Karen Forbes School of Dance
About Us
Karen Forbes School of Dance
We start with very young children where the imagination flourishes in a fun environment, alongside the beginning of the technique of ballet. We strive to pass on our passion for dance to the children. Some pupils just love dance as a hobby, and for those who show aptitude we aim to encourage and train our pupils to audition for places at vocational establishments.
Our girls and boys have gone on to study at some of the most reputable institutions including The Royal Ballet School, Whitelodge, Tring Park, The Hammond, Elmhurst, Arts Educational, The Brits and more.
Many have obtained full scholarships for the full training, including the dance scholarship for Surbiton High. Some of our pupils have been accepted to dance with the National Youth Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet, London Children’s Ballet, Surrey Youth Ballet and the English Youth Ballet. We’ve even had one of our girls feature in the new film “Matilda”.
We are so proud of all of our children, including the success we have achieved with our pupils over the years, and we’d like thank the students and their families for all their commitment. Please take a look at our social pages, as we have so many photos and achievements of the children.
National Youth Ballet
For the last 30 years consecutively, we have had children attaining places with the National Youth Ballet. Our children were picked out of the whole of Great Britain, this company is one of the top ballet companies in the UK for children.
London Children’s Ballet
During the 2022 season, we had four pupils in the main company, which was one of the greatest representations of any school in the UK, and one pupil in the touring company. This company, alongside the National Youth Ballet, is the top company for children in Britain, and is affiliated with many famous choreographers, such as Matthew Bourne.
Birmingham Royal Ballet
Established 1986
Our Story
Established in 1986, our Wimbledon based dance school provides training in all forms of dance, both recreational and vocational. This is where our pupils grow up in a close-knit, fun environment where everybody knows each other. Many of our pupils seem to live in the school and have so much fun and learn so much, they are still with us well into their twenties!
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Our Instructors
Karen Forbes
Owner/Head Ballet Teacher
Karen Forbes started ballet when she was four years old in Zimbabwe, where the training was amazing, and her teacher was a Royal Ballet dancer. Karen developed her love for ballet and all dance, particularly choreography at her school. The school became Karen’s life and was a second family that was both exciting and fun, so much so the children practically lived at the school; this was the atmosphere that Karen wanted to re-create with her own dance school. Karen’s childhood ballet school encouraged choreography and the children competed at festivals. It was at one of these festivals where Karen, at 13 years old, created a ballet of The Little Match Girl, and won. This achievement inspired her to teach and continue with choreography and to pass on her passion to her pupils. Karen’s main training was RAD ballet but later, when she discovered the ISTD and recognised how artistic it was, she moved over to the ISTD and combines her RAD training with the ISTD to create a balanced dancer, who is not just a technician, but a performer as well. Karen is also trained in ISTD Modern Dance.
Daisy Smalley-Nicholson
Modern, Tap, Contemporary & Stretch Teacher
Graduated from The Brit School Of Performing Arts & Technology, with three distinction stars in dance, drama and singing. She then went on to graduate from Performers College with a level 6 Trinity College Diploma in Musical Theatre where she also achieved her DDI qualifications in Modern and Tap alongside her Trinity College Diploma. She then returned back to her old dance school-Betty Wivell Academy Of Performing Arts to further her teacher training and achieved both her DDE qualifications in ISTD Modern and Tap.
Since graduating, she has worked as a performer in a variety of venues. Disneyland Paris as a Parade Performer and Dancer, Singer and Dancer in hotels abroad and many touring pantomimes, However, she discovered a passion for teaching, dance, drama and musical theatre, whilst working with students in dance schools, nurseries and primary schools. She feels very fortunate to be working with students who are Royal Ballet associates, worked with The London Children’s Ballet and have recently received scholarships for schools: Tring Park School for the Performing Arts and Surbiton High School. Many of these have inspired her to make the decision to focus on teaching as a career, where she has been able to grow and develop her skills, as an effective dance and musical theatre teacher. She is dedicated to enabling students and adults to achieve their full potential in dance and performing arts and hers.
Karen Forbes
Owner/Head Ballet Teacher
Karen Forbes started ballet when she was four years old in Zimbabwe, where the training was amazing, and her teacher was a Royal Ballet dancer. Karen developed her love for ballet and all dance, particularly choreography at her school. The school became Karen’s life and was a second family that was both exciting and fun, so much so the children practically lived at the school; this was the atmosphere that Karen wanted to re-create with her own dance school. Karen’s childhood ballet school encouraged choreography and the children competed at festivals. It was at one of these festivals where Karen, at 13 years old, created a ballet of The Little Match Girl, and won. This achievement inspired her to teach and continue with choreography and to pass on her passion to her pupils. Karen’s main training was RAD ballet but later, when she discovered the ISTD and recognised how artistic it was, she moved over to the ISTD and combines her RAD training with the ISTD to create a balanced dancer, who is not just a technician, but a performer as well. Karen is also trained in ISTD Modern Dance.
Daisy Smalley-Nicholson
Modern, Tap, Contemporary & Stretch Teacher
Graduated from The Brit School Of Performing Arts & Technology, with three distinction stars in dance, drama and singing. She then went on to graduate from Performers College with a level 6 Trinity College Diploma in Musical Theatre where she also achieved her DDI qualifications in Modern and Tap alongside her Trinity College Diploma. She then returned back to her old dance school-Betty Wivell Academy Of Performing Arts to further her teacher training and achieved both her DDE qualifications in ISTD Modern and Tap.
Since graduating, she has worked as a performer in a variety of venues. Disneyland Paris as a Parade Performer and Dancer, Singer and Dancer in hotels abroad and many touring pantomimes, However, she discovered a passion for teaching, dance, drama and musical theatre, whilst working with students in dance schools, nurseries and primary schools. She feels very fortunate to be working with students who are Royal Ballet associates, worked with The London Children’s Ballet and have recently received scholarships for schools: Tring Park School for the Performing Arts and Surbiton High School. Many of these have inspired her to make the decision to focus on teaching as a career, where she has been able to grow and develop her skills, as an effective dance and musical theatre teacher. She is dedicated to enabling students and adults to achieve their full potential in dance and performing arts and hers.