Many happy returns to Isabelle Sykes who turns 18 today! Isabelle started dancing class when she was just three years old but holds the record for youngest performance – when she appeared as the Tellytubby sun aged 13 months in a Century in Dance! Since then Isabelle has taken part in numerous pantomimes, dance festivals and shows including playing the lead role of Annie at Sheffield City Hall! She has voiced Josephine in the BBC Radio 4 drama, On It, which won a prestigious Sony Radio Academy Award in 2012. In addition to assisting classes on Saturday mornings, Issy has won the school’s 30/30 award, which celebrates a pupil who has achieved to the best of their abilities and contributed to the overall life of the school. In recent years Isabelle has played the lead of Cathy Seldon in Tapton School’s production of Singin’ in the Rain, has won a place with the Youth Music Theatre company and has achieved an outstanding 90 marks in her Intermediate Tap exam. Isabelle will finish her A Levels next summer which is good news for us because we’ve got her for a whole more year! Issy also recently celebrated an extremely well-deserved win of the Senior Bursary competition at the Two Counties Dance Festival with a performance of her popular Taylor The Latte Boy. Pop the champers Isabelle, and happy birthday!
Congratulations are in order for our pupil Eve Wilson who turns 18 today!
Eve was just three when she started dancing with Mrs Berry and Miss Gemma was her first teacher. In her first show she did Baby Face and in her second show she loved being in Sailor Tap.
She’s always loved coming to dancing class and her mum Lisa tells us that it’s given so much over the last 15 years. She has made so many great friends and it has given her the confidence, self-belief and tenacity that will be with her for life. Little sailors Martha, Eve and Isabelle
Eve is hoping to go to Newcastle in September to study Psychology with Business. Hopefully she will continue to dance there (and not just in the night clubs)!
We wish Eve all the best and only ask that she comes back to see us when she’s away broadening her mind at university! Happy birthday to a girl who is beautiful inside and out!
Amanda studied performing arts at the prestigious Academy of Live and Recorded Arts in London and began her career touring the country as principal actress with a children’s theatre company. After that she toured with Michelle Breeze as singer/dancer in her variety show and then left for the high seas to work for Celebrity Cruises and then the Italia Prima on a world cruise as a dancer/singer.
Amanda’s first West End credit was in Starlight Express in the principal role of Ashley at the Apollo Theatre.
Her next role was in the original cast of Closer to Heaven, written by the Pet Shop Boys at the Arts Theatre where she also understudied the lead.
She then appeared in the original cast of Jus like that at the Garrick Theatre with Jerome Flynn.
Amanda’s other career highlights include:
– Work on various musical shows and charity galas at the Palace Theatre, the Millennium Stadium and Royal Albert Hall
– Performed in a special production of The Lion King produced for a birthday party for the Scandinavian royal family
– Featured in numerous adverts for Archers, Datec.com, Vodafone, Iceland and Abba Just Dance
– A featured Zombie in the film 28 Weeks Later
– Danced for Robbie Williams on Top of the Pops and for the video of his tour
– Danced and skated for Madonna on her Sorry music video
– Performed on various television shows including The Word,Pebble Mill and Graham Norton
Amanda also formed and runs Muse Artists, a succesful events company providing entertainment for prestigious events like film premieres, perfume launches and huge events at the National History Museum, Hampton Court, the Wallis Collection, Madame Tussauds, and supplied the entertainment for England’s biggest corporate Christmas party company.
Now she runs her own school, All Stars Academy, and she has recently helped coach skaters for the London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony, in which she will also be performing.
She does all this while also looking after her two children!
I started dancing at Sharon Berry School from the age of two. During my 16 years there, I made some truly amazing memories. The people I met there are friends for life, we used to have so much fun in class!
When I got older, I was able to help on Saturday mornings with the younger pupils. I used to love pretending to be fairies and butterflies with the baby class!
Pennies From Heaven – Hollie Bottom Right
Competitions were the best part of the year, and Doncaster Civic was my favourite. I used to love getting up so early and having to put full show hair and makeup on. (And I was normally allowed a McDonald’s breakfast on the way – bonus!)
When I was 18 I moved down to Essex to study at Performers College for my National Diploma. I enjoyed three great years there and met some lovely people. During my time at college I was lucky enough to have some amazing opportunities like dancing at the FA Cup Opening Ceremony at Wembley Stadium and performing in a tribute to the tiller girls at the London Palladium.
Showgirl!
Since graduating in 2014, I am now part of a showgirl company called Showgirl Entertainments with whom I have performed in different venues all over the UK. In September 2014, I also worked in Scotland with Circus Vegas as a showgirl. I then went on to perform in Dick Whittington pantomime in Birdwell as part of the ensemble over Christmas 2014.
I am currently soaking up the sun in Malta, working as Dance Captain in a hotel show team.
I am the proof that even if you’re not good at dancing – there’s appreciation for all talents here at the Sharon Berry School of Theatre Dance. Just kidding – I wasn’t that bad, in fact my last exam was Intermediate Modern Jazz and earned me a very respectable 87 marks… my Ballet and Tap grades tell a very different story!
I began my glorious performing arts career in 1998, after sitting in the audience at All Around The World, watching my bosom pal, Charlotte Beresford, tearing up the stage as Po. It was there, gazing at my Teletubbied-chum that I decided I too wished to strut around in leotards and white and brown eye shadow for all the S5 and S6 community to see. That September, aged 5, I arrived at Malin Bridge’s glamorous nursery terrapin, and launched one of the most expensive and rewarding hobbies my mum was yet to fund under the watchful eye of Miss Gemma.
The very same Teletubbies who inspired my love affair with the theatreI quickly blossomed. I couldn’t quite manage shuffle ball changes and I’ll never forgive myself for missing my forward roll cue in A Century In Dance, but my undeniably cute face and cheesy performing technique caught the eye of top dog Mrs B, and I was catapulted to the intoxicating fame of dance festivals.
Edgy eyeshadow combination, thanks mumIt must be said that I peaked age 9. Still cheesy, I could sing, and the adjudicators weren’t looking so much at my feet. Together, Charlotte and I delivered the (disturbingly) sauciest Aye, Aye, Aye routine ever seen at Cantley Community Centre. I made it into the open for 75% of my solos – very impressive considering I forgot all my routines and made them up (sorry Miss Rebecca).
Look at that face – Racy Aye Aye AyeThe most exciting experiences I had at dancing class were getting to perform in professional shows. The youngest Berry Babe of our first ever pantomime, Peter Pan, I made quite a splash (literally). From getting locked into the toilets while being called to the stage (sorry Beverley), to spilling coke on my costume (sorry Miss Rebecca, again) to the ultimate achievement: There aren’t many people who can say Mrs Berry’s mopped up their wee, and I think I am the only one who can say it happened on Sheffield’s Lyceum stage. In my defence, I was only seven years old.
Pre-wee Peter Pan photo – that’s me being hugged by Mel Fox in the middleUpon hitting puberty, I decided I was far too mature to simply learn. I made the generous decision to share my knowledge with the younger generations. My first baby class contained the likes of Grace Harby and Maddie Dunn – so remember girls, you owe those beautiful skips to moi. Helping out at class was one of the most rewarding things I have ever done. Getting a 13 year old out of bed at 8.30 is difficult at the best of times, but on a Saturday I couldn’t wait to get to class to see if Isobel could do her good toes this week or whether Courtney had figured out her shuffle hops.
I was duly punished for my dedication to the baby class by being invited (made) to perform with them as Mama Chicken in Can’t Stop The Beat. I was around this time that I performed as Shprintze for the Crucible’s Christmas show, Fiddler on the Roof. I went twice to summer school at Performer’s College with Amy, Becky, Hollie & Jodie and lost half a stone in a week after dancing for five hours a day – the life of a professional dancer. I wasn’t cut out for it. It would serve however to motivate my friend Hollie to take up dance as a career, and it’s fantastic that she’s now performing professionally in Malta.
Had to be doneI studied French and Italian at the University of Liverpool, and I must say, the separation from Thomas More Community Centre was too much to bear. I had to find a way to stay in with the dancing family. I proposed my idea to Mrs Berry, and, very trustingly, she went with it. The first Sharon Berry School blog went live in June 2012. I didn’t really know what I was doing, and I annoyed a lot of people by sending them endless nudges for articles and photos (sorry Matt and Marie). Two and a half years since then, that website has been visited 85,000 times.
Stylish Hairspray costumesI became the official photographer, much to Kirsten and Alex’s frustration, as I asked them to split leap for me over and over again trying to capture that perfect moment. I’ve had the chance to write articles and stay in touch with the achievements of this school’s pupils and staff. They deserve to be published.
The new Sharon Berry School website (that you are now viewing) came about while I was trying to avoid an essay about Charles II. (Fun fact: Coronation mugs and other such tat date back to 1661). I wanted something fresher and more modern, and hopefully I managed to do that.
I hope Berry Babes who don’t feel like they’re the best at a certain type of dancing take heart from this. Us staff can tell when you’re trying hard and we can tell when you’re dossing. I might be nerdy, sometimes uncoordinated, and surprisingly, not destined to be a professional dancer – but I have learned that if you work hard, you earn respect.
I am very proud to run Mrs Berry’s website. I enjoy finding out what you’re all up to whether I’m wrestling scallies in Liverpool or supping prosecco in Italy. The school helped and is still helping me to fulfill my potential, and it’s always wonderful to see when it’s doing that for everyone else too.
Enjoying staff retreat to Whitby, March 2015, with my number 1 lady, Miss Amy
I went to Mrs Berry’s for 13 years and my favourite classes were Gymnastics and Modern Jazz. Before I left I reached the final of the very prestigious Miss Dance competition. It was a brilliant experience in which I performed my favourite dance of all time. I did all the competitions!
I left Mrs Berry’s age 18 to go to Phil Winston’s Dance College in Blackpool where I completed a three-year course. After leaving there I came to Tenerife to dance in various shows touring hotels. I’m still here 10 years later! I’m now performing in a show called The Sound of Musicals. My own daughter Kaci has started dancing.
I had the best years at this dancing school and without Mrs Berry I would not be where I am today.
James began dancing at Sharon Berry School of Theatre dance a couple of weeks before his 13th birthday after being told at school he would need the three disciplines of dance, singing and drama to fulfill his dream of performing in the West End. It was Mrs Berry’s idea that he should go for his first audition to London for the new musical Billy Elliot. After successfully beating 3,000 other candidates, James became one of the three original Billy Elliots to play the part in the West End’s Victoria Palace Theatre. He was involved in the development of the role of Billy from the very beginning, and contributed to the success of the show with critically acclaimed performances in acting, singing and dancing. The show opened on 31 March 2005. In that year, he won the Variety Club’s Outstanding New Talent Award and also the Theatre Goers’ Choice of Most Promising New Comer. He also jointly won the prestigious Sir Laurence Olivier Award in 2006 for Best Actor in a Musical.
James as Billy
James was featured in Strictly Dance Fever performing part of the musical finale and in several TV interviews and short clips related to the musical. In July 2006 he played the lead role of young blind Nicholas Saunderson in the new musical No Horizon in Penistone, and was well received for his performances. After leaving the show in 2006, James won a place at Millennium performing arts school in London, where he completed his National Diploma in Musical Theatre in 2009. After graduation, he went on to perform in the West End production of Dirty Dancing at the Aldwych Theatre. He then joined the national UK tour of Joseph and the Technicolour Dreamcoat, playing Joseph on several occasions. He spent a deal of time in Bochum, Germany, performing in Starlight Express.
In costume for Starlight Express
James is now part of the band Gypsy Queens who are based in Nice in the south of France, where he now lives. They perform at private parties all over the world.
James (far left), performing with his band the Gypsy Queens
Devon started at Mrs Berry’s when he was 12 when he and Matt came from the Maureen Law School of Dance. During his time with us he was nominated for the IDTA Scholarships many times and won special commendations in 2003/4 for Grade 5 Tap and Theatre Craft. He was also the winner of the Ken Dodd Tap Award.
In 2006, at the age of 16, he came third in Dance Master UK, performing at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool. Later that year he went on to study for his National Diploma in Musical Theatre at Laine Theatre Arts College. While there both he and Matt competed in a tap competition held at the college, and Matt, feeling generous, used one of his old routines and choreographed a new one for Devon… he regretted it in the end because Devon ended up beating him with it!
After graduating in 2009 he went on tour to Germany with the musical Hairspray for two years, managing to resist the urge to learn any German while he was there. He performed in Aladdin at the Royal & Derngate in Northampton in 2011.
In 2012 Devon taught classes and workshops in London and performed in the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Olympic Games.
Since then he has played a Shark on the national UK tour of West Side Story which began in Liverpool in 2013 and ended in summer 2014. In his spare time he has come back to Sheffield to teach our pupils exciting new routines and give them insight into the life of a professional dancer.
Devon was very excited to be joining the cast of Memphis, a new musical which arrived in London’s West End in October 2014. The starring role is taken by Beverley Knight, and the production won Best New Musical at the What’s On Stage Awards.
We enjoyed beautiful sunshine for our Easter Fun Day – we all know Mrs Berry is capable of organising anything, even the weather! The Jackson family were our hosts for the day and did a fabulous job, thank you so much.
The first of our 150 guests began to arrived at 10am and were straight onto the bouncy castle, zip wire or busy with craft activities in the party barn. Sarah and Karen Burton were kept busy all day face painting and the kids looked fabulous.
Hard at work at crafts in the barn
We started the Easter Egg Hunt at 11am and all the children (including some big kids!) had a booklet and went off searching for clues in the garden, field and the woods while the adults enjoyed a cuppa and a bun in the sunshine. When they had found all the clues and completed their Easter words they collected their prize of an Easter egg.
The grown-ups getting pretty serious about that egg and spoon race
The prize draw for the bunny came up next, with Jack being overwhelmed with his prize that was bigger than him! It was soon time for lunch which we all agreed was the best BBQ food in South Yorkshire and we spent some more time relaxing and enjoying the facilities. It was a real family atmosphere with everyone chipping in to serve food, clear up and help wherever needed.
Mrs B showing the girls how elevation gets done properly.
All that changed with the highly competitive egg and spoon races which culminated in the teacher’s race, won by Mrs Berry. We also had an expert judge, Suzanne Leech, for our colouring competition with many wonderful entries.
The day ended with a visit from an ice cream van and everyone left happy after a thoroughly enjoyable day. When the gazebos were put away and all was tidy, myself, fellow Committee members Andrea and Charise and also Mrs Berry decided it was our turn on the zip wire – we were very proud of ourselves.
Aliyah, Laylah, Eleanor and Grace make a new friend
It was a fantastic day. Thanks to all who came, a big thank you to everyone who helped out before, during and after the event, and of course a massive well done and thank you to the Jackson family.
Mrs Berry and her staff would like to thank Gemma and the Fundraising Committee, not to mention the Jackson family and everyone else who helped make this wonderful event possible. We are very grateful and impressed by the Fundraising Committee’s activities and the generosity of the friends of the school who continue to support it time and time again.
If you would like to find out more about our Fundraising Committee, please click here.
Last Saturday evening with a mixture of happiness and sadness, we joined our pupil Frankie Beetlestone and his family and friends for his leaving party. Frankie, 14, has been offered a place at the Sylvia Young Theatre School in London. The school for performing arts boasts former pupils such as Denise Van Outen, Rita Ora, Tom Fletcher and Billie Piper.
Frankie will start his new school on Monday 20th April, and although he hasn’t been with us for too long (since autumn 2014), we have loved teaching him, developing his skills and supporting him through the application process. We wish him all the best, our loss is their gain!
Many happy returns to Isabelle Sykes who turns 18 today! Isabelle started dancing class when she was just three years old but holds the record for youngest performance – when she appeared as the Tellytubby sun aged 13 months in a Century in Dance!
Since then Isabelle has taken part in numerous pantomimes, dance festivals and shows including playing the lead role of Annie at Sheffield City Hall! She has voiced Josephine in the BBC Radio 4 drama, On It, which won a prestigious Sony Radio Academy Award in 2012. In addition to assisting classes on Saturday mornings, Issy has won the school’s 30/30 award, which celebrates a pupil who has achieved to the best of their abilities and contributed to the overall life of the school. In recent years Isabelle has played the lead of Cathy Seldon in Tapton School’s production of Singin’ in the Rain, has won a place with the Youth Music Theatre company and has achieved an outstanding 90 marks in her Intermediate Tap exam. 
Isabelle will finish her A Levels next summer which is good news for us because we’ve got her for a whole more year! Issy also recently celebrated an extremely well-deserved win of the Senior Bursary competition at the Two Counties Dance Festival with a performance of her popular Taylor The Latte Boy. Pop the champers Isabelle, and happy birthday! 
I started dancing at Sharon Berry School from the age of two. During my 16 years there, I made some truly amazing memories. The people I met there are friends for life, we used to have so much fun in class!
James began dancing at Sharon Berry School of Theatre dance a couple of weeks before his 13th birthday after being told at school he would need the three disciplines of dance, singing and drama to fulfill his dream of performing in the West End. It was Mrs Berry’s idea that he should go for his first audition to London for the new musical Billy Elliot. After successfully beating 3,000 other candidates, James became one of the three original Billy Elliots to play the part in the West End’s Victoria Palace Theatre. He was involved in the development of the role of Billy from the very beginning, and contributed to the success of the show with critically acclaimed performances in acting, singing and dancing. The show opened on 31 March 2005. In that year, he won the Variety Club’s Outstanding New Talent Award and also the Theatre Goers’ Choice of Most Promising New Comer. He also jointly won the prestigious Sir Laurence Olivier Award in 2006 for Best Actor in a Musical.
Berry Academy of Dance 