People always seem to ask if so and so went, or disagree, so here is a list of who went where:

Series One

Jason Wood (Comedian)
David Dickinson (TV Presenter, Dickinson's Real Deal)
Verona Joseph (Former Holby City Star)
Claire Sweeney (Actress/TV Presenter) Italia Conti
Martin Offiah (Former Rugby Player)
Lesley Garrett (Singer)
Christopher Parker (Eastenders Actor)
Natasha Kaplinsky (Newsreader)

Series Two:

Quentin Willson
Carol Vorderman
Esther Rantzen
Diarmuid Gavin
Sarah Manners Central School of Speech and Drama
Roger Black
Aled Jones
Julian Clary
Denise Lewis
Jill Halfpenny Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art drama school First Act and the Reavley Theatre School

Series Three:

Siobhan Hayes
Jaye Jacobs Arts Educational School, attended dance classes at Tinney School of Dance
Gloria Hunniford
Fiona Phillips
Dennis Taylor
Will Thorp
Bill Turnbull
Patsy Palmer Anna Scher's famous acting schoolJames Martin
Zoë Ball
Colin Jackson
Darren Gough

Series Four:

Nicholas Owen
Mica Paris
Jimmy Tarbuck
DJ Spoony
Georgina Bouzova
Jan Ravens
Ray Fearon Rose Bruford College of Speech and DramaPeter Schmeichel
Claire King
Carol Smillie
Louisa Lytton Sylvia Young Theatre School
Emma Bunton Sylvia Young Theatre School
Matt Dawson
Mark Ramprakash


Series Five:

Brian Capron LAMDA
Stephanie Beacham RADA.
Willie Thorne
Gabby Logan
Dominic Littlewood
Penny Lancaster Stewart
At the age of six Lancaster took up dance, learning tap, ballet and modern but decided to quit at the age of 16Kate Garraway
John Barnes
Kelly Brook Italia Conti
Kenny Logan
Letitia Dean the Italia Conti Theatre School at ten years old, and later the Sylvia Young Theatre School
Gethin Jones
Matt Di Angelo Bodens Studios School of Acting Singing and Dancing, and then Sylvia Young Theatre School.Alesha Dixon -Dance Attic - a popular hip-hop/jazz dance academy in West London

Series Six:

Phil Daniels Anna Scher Theatre School
Gillian Taylforth Anna Scher Theatre School
Gary Rhodes
Andrew Castle
Austin Healey
Cherie Lunghi Arts Educational School, Central School of Speech and Drama
Christine Bleakley
Don Warrington
Heather Small
Jessie Wallace The Poor School
Jodie Kidd
John Sergeant
Lisa Snowdon Italia Conti
Mark Foster
Rachel Stevens Most biog’s say attended Drama school from 5...
Tom Chambers Guildford School of Acting.

Thanks, that's interesting

Some of those with seemingly a lot of experience were relatively poor on Strictly! Although I assume not all of these acting schools have real emphasis on dance?

Anna Scher was (not sure about now) a definate theatre school, rather than stage school - I am not sure that dance was taught there.

my sister went to Rose Bruford College of Speech they (as far as i remember ) don't do dancing there

Update:
some are purely Drama schools, some do dance...
Series One

Jason Wood (Comedian)
David Dickinson (TV Presenter, Dickinson's Real Deal)
Verona Joseph (Former Holby City Star)
Claire Sweeney (Actress/TV Presenter) Italia Conti
Martin Offiah (Former Rugby Player)
Lesley Garrett (Singer)
Christopher Parker (Eastenders Actor)
Natasha Kaplinsky (Newsreader)

Series Two:

Quentin Willson
Carol Vorderman
Esther Rantzen
Diarmuid Gavin
Sarah Manners Central School of Speech and Drama
Roger Black
Aled Jones
Julian Clary
Denise Lewis
Jill Halfpenny Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Arts, First Act and the Reavley Theatre School

Series Three:

Siobhan Hayes
Jaye Jacobs Arts Educational School, attended dance classes at Tinney School of Dance
Gloria Hunniford
Fiona Phillips
Dennis Taylor
Will Thorp
Bill Turnbull
Patsy Palmer Anna Scher's acting only
James Martin
Zoë Ball
Colin Jackson
Darren Gough

Series Four:

Nicholas Owen
Mica Paris
Jimmy Tarbuck
DJ Spoony
Georgina Bouzova
Jan Ravens
Ray Fearon Rose Bruford College of Speech and Dramaacting only
Peter Schmeichel
Claire King
Carol Smillie
Louisa Lytton Sylvia Young Theatre School
Emma Bunton Sylvia Young Theatre School
Matt Dawson
Mark Ramprakash


Series Five:

Brian Capron LAMDA
Stephanie Beacham RADA.
Willie Thorne
Gabby Logan
Dominic Littlewood
Penny Lancaster Stewart
At the age of six Lancaster took up dance, learning tap, ballet and modern but decided to quit at the age of 16Kate Garraway
John Barnes
Kelly Brook Italia Conti
Kenny Logan
Letitia Dean the Italia Conti Theatre School at ten years old, and later the Sylvia Young Theatre School
Gethin Jones
Matt Di Angelo Bodens Studios School of Acting Singing and Dancing, and then Sylvia Young Theatre School.
Alesha Dixon -Dance Attic - a popular hip-hop/jazz dance academy in West London

Series Six:

Phil Daniels Anna Scher Theatre School
Gillian Taylforth Anna Scher Theatre School acting only
Gary Rhodes
Andrew Castle
Austin Healey
Cherie Lunghi Arts Educational School, Central School of Speech and Drama
Christine Bleakley
Don Warrington
Heather Small
Jessie Wallace The Poor School
Jodie Kidd
John Sergeant
Lisa Snowdon Italia Conti
Mark Foster
Rachel Stevens Most biog’s say attended Drama school from 5...
Tom Chambers Guildford School of Acting.

humm interesting one would think those that have been to a stage school will at least have had some expreience on stage im sure that helps with nerves a little, at least they will have performed infront of an audience before. or maybe im completely wrong

thanks for posting it was interesting i enjoyed reading it

Some of those listed are not Stage Schools

Cant see how stage schools can provide any advantage other than confidence

Gillian Taylforth specifically said they didn't do dance at Anna Scher

Jessie Wallace is the first person that I know of to have made it from The Poor School. Surely they could think of something better to call it.

Jill Halfpenny, Louisa Lytton and Kelly Brook are the ones I know definitely had formal dance training.

The one you have listed for Alesha is a drop-in dance class. There's a world of difference between attending street/hip hop dance classes ?once a week for a few weeks or months, and attending an institution like Italia Conti. Hip hop dance classes are similar to dancexercise classes which almost every gym has these days.

I attended salsa, Argentine tango and ballroom & latin classes on and off for 7 years but I'd never consider myself "dance trained" as the usual weekly group lesson format meant I never really learnt more than the basics.

Nor how we are meant to compare with all the people we know nothing about. For all we know they danced in clubs, school, at night school or at university or in a club somewhere after. i doubt if many of the theatre and Tv people got where they are without some sort of training too.

Thank you for your information, thread starter.

They don't specifically do dance at RADA or LAMDA - some stage movement but not specifically dance. They are classical drama colleges rather than stage schools.

If, like say Jill Halfpenny, you have attended stage schools from a very early age, you have been dance trained from a very early age. Dance training, particularly ballet training, means that you understand how to use your whole body to dance - from the tilt of your head, the curve of your foot to the tips of your fingers.

You learn how to stretch and elongate your limbs and you learn how to control your body. On top of that you learn how to learn a routine (and how to understand the 8-beat count), which makes learning new dances much easier.

Anyone who spent time at a stage school, where at least a third of the timetable is dance, has an advantage - unless they completed less than a term!

I felt a bit unfair putting Alesha's drop-in street dance club in the list, because the only assistance I think it gave her is in the count and in learning a routine - even in the final she did not finish her moves perfectly! However, if I had left it out, someone would have told me off!

Was just about to post much the same things ~ I've had a number of frieds who have gone to RADA & LAMDA (I'm married to an actor), and the only dance they covered was period dancing e.g. Elizabethan. Another friend went to Rose Bruford and as far as I'm aware they didn't do dance there.

Updated again! Thanks for new info:
some are purely Drama schools, some do dance...
Series One

Jason Wood (Comedian)
David Dickinson (TV Presenter, Dickinson's Real Deal)
Verona Joseph (Former Holby City Star)
Claire Sweeney (Actress/TV Presenter) Italia Conti
Martin Offiah (Former Rugby Player)
Lesley Garrett (Singer)
Christopher Parker (Eastenders Actor)
Natasha Kaplinsky (Newsreader)

Series Two:

Quentin Willson
Carol Vorderman
Esther Rantzen
Diarmuid Gavin
Sarah Manners Central School of Speech and Drama
Roger Black
Aled Jones
Julian Clary
Denise Lewis
Jill Halfpenny Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Arts, First Act and the Reavley Theatre School

Series Three:

Siobhan Hayes
Jaye Jacobs Arts Educational School, attended dance classes at Tinney School of Dance
Gloria Hunniford
Fiona Phillips
Dennis Taylor
Will Thorp
Bill Turnbull
Patsy Palmer Anna Scher's acting only
James Martin
Zoë Ball
Colin Jackson
Darren Gough

Series Four:

Nicholas Owen
Mica Paris
Jimmy Tarbuck
DJ Spoony
Georgina Bouzova
Jan Ravens
Ray Fearon Rose Bruford College of Speech and Dramaacting only
Peter Schmeichel
Claire King
Carol Smillie
Louisa Lytton Sylvia Young Theatre School
Emma Bunton Sylvia Young Theatre School
Matt Dawson
Mark Ramprakash


Series Five:

Brian Capron LAMDA acting only
Stephanie Beacham RADA. acting and movement classes
Willie Thorne
Gabby Logan
Dominic Littlewood
Penny Lancaster Stewart
At the age of six Lancaster took up dance, learning tap, ballet and modern but decided to quit at the age of 16
Kate Garraway
John Barnes
Kelly Brook Italia Conti
Kenny Logan
Letitia Dean the Italia Conti Theatre School at ten years old, and later the Sylvia Young Theatre School
Gethin Jones
Matt Di Angelo Bodens Studios School of Acting Singing and Dancing, and then Sylvia Young Theatre School.
Alesha Dixon -Dance Attic - a popular hip-hop/jazz dance academy in West London casual, drop-in lessons

Series Six:

Phil Daniels Anna Scher Theatre School
Gillian Taylforth Anna Scher Theatre School acting only
Gary Rhodes
Andrew Castle
Austin Healey
Cherie Lunghi Arts Educational School, Central School of Speech and Drama
Christine Bleakley
Don Warrington
Heather Small
Jessie Wallace The Poor School
Jodie Kidd
John Sergeant
Lisa Snowdon Italia Conti
Mark Foster
Rachel Stevens Most biog’s say attended Drama school from 5...
Tom Chambers Guildford School of Acting. has both aan acting school and a theatre school

Agree with the confidence comment - but stage school should also help with the performance.

As has been mentioned previously, both Matt Dawson and Gethin flourished after their partners recruited an acting coach and this time round Arlene has recommended the same for Mark.

Why do you list only Jill, Louisa and Kelly as the only ones who definitely had formal dance training when there are a bunch of others who also went to "an institution like Italia Conti"?


I think that if one of the celebs had attended salsa, tango, ballroom and latin classes on and off for 7 years it would be worth noting.

Celebs who went to stage schools may not have have learned more than the basics either.

I am surprised you have missed out that Aled Jones was at the RAM and then did 2 years at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School

Most of what is taught in drama schools is movement and and also Alexander Technique and Pilates and Yoga is now common . I can't speak for places like Sylvia Young and Italia Conti , where the curriculum is much wider .

Will Thorp was also a Student at the Bristol Old Vic

Like how to avoid bumping into the furniture!!

JJ (lol)

I was thinking more of Physical theatre but that sounds like a much better idea !!

I did tap and modern classes for about 2 years when I was eight and have just started tap again as an adult.

I can just about remember how to shuffle, ball change but can't keep up with a short routine for the life of me!

So my early "dance training" counts for almost nothing and I suspect the same applies to most of the celebrities on SCD who have had dance lessons in their youth.

Cherie did ballet classes in Notting Hill - I don't know how long for - I read an interview with her.

I did a year of ballet when I was about 6 - I learnt the arm positions & how to plié & that's it.

There seems to be a lot of confusion regarding Cherie's dance training. She just didn't do ballet on a Saturday, she went to the Arts Educational Trust where she had years of ballet, tap, modern and some ballroom training. She was a very good dancer. It wasn't a stage school where you did a bit of everything, it was full time dancing (allowing time for school work of course).

She would have been under 16 so how could she do full time dance as well as the school curriculum ?