Topaz Dancentre

Topaz Dancentre is a dance school in Garston, Liverpool, housed at Heald House on Heald Street. The studio teaches ballet, tap, acro, street dance, lyrical, modern, drama, musical theatre, ballroom and Latin, sequence dance, and gentle exercise to children and adults.

For the youngest dancers, Topaz runs Tinies Ballet, Diddy Modern/Acro, Pre-Junior Lyrical & Stage, and Preparatory Ballet & Tap. Adult learners can join Beginners Ballet or Beginners Ballroom and Latin classes. The philosophy at Topaz is that dance develops self-confidence, discipline and creativity, and that the friendships made in the studio help build well-rounded and resilient characters.

The studio is led by Ann Atherton (FIDTA), who joined Topaz in 1995 as head of the Theatre Branch and took over running the entire school in 2009. Ann trained at Liverpool Theatre School and had a career as a performing cabaret dancer, working globally and appearing in television shows including Brookside and The Name of the Father. She has developed Topaz into what she describes as one of the best part-time dance schools in Merseyside and was appointed a Fellow of the IDTA, the highest qualification they offer. She is also a fully qualified Acrobatic Arts teacher. Ann has trained many of her students to become performers and teachers themselves; several, including Miss Kate, Miss Amy and Miss Hayley, now teach at Topaz and run their own schools.

The teaching team includes Miss Hayley (street dance and ballet), who achieved an HND in Dance at City of Liverpool College; Miss Kate (ballet, tap and lyrical), who studied at Liverpool John Moores University and achieved 94% in her Ballet Associate Examination, with 4 IDTA Nominations as a student; Miss Olivia (ballet and tap), who trained at Topaz from age 3 and completed her education at Nazene Danielle's Dance Dynamix, and also works as a performer; Miss Amy (all styles, all ages), who holds a BA (Hons) in Professional Dance Development and has taught for over 15 years, including professional performances in Cyprus, Greece and the UK; and Colette (ballroom and Latin), who became an Associate member of the Allied Dancing Association in 2017 and began teaching at Topaz in January 2024.

The studio has specialist mirrored walls and wall-mounted ballet barres on 3 walls. Topaz runs performances throughout the year, including the Diddy and Junior Performance in July and Inter and Senior Performance in July, as well as IDTA Exams in July. There are also workshops and community events. The studio offers dancewear ordering through IDS at myDanceStore and Rock the Dragon (which offers free customisation with your dancer's name), and has a community page featuring testimonials from past and present dancers.

You'll join classes in a mirrored studio with ballet barres on three walls. Topaz teaches children from age 3 upwards and adults of all levels. Classes are structured by age and ability, from Tinies through to adult beginners and improvers.

Ann Atherton (FIDTA, Fellow of IDTA) leads the school. Experienced teachers include Miss Hayley (HND Dance, Liverpool), Miss Kate (Liverpool John Moores University, 94% Ballet Associate), Miss Olivia (Dance World Cup participant), Miss Amy (BA Professional Dance Development, 15+ years teaching), and Colette (Allied Dancing Association Associate, ballroom and Latin).

Beginner classes are offered for adults in ballet and ballroom and Latin; younger children start from age 3 in Tinies classes.