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Welcome to the Jenni Stafford Ballet Academy. We follow the Cecchetti ballet syllabus which means pupils can enter exams if they wish. Pupils are also given the opportunity to enter festivals and perform at community events.

January 2024 Timetable

Grade 1 Ballet – Mondays at 3:45pm to 4:30pm at Sherborne St John Village Hall (age 6+)
Grade 3 Ballet – Fridays at 4:30pm to 5:30pm at The Vyne Community School (age 11+)
Primary Ballet – Fridays at 5:30pm – 6:15pm at The Vyne Community School (age 5+)

About the Teacher

Jenni was sixteen years old when she was accepted to do a two year contract with Ballet Theatre Afrikan in Johannesburg. Each day started with company class, followed by rehearsals. In the afternoons, a four hour technique classes taught by company director Martin Schonberg. When the company was on tour or performing at a theatre Jenni would attend as an understudy or as a performer.

After two years with Ballet Theatre Afrikan Jenni returned to England to do a degree in Choreography and Dance at the University of Winchester where she gained 1st Class Honours. Her first job after graduating was at Highfield and Brookham Schools in Liphook where she taught ballet and dance full time for seven years. She left in 2019 to start a family and to focus on her own school here in Basingstoke.

Jenni is a qualified ballet teacher with the IDTA, and also has teaching memberships with the RAD and the ISTD. These professional memberships allow her to enter pupils for graded ballet exams. After dancing with Ballet Theatre Afrikan in her late teens Jenni continued to perform in her twenties as well; she spent a Summer with Canadian Pacific Ballet in 2011, and did some performances with The Chelmsford Ballet Company from 2015 – 2017.