Stagecoach encourage them to take ‘safe risks’ through rehearsals and performance, which brings out a willingness to take on new challenges. As none of us know what the future holds, it’s really important for today’s children to be resilient, brave and self-assured and that’s what Stagecoach aim to help build. 

Children attend a three hour session once a week and this session is broken down into 3 classes; dancing, singing and drama. I had spoken to Laura, the Principal of Stagecoach Walsall prior to our visit and we had a chat about Olly and his reluctance to join in. I also heard firsthand, how passionate she was to see the children back in class (after months of remote learning via Zoom). She explained the format of the sessions, told me more about the staff and couldn’t wait to welcome back her students. Her enthusiasm was evident, and we were really looking forward to it. 

We arrived at Stagecoach Walsall and were warmly welcomed by Laura and her team. We had a look around the school and was really impressed with the facilities on offer. Olly was looking forward to the sessions (albeit on the proviso that he didn’t have to take part if he didn’t want to!)

The first session of the day was an hour’s dance tuition with Danni in the dance studio. We enjoyed watching the session and I was particularly impressed with how Danni encouraged the children to join in, feel relaxed and offer their own ideas (and dance moves) in the session. Unfortunately Olly didn’t want to join in during this session but it was lovely to see the children gain confidence as the session progressed and by the end, they were all chatting and laughing together. The classes have lots of performing arts benefits. Being physically active releases positive endorphins which make students feel more relaxed and overall happier. The dance classes are a great way to get students moving, burn calories, develop muscle control, improve balance and coordination.

The second session of the day was singing with Jenni. After brief introductions, the session began with warm ups where the children began to warm up their voices with fun and engaging vocal exercises. To my surprise, Olly joined in and asked if he could sit next to the other children in the class. It was brilliant to see him joining in and taking part. After half an hour, all the children were learning and singing ‘You’re Welcome’ from Moana and it was such a lovely class. 

After a short break, the children lined up for their final class of the day, drama. The Childrens Acting Classes were led by teacher Rian and straight away engaged the children to participate. Once again, to my surprise, Olly joined in straight away and wanted to take part with the other children. It was a really fun class where the children were encouraged to act out scenarios and judging by the volume of the giggles and hive of activity in the class, the children all really enjoyed it. 

At the end of the class, Olly and all the new starters were given a postcard from Principal Laura to welcome them to Stagecoach and it was great to see all the children with big smiles on their faces after a successful first session. I asked Olly if he enjoyed the sessions and he was beaming. It was lovely to see how engaged he was in the two sessions he took part in and it does make me wonder what his confidence would be like if he was to continue taking the classes at Stagecoach. 

I can really see how the engaging, positive environment can encourage the children to be the best version of themselves. Stagecoach teach their students so much more than how to sing, dance and act. They help them blossom into well-rounded individuals, ready to embrace life and all its opportunities. If you have a child who loves to sing, perform and act then Stagecoach would be an ideal place for them to start a creative future in Performing Arts. 

This post is in conjunction with Stagecoach Performing Arts but all thoughts are my own