we hit 10 years running the business together, but it just fell into our lap at the right time because the premises had been vacant for six or seven years."
The new studio opened on September 2 and has so far welcomed over 100 pupils.
"They all absolutely love it", Hannah said.
"Unless they've been away at dance events they've never danced with mirrors or on a proper dancefloor."
To find out more about Barbara Roberts School of Dance, click here.
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