Musical TheatreBugs     

Act One Studio, 1st Floor, St Chad's Parish Centre, Station Rd, Uppermill. OL3 6HQ

Tuesdays -     minis (preschool & reception)

                       4.45-5.30pm    £6.00

                       
                       midis (Year 1 - Year 2)           
                       5.30-6.30pm   £7.00

Saturdays -    minis (preschool & reception)   
                        8.45-9.30am   £6.00

                     
                        midis (Year 1 - Year 2)           
                        9.30-10.30am    £7.00

Please ensure children are fully toilet trained before attending classes. 

An exciting and inspiring class featuring storytelling, dance, singing, acting games and improvisation. Classes are led by experienced teachers with a very high ratio of staff to children to ensure they all receive lots of attention and guidance in their Performing Arts journey!

Young performers build confidence and develop communication skills as they learn to create characters and other fun acting and musical theatre techniques.

Please note that these classes are very popular and we often have a waiting list! Please see availability on the link below & book your trial session. 

BOOK HERE: book online

Uniform:

New pupils are not required to purchase our uniform or dance shoes until they have completed a taster session. Soft sole trainers or pumps can be worn for the first few classes along with loose, comfy clothes.

Our Musical Theatre uniform for TheatreBugs is:

Black jazz dance shoes

Black socks

Black plain (no logos) leggings or Act One branded leggings (girls)

Black plain (no logos) joggers or Act One branded joggers (boys)

Act One branded tshirt or vest top

Optional Act One branded hoody or zoody (alternative hoodies cannot be worn during class)

Optional Act One Hair Bow

Hair must be up in a tidy high pony, off the face and no jewellery.

Uniform can be ordered here: Uniform

FAQs for TheatreBugs classes: 

What does a performing arts class involve at this age?

Our little ones performing arts classes are designed to encourage confidence building, social skills, communication, cooperation and new friendships! Each session is structured to include each discipline (singing, dance and drama) through warm up games, imagination exercises, introductions to basic dance and singing techniques and learning songs, routines and pieces of drama. Classes remain in a similar structure each week to ensure that our youngest Act One students feel a familiarity when they attend through the term. This is something that helps to aid confidence building and self-assurance.

My child has never been dropped off anywhere before. Will they be ok without me?

We completely understand just how daunting it can be to drop your child off somewhere new, especially if they have never been without you before. It can be just as nerve wracking for the family as it is for the child themselves. At Act One, we often suggest that new families arrive to class 5 minutes early for their first session. This way both the student and their grown up, can meet the Class Teacher in a relaxed and calm environment. It gives you both chance to find out more about what will happen during the session and for the child to get comfortable with the space before the class begins. All of our managers and teachers have so much experience in settling children into sessions and we have our class mascot, Teddy TheatreBug, to help new students feel at ease.

Can I stay with my child for the trial sessions?

Act One has always run all of its sessions as drop off classes. While we completely understand this doesn’t always work for every family, we find it works very well for the way we structure our sessions and encourages independence and confidence building within our students, especially in preparation for starting school. Act One offers all new families a trial for all classes, and while we understand that families want to see how their child gets on during this time, it is also an opportunity to see if your child can settle in and participate without you being in the room. We will always ensure that we have the correct email for you, along with two emergency contacts on the day, so that we can contact you if there are any problems. We are also available and happy to offer honest feedback at the end of the class so you can see how they got on. Finally and most importantly, you know your child better than anyone, so you will always be able to tell if they had a good time! There is a small waiting area downstairs, should you wish to stay. Please ask a member of staff to show you.

My child is very shy and often struggles to find their voice outside of our home. Will they be ok in class?

Quite often, people deem performing arts to be an area reserved only for confident and outgoing people. But the arts are so much more than this. Within our sessions we see a range of personalities attending our classes and all of our sessions are designed to be adaptable to each of our students’ needs. One of the greatest parts of this job is to witness a shy child slowly but surely coming out of their shell to begin expressing themselves in sessions and through performance. We often hear feedback that after attending our classes, students are improving their confidence in nursery or school and this is something that is so invaluable to hear. Whether it takes a term, or a year, perseverance is key when it comes to building confidence.

I have a very confident and energetic child who needs an outlet to express themselves. Is this the place for them?

Just as we have shy children joining our sessions, we also have an array of children with very outgoing personalities within class. Act One truly is a place to belong and all of our teachers pride themselves on creating a safe and comfortable space for each child to express themselves in a way that best suits their needs. Classes are designed to be flexible and each child is encouraged at a pace that benefits them and their development. Imagination is also at the core of our sessions and children are encouraged to offer their own creative suggestions at multiple points in the class. We also offer a minimum of two public performance opportunities a year, and regular in-class presentations, so that all students can express and demonstrate all of their hard work for their families to see!

What if my child doesn’t participate when it comes to the performances?

Performing in front of an audience at any age is a very brave thing to do and for most of our little ones, it could be their first time ever in a room with that many people. Whether your child participates fully in the performance, stands on their spot quietly observing or decides to sit and watch with their grown up, all will still have achieved magical things throughout the term. One short performance does not determine the progress a child has made over the weeks in class and with time and growth, we find that all children settle into the feeling of being on stage. Every child has different achievements to be proud of, and at Act One, we celebrate them all!