We recently celebrated our 8th anniversary of opening up the studios in Digbeth in June 2023. Here are a few lovely messages sent to me on Facebook
Congratulations Annette. You have created an amazing, inspiring environment for aspiring dancers. The best dance school we could have ever sent Steph to. I hope you have many more successful years ahead. 💐🩰❤️
Fabulous dance school, I’m sure the next 8 years will be just as successful if not more so👏🏻💗xx
Congratulations Annette, you have nurtured and supported so many dancers. One of the best teachers in the industry! Wishing you continued success
A beautiful supportive and nurturing place for movement, lovely to see happy dancers who are very lucky to be in this special place 🩰 😍 wishing you congratulations and here’s to many more happy years ahead! 🍾🎉🩰🌟💫✨
A special place ✨️
Here are some previous testimonials
At the age of 17 our daughter announced that she was not going to University and wanted to become a dancer. She had only ever attended dance classes as an extra curricular activity and she had never received any vocational training. We knew of the Nicholson School of Dance and Annette Nicholson's pedigree of Royal Ballet School training and prestigious career with Birmingham Royal Ballet, so we went to her for help. Over the next few months Annette worked tirelessly with our daughter to prepare her to audition for the major dance schools. Her outstanding and inspirational teaching, her attention to detail and unfailing positive support made it possible for our daughter to realise her dream. She received 3 offers from the 5 dance establishments she auditioned for and has now commenced her training at the establishment of her choice. None of this would have been possible without the exceptional guidance and training of a teacher who knew exactly what was required and how to achieve it. We recommend the Nicholson School of Dance without reservation. THANK YOU ANNETTE!
We were introduced to Mrs Nicholson through a friend. She's an amazing teacher with so much experience and knowledge and passion for her students. She is very professional and welcoming. We don't live in Birmingham and travel from Dorset but feel that it is so worth it for the high standard of teaching. We have had both privates lesson and attended workshops with Mrs Nicholson and found them to be so amazing that we have booked on her summer workshops.
Thank you Mrs Nicholson for making us feel so welcome even though we are not one of your regular students.
Looking forward to the summer workshop
Lisa
I am so glad we found Nicholsons! We travel from Derby for a private lesson every week and also come for the Senior Associates classes twice a month. It is one of the best decisions I have ever made for my daughter. Her ballet has improved so much. She loves her lessons and she loves being taught by Annette. This year she won the East Midlands Ballet Championship title and this was definitely down to the excellent technique and musicality learned in Annette's classes. I cannot recommend her school highly enough.
Fiona
I have improved so much since coming to Annette for ballet. Two of us split a two and a quarter hour private lesson and although Annette works us really hard I absolutely love it. My favourite class of the week.
Eden, Age 18
My daughter is 7 and attends the class at 4.15pm on a Friday. We live in Kings Heath and get to dancing reasonably early. Parking is plentiful, either on the public car park opposite Minerva works, the side streets or on site.
Other dance schools are nearer, but with Annette being a former ballerina, there was no competition!
My 15 year old daughter has been having private coaching with Annette for nearly a year with a view to auditioning for vocational Upper Schools. Annette came highly recommended to us and I would endorse this recommendation unreservedly. She is an outstanding teacher and I have seen huge improvements in my daughter's technique and confidence since she started with her. The quality of her coaching is second to none and she has developed a lovely rapport with my daughter. My daughter has also attended the summer course at the studio and thoroughly enjoyed the classes with their lovely mix of vocational and non-vocational students and quality, specialist teaching. Annette's studios are beautiful - bright, airy and spacious with parking and good access to central Birmingham and both Moor Street and New Street Stations.
We travel from Ibstock in Leicestershire to take our eleven-year-old daughter to Nicholson School of dance. It is a very professional dance school with the best of techniques taught there. Annette has a very special way of teaching and interacting with the children. My daughter has been there for a year now and has improved immensely. I would highly recommend the school to anyone who has an interest in dance.
Donna
My daughter age 12 attends The Nicholson School of dance. We are impressed both with the high quality of Annette’s teaching and the professionalism and atmosphere of the dance school as a whole. It’s a lovely place to be and we have seen a great improvement in our daughters dancing since she started at the school. The studios are beautiful and situated in a lovely part of Birmingham with lots of things of interest in the area. The Bullring is a ten minute walk away and there are some lovely cafes nearby on the waterfront. We travel from Leicester for the classes so its nice to have places of interest to visit whilst our daughter dances. Sometimes we stay at the studio as it has a lovely lounge area with tea and coffee and it has wifi so is very relaxing. I couldn’t recommend this school enough, I wish I had found it sooner.
My 11 yr old daughter, Georgia, joined Annette's studios about 12 months ago now. We were recommended by a friend and her other dance school teacher, to help to improve Georgia's ballet technique.
Georgia's confidence, presentation and technique has grown enormously in the last year and she was delighted to be offered a full time place at The Royal Ballet School White Lodge - the best testimony To Annette's teaching.
In addition to her weekly ballet class, Georgia and her friends have attended many of The Nicholson School of Dance holiday programmes most recently with Mary Poppins Cast members which she LOVED !!
The studios are fantastic, great parking and I get to pop into town for a spot of shopping whilst Georgia dances or have a relaxing coffee opposite. Thank you Annette for all you have done !!
Nicola
“I was recommended to Annette Nicholson School of Dance by a friend. I wanted to supplement my weekly ballet training with a view to joining a vocational school at 16.
I have now completed a full school year with Annette and would like to say a massive thank you for the help and guidance she has given me. Her lesson really is the highlight of my week and, better still, I know she has considerably improved my technique and artistry- I feel lucky to have benefitted from her wealth of ballet experience.”
Amelia, Age 13
My two daughters Irene, aged 9, and Phoebe, aged 6, take ballet lessons with Annette. Irene has been going every week for more than four years… Phoebe for nearly a term. Both girls absolutely love Annette’s classes and always want to take part. They learn the core principals of ballet in a fun and friendly environment and it’s been lovely to see them progress whilst enjoying themselves. Thank you Annette!
'We chose Nicholson School of Dance for Eva because the teaching is superb. Annette's professional experience and training combine to make a great teacher. The atmosphere is focused and calm and attracts pupils who are keen to learn and take their dancing seriously. Annette offers thoughtful corrections and advice so Eva can work on her technique and lessons are kept interesting and fun with a wide variety of music and choreography. As well as Ballet Class there are other options such as Progressing Ballet Technique which is really helping Eva's strength and flexibility.
It's a little haven for ballet lovers and there's comfy sofas and coffee making facilities for parents with city centre just a few minutes away for shopping!'
Emma Davies
"We travel for an hour to get to Annette’s classes. The studio has a very calm and relaxed atmosphere. All the teaching is of a very high standard and Annette teaches the ballet class in a calm, positive and encouraging style that reassures the students and helps to bring out their best."
Having had no dance experience whatsoever and not much co-ordination, I decided to try ballet aged 41. Annette is an amazing teacher and so patient, I never thought ballet would be possible for me but with Annette's expert teaching techniques I actually feel like a ballerina, rather than a bull in a China shop. I found a love and a passion for ballet after the first class. My progress has been amazing and it's all because of Annette. Highly recommended for any one of any age. Professional ballet lessons for all ages. An absolute joy to be taught in such a lovely studio and by such a talented and genuinely lovely teacher.
Following on from our free trial on Monday, we are quite keen to progress with Nicholson School of Dance. Zella absolutely loved it, felt the most comfortable she has in any of the various activities we've tried over the years, and can't wait to come again on Monday. As a parent (from a dance background, but a street dance one!), I was completely inspired by your vision when setting up the studio, wanting more than hired halls for your dancers, and the hard work that you took to complete it, as well as the wide range and impressive list of places that your students audition for and get places and scholarships at. It seems that dancers really have talent honed and nurtured by you and you seek to create excellent opportunities for them.
Sebrina