Perform Drama, Dance & Singing Classes

Perform has been at St Johns Church Hall since January 2012 — over thirteen years of Tuesday afternoons on the same patch of High Road. The 4–7s take the floor at 4pm for an hour, then the 7–12s follow at 5:05pm. Both classes are led by Chloe and Lisa, with Area Partner Jade overseeing the Buckhurst Hill venue.

Each session weaves together drama, dance and singing — different every week, but always built around what Perform calls the 4 Cs: Confidence, Concentration, Communication and Coordination. For the 4–7s, this means three distinct sections: movement and coordination games, songs and speech work, then character and storytelling exercises. The 7–12s cover similar ground at a different pitch — acting and improvisation (including vocal projection, physicality and accents), movement and dance, and speech and singing, with groups kept small enough that most children get a solo or featured role at some point. Every class has two Perform staff in the room, and no more than 22 children.

This summer's themes are Mermaids & Pirates for the younger group and The Dream, drawing on the story of A Midsummer Night's Dream, for the older one. The current term at Buckhurst Hill runs from 14th April to 14th July. Perform operates a rolling curriculum, so children can start when they are ready rather than waiting for the start of a term.

After each block, parents receive a personalised Feedback Form written by the Producer — signed by Principal Lucy Quick — along with a weekly email that sets out what that particular session focused on. Three times a year, families are invited to half-termly Open Workshops and end-of-term Presentations where children share what they have been working on.