Ethos and Values
Ethos
We believe that dance is not just a discipline—it’s a path of self-discovery, joy, and belonging.
Every class is a collaboration: a space of shared exploration where students are guided through thoughtfully crafted experiences that allow them to grow with agency, imagination, and trust. Our role as teachers is to hold structure spaciously—to facilitate specific practices that open the door to personal expression, bodily awareness, and deepened presence.
At EPAD, we believe that dance is not just a discipline—it’s a path of self-discovery, joy, and belonging. We are here to support young people in growing strong, expressive, curious, and confident in both body, mind and soul.
We show up for our community because we know what it means to belong. Many of us—teachers, students, families—have spent many years in this studio, and it has become a second home. Through lockdowns, transitions, and changing times, the school has remained a space of continuity, care, and quiet excellence.
We are of service to the whole dancer—to their strength, their dreams, their learning style, their wellbeing, their sense of self.
We are here for the child who wants to twirl and giggle in their first leotard and for the teenager discovering their expressive power.
To create a space where every dancer can become more fully themselves.
Our Values
What we stand for and why it matters
1.Presence in Performance
We believe dance is a lived, felt experience—not just a series of polished shapes. We teach students to inhabit their movement fully—to feel, express, and connect from the inside out. This kind of presence builds not only artistry, but confidence, focus, and authenticity on and off stage.
2. Every dancer is seen
We honour the individual. Whether a child dances for joy, discipline, or aspiration, we meet them with curiosity, care, and respect. Everybody is welcomed. Every journey matters.
3. Depth with Joy
Our teaching is rooted in substance—drawing from dance science, somatics, Pilates, and embodied anatomy. But we also make room for joy, laughter, and connection. We believe learning should feel meaningful and alive.
4. Student-centred growth
A successful class is a collaboration. While we lead with structure and expertise, we also facilitate a space where students are invited to take agency in their learning. We value curiosity, responsiveness, and the process of discovery—not just the delivery of information. Our role is to guide and support, creating the conditions for each dancer to grow with confidence, creativity, and self-awareness.
5. Community and care
We’re not a franchise. We’re a living community. Our relationships—with students, families, and teachers—are built on trust, respect, and shared celebration.
7. Skills for life
Discipline, focus, resilience, creativity—these aren’t just dance skills. They’re life skills. We teach in a way that helps young people carry these qualities far beyond the studio.
Core philosophy - “The connections made by good teachers are held not in their methods but in their hearts — meaning heart in its ancient sense, as the place where intellect and emotion and spirit converge.”
—Parker J. Palmer
This speaks to the way we teach.
We hold structure, knowledge, and skill—but the real magic of a class lives in how it’s shared. We teach with presence, intelligence, and care—so that every dancer is supported as a whole person, not just as a performer.
“If a child is to keep alive their inborn sense of wonder... they need the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with them the joy, excitement, and mystery of the world we live in.”
— Rachel Carson
Who we’re here for
We welcome children and young people aged 2–18—from joyful beginners to aspiring dancers preparing for auditions and exams. But beyond age or level, our ideal students—and families—are those who value care, creativity, and integrity in the learning process:
Families who value depth and holistic growth
Curious, imaginative, sensitive children
Young dancers seeking strong foundations
Parents who care about wellbeing as much as technique
Families looking for a school that feels like home
Trial Class
We’re offering a free trial class so you can experience the joy of dance with us before you commit. Simply fill out the form, send an email or a message
Class locations
Canons Hall, HA7 2DU
Stanmore Chapel, HA7 4HP