Tanya Trafford

PRINCIPAL - HEAD OF BALLET

Tanya has been dancing the age of three! She completed her professional training at the Hammond School in Chester and is a fully registered teacher of the Royal Academy of Dance.

She returned to Exeter in 1988 to run the school with her sister Susan. When Susan left to pursue other avenues Tanya became Principal of the school and is proud of it's outstanding reputation as a centre of dance excellence in the heart of Exeter's city centre. Her choreography regularly wins solo and group sections at the Exeter Dance Festival and beyond.

The school has won the  Exeter Festival Performance Award and had pupils medal in the Young Dancer award on many occasions, pupils have also gone on to compete and achieve medal places in the All England Festival. Tanya is committed to giving the best to her pupils and helping them to achieve excellent results in exams, she has had pupils successfully audition for the Royal Ballet School Asssociates, Elmhurst Associates, Tap Attack Associates and Ballet Boost.

Tanya is also head of dance for Stage Studios' sister company Stage By Stage, run by her husband Ian Trafford. She has staged over 150 of musicals for children and adults of all ages including West Side Story, Carousel, Songs for a New World, We Will Rock You and Seussical the musical.

She is the resident choreographer for Kickline Theatre Company and has choreographed their professional pantomimes from 2010 to the present day. She has also worked with Kickline for their Rep season of plays.

Tanya is also a qualified instructor for the Exeter Gymnastics Club and regularly choreographs national and international championship-winning floor routines.