OUR STORY

Look what happens when you work in parallel

Find out how two students became almost two hundred!

How it all began

Bringing dance to North Norfolk

For more than 12 years Parallel Dance Studios has been teaching and providing dance lessons to hundreds of students across Norfolk. The family-run school is led by sisters Emma and Lucy Cook, both born and raised in Norfolk and heavily involved in dance and theatre from an early age. Their career choices were naturally weighted towards dance and through this passion and dedication, Parallel Dance Studios was formed with the aim to bring the fun and benefits of dance, including high-level professional training usualy associated to bigger cities, to all.

In late 2011, a decision of one sister to persue the teaching of dance coincided with the relocation back to Norfolk of the other, and over a lengthy chat in the Marsham Arms, along with some liquid refreshments, the concept and goals of Parallel Dance were written out on the back of a napkin.
An initial summer workshop week was planned to gauge uptake and our very first performance involving the entire cast of 2 students was held in the wet outside in Holt Square. Word soon spread and classes began in the September at St. Andrew’s Church Hall, where classes still continue today. Class sizes continued to grow throughout the first year with more groups and genres on offer, eventually expanding our reach with classes in Reepham at Reepham High School.
Many milestones have been achieved over the years with pupil numbers increasing year-on-year to almost 200 currently. Participation and requests to perform at local and national events is now a common occurance, as is our yearly sell-out summer dance show and 100% successful IDTA pass-rate.
Currently Parallel Dance Studios boasts:
  • Accredited IDTA dance school
  • Acrobatic Arts registered school
  • 3 venues across North Norfolk
  • 20+ classes available every week during term time
  • multiple dance styles including ballet, tap, acro, dance theatre, street, contemporary and jazz
  • Succesful competition groups
  • Yearly dance showcase
  • Fully insured
  • DBS checked and Safeguarding Policies