A much-loved dance school is entering a new chapter as it moves into brand-new studios following years of making do with ageing and flood-hit premises.
4Stars Dance in Melksham will officially unveil its new home at Lancaster Road, Bowerhill Industrial Estate, on Sunday, September 13, when local businessman Phil Dodd will cut the ribbon at a special grand opening.
For the school, the move is about much more than just a new building.
Its previous premises had become increasingly tired, with flooding from the river adding to problems in a building that was already damp.
There was also little room to improve the old site or give the school the larger space it needed.
Now, teachers and students have a purposefully adapted studio designed around the needs of dancers.
Linda Bramwell-Chivers, business partner at the dance school, said the new premises is the studio the school had always dreamed of.
She said: “Our previous premises were starting to look very tired and there wasn’t a lot of scope for improvement.
“The floods from the river caused an already damp building to feel less inviting. We also needed a larger space.”
She said that even the lighting had been carefully selected by teachers to create a more comfortable environment for students.
“The new space is being purposely adapted to become the studio we have always dreamed of,” Linda explained.
“It is such a lovely space, even the lighting has been specifically chosen by teachers to provide a more comfortable and welcoming space for dancers.
“We will not be on a main road which will enable us to offer outdoor space for students to use during breaks.”
The school has deep roots in the Melksham community and plans to continue offering performance, competition and examination opportunities.
Its new home is also intended to provide a stronger foundation for the years ahead, with the school aiming to keep dance tuition affordable and accessible to people of all ages.
Linda said: “Our main ambition is to continue to offer affordable and excellent dance tuition to students of all ages in a friendly, caring and professional manner whilst also inspiring the younger generation whether they are dancing as a hobby or looking for career in performing arts.”
The choice of Mr Dodd, managing director at Melksham Motor Spares Ltd, to officially open the studios is particularly special.
His two daughters attended the school for many years before moving on to university, while the wider Dodd family has supported the school in various ways over more than a decade.
“We wanted a person who also has local links with the community of Melksham. Phil is a local businessman,” said Linda.
“His two daughters attended the dance school for many years and during those years the whole of the Dodd family supported us in many ways.
“He is the perfect person to help us celebrate our new move.”
4Stars Dance was founded in 1996 to provide high-quality tuition in a number of dance genres – ballet, tap, modern, street, jazz and rock’n’roll.
Earlier this year, 4Stars Dance won the Best Performance group at Melksham Carnival with their biggest entry, with some 118 dancers taking part.
Dancers from the school are due to take part in Melksham Carnival in July next year.
The grand opening on Sunday will give students, families and residents the chance to look around the new studios and see the new dance floors.
For the school, it marks the beginning of an ambitious new chapter, with the focus firmly on giving the next generation somewhere to learn, perform and fall in love with dance.
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