About us and our teachers | Haslemere Performing Arts

About us

Teaching dance in Haslemere since 1968

Angela Cantan started this school in 1968 and still teaches most of the ballet in it. Her aim then was to give local children the chance to dance and act without the fees that usually come with it, and that is still what the school is for.

Trophies and shields won by the school — Last season’s trophies

HPA opened in 1968 as the Denise School of Dancing, started by Angela Cantan, who has been its principal ever since. In 2000 it took the name Haslemere Performing Arts. Fifty years later the school marked the anniversary with a show at Haslemere Hall that former pupils came back to dance in. By then it had close to two hundred members, from three year olds through to adults, and it has since taken a record haul of medals at the British Arts national finals in London. What has not changed is the reason it started. Angela's aim has always been to give local children the chance to dance and act without the fees that usually come with it, which is why a term still costs what it does, and why costumes for shows are provided by the school rather than bought by parents.

Our record

How our pupils do

Exams and competitions are optional and plenty of pupils never enter either. For those who do, this was last season.

Ballet exams

Every pupil who sat RAD ballet exams achieved high merit or distinction.

Hampshire Festival of Dance

Twelve first places, eleven seconds and eight thirds, from the youngest section up to seniors.

British Arts finals

Five first-place trophies and three seconds across classical, character, modern and cabaret groups.

All England semi-finals

A second with honours in the lyrical duet and a fourth with honours in modern.

Godalming Music Festival

The Shakespeare Cup in the drama section, with three more of our pupils placing.

Bognor Festival

Our adult tap group took first place in their section with 88 marks.

Who teaches here

Our teachers

Whoever is taking your child's class, this is who they are.

Angela Cantan

Founder and Principal

Angela is a Life-Member of the Royal Academy of Dance and of the National Association of Teachers of Dancing. She is also a member of the British Arts Association and the All England Dance Organisation. Angela also holds a Teacher’s Certificate in Dance & Drama from London University. She is well-known in Haslemere and the surrounding area having taught General Education, Dance and Drama in both State and Private education for over 50 years. She has performed in, directed, co-directed and choreographed many Musical Theatre productions for both children and adults.

Many of her own pupils have gone on to perform in professional productions including the West End and around the world. Former pupils have appeared in television and films and the discipline that she has instilled in pupils for dancing and drama has given them the confidence, ambition, adaptability and communication skills to be successful in other areas of employment as well.

Suzie Brockett

Dance, musical theatre and drama

Suzie teaches dance and choreographs for the Saturday workshops and the festival groups, including our Stage 3 tap and modern numbers and several of the pieces we take to the British Arts Awards. She also co-runs StageShine, the musical theatre group that meets at Haslewey on Mondays, and coaches drama and singing for festival work. She trained at Bird College in all aspects of dance and musical theatre, and is an Associate of LAMDA. She has performed in the UK and internationally for Graham English Productions, appeared in a filmed production of Alan Ayckbourn’s Bedroom Farce, modelled, worked on advertising for Mitsubishi and appeared as an extra in Bollywood features. She co-founded Suzie Songtime, a children’s singing group and party entertainment company, works with several entertainment companies and private functions, and is currently compere and performer at Skyfest in Petersfield.

Her pupils have taken the poetry trophy and the musical theatre solo song trophy at the Chichester Festival, first places and many awards at the Surrey Festival of Musical Theatre and the Arts, and trophies in the drama and singing sections at British Arts in London.

Sheila Johnston

Adult tap

Sheila teaches all three adult tap classes on Monday evenings at Haslemere Methodist Church, beginners through to advanced, and is who to contact about joining them. The classes are informal and good fun, a good way to meet people and keep fit, and they suit all ages: our tappers run from 18 to 75. For anyone who wants to, there are festivals, the Children in Need Tapathon and the school show, though none of it is compulsory. The group took first place at the Bognor Regis Dance Festival and joint second at the Portsmouth Festival of Performing Arts.

Shakira Alleyne

Festival choreographer and Saturday workshops

Shakira choreographs for the senior festival group and teaches on the Saturday workshops. She took the top choreography award at the British Arts Awards for The Coven, and has choreographed many of our festival entries. She starred as Bluey in the London production and continued with it on a UK and European tour. She returns in September to offer new classes.

Fiona Johnston

Saturday workshops

Fiona teaches on the Saturday workshops alongside Angela and Shakira, and choreographs for the festival groups. Way Out West, which she choreographed for the inters, took first place and a cup at the British Arts Awards. She is also our wardrobe mistress, which is a job in itself.

Kamal Sharma

Drama and improv

Kamal runs Inspire, our drama and improv club for 14 to 18 year olds, on Tuesday afternoons at 2 Kings Road.

Where pupils go next

Former pupils

A few of the pupils who have gone on from here.

Jerome Anthony Barnes

Now performing worldwide as a guest artiste, recently dancing principal roles in Swan Lake and Giselle in Cape Town, as well as The Great Gatsby, Dracula and The Nutcracker. He came back to give a Saturday workshop for our seniors.

Ella Barnes

Studying at the Royal Academy of Dance.

Emma Taylor-Eardley

Appeared with LMA’s dance group, who reached the finals of Britain’s Got Talent.