About The School

Our Mission:

Our mission is to inspire, nurture and celebrate young ballet dancers sharing a talent, commitment and passion to become exceptional dance professionals, regardless of financial circumstances.
Our expert staff deliver elite training in state-of-the-art facilities, an experience enriched by our highly-esteemed association with Birmingham Royal Ballet. As well as privileged access to the company’s Artistic Director and his team, our association also gives students significant performance opportunities to work with the Birmingham Royal Ballet - both at the Birmingham Hippodrome and on tour.

Our holistic ethos encourages students to LIVE, DANCE and LEARN in equal measure. This successful and rounded approach continues to produce happy and healthy elite classical ballet dancers, who are interesting, inquisitive and grounded, and ready to take their next steps in life. 

 Our History:

Founded in Camberley, Surrey in 1923, Elmhurst was one of the UK’s first vocational dance schools.

In 2004, the school moved to its purpose-built new home in Edgbaston, Birmingham forming a close association with Birmingham Royal Ballet, formerly Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet.

Elmhurst has a history of notable alumni and continues to be a world-renowned centre of excellence, providing full-time vocational training in classical ballet in conjunction with a sound academic education across the whole school.

Joining Elmhurst:

Elmhurst is an independent school for classical ballet students aged 11-19 years’ old. Entry to the school is by audition with students joining from Year 7 onwards and graduating after Year 14.

In a typical year, 80% of our students receive financial assistance to train with us.

In geographical terms 20.6% of our students are from the Midlands; 26.9% from London and the South East; 13.7% from the South West; 18.8% from the North of England; 1.7% from Scotland; 2.9% from Wales; and 15.4% are from overseas.

Most of our students are new to boarding when they join Elmhurst. We have capacity for 169 students to live on-site and nearby at The Elms boarding house. Our graduate students live independently. We also welcome day-students.

World-Class Facilities:

Our state-of-the-art facilities include:

• A 220-seat theatre
• Seven dance studios
• Academic classrooms
• Home-from-home on-site accommodation
• A sector-leading Health and Well-being Centre
• An outdoor sports field