- Margaret
- Scott
- Ross
- Trovy
- Victoria
- Gemma
Qualification: I.S.T.D Licentiate
Margaret Wright is the proprietor of the Makin' Steps Performing Arts School. In 1979 she began her own career as a pupil of a local dance school. She founded her own school five years later with ten enthusiastic pupils who had a one-hour lesson in the local church hall. In 1992 she became an Associate of the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance. After a great deal of studying she passed her next exam in 1993 and became a Licentiate of the ISTD. The school has expanded steadily since then, with Margaret never losing sight of her belief that children should be dancing, singing and acting because they want to and want to because they enjoy it.
There are now over 50 classes, 5 days a week, held at the Potter Street Community Centre with qualified Hip Hop, Street Dance, Ballet, Tap, Modern, Singing and Drama teachers working on her staff. Margaret has successfully put thousands of her pupils through their ISTD and RAD exams with an impressive 100% pass rate. As well as the school’s shows and classes, Margaret set up with her sons’ help the Makin’ Steps Agency Ltd and has had pupils dancing and singing on Channel 4’s The Hoobs, dancing in West End shows, modelling in Manchester and Bolton at the Nike and Reebok Fashion shows and starring in TV adverts. In October 2003 Margaret was involved in making a selection of children’s Videos for Early Learning services.
As well as teaching many of the classes, Margaret is the driving force behind the school’s outstanding successes.
Margaret is very proud of her school and, knowing that she has such wonderful staff to work alongside, believes the next 25 years will only get better.
Classes Taught: Street Dance / Hip Hop,
Learn the most up-to-date moves and styles including Popping, Locking, Breaking and more to the funkiest beats and latest chart songs. Our Hip Hop/ Street Dance classes offer the broad variety of moves and styles that come under the Hip Hop umbrella. These classes are headed up by Scott & Ross who are both highly qualified and experienced teachers who between them have spent many years dancing all over the world for some of the biggest names in the entertainment business.
Classes taught on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday & Saturday
Tap has to be one of the most enjoyable and rhythmic dance styles. Its roots are set in America and now the ISTD syllabus reflects this very earthy and rhythmic style. Our classes include the ISTD syllabus examinations, as well as our “street style” free-work classes. A modern, more funky style using strong rhythms to a wide range of modern songs.
For our late starters we run an advanced beginner class for those with little or no previous experience.
Classes taught on Monday, Thursday & Saturday.
Formation is the ultimate class for our students who wish to take their dance training to the highest level. Formation students receive the same exceptionally high standard of dance training that they do in their other classes, but will find a much more intense, focused class tailored to those students wanting to take their dance training further. The success of these classes is proven by the high rate of students going on to pursue their dancing careers at vocational colleges and engaging in professional work all over the world. Formation students also become part of Makin’ Steps display teams who you will see at many local and national events.
Classes taught on Wednesday.
Scott is the elder son of Margaret and started dancing at the age of five. At sixteen he went to the London Studio Centre to finish his training with a three-year diploma course. Scott has worked in many theatre productions, including numerous Trade & Fashion Shows, a world tour of Carmen and shows for the Walt Disney Company that have taken him to places such as Paris and Dubai. Scott was also the lead dancer/singer on the Star Princess, where he spent six months cruising the Caribbean, South America and Alaska. His television credits include The Royal Variety Performance, The Prince’s Royal Gala, Comic Relief, The Disney Kids Awards, and The Brits Awards, dancing and working alongside artists such as Westlife, Atomic Kitten, Mis-teeq, Robbie Williams, Boyzone, Shirley Bassey, Barry Manilow and many more. Scott has danced in adverts for Sainbury's, The Halifax, Discovery Card and the Coca Cola Company and in 1999 he was a feature in the Head & Shoulders advert.
Scott is an experienced choreographer and has produced many shows for Makin' Steps. Other choreography credits include Channel 4’s “The Hoobs”, featuring 21 of the school’s pupils, the Playhouse’s 30th Anniversary Gala, comprising over 200 performers, four Pantomimes at the Playhouse, which again included over 30 pupils from Makin’ Steps, as well as “West Side Story” and “Cabaret” for Playhouse Theatre Company
Scott has also choreographed for the girl band called NEXUS who performed on the Star For A Night final, and was pleased to choreograph their first video, "Tell Me". He also produced a number for the rap star "Raghav", which was shown on Top of the Pops, and in early 2005 he choreographed two shows for the Dubai shopping festival. He has also used some of Makin‘ Steps’ pupils to demonstrate while he took lecture classes at the ISTD, showing teachers from all over the world his teaching methods.
Scott is very proud to be a part of Makin’ Steps and has seen many of the school’s pupils go on to further their careers in the entertainment business. Sharing with our pupils the knowledge and experience that he has gained over the years is something that he is very passionate about and he feels blessed to be doing a job which he loves. He is a qualified teacher in the ISTD at the level of Fellowship - an exam that he passed with 98%.
Classes Taught: Street Dance / Hip Hop,
Learn the most up-to-date moves and styles including Popping, Locking, Breaking and more to the funkiest beats and latest chart songs. Our Hip Hop/ Street Dance classes offer the broad variety of moves and styles that come under the Hip Hop umbrella. These classes are headed up by Scott & Ross who are both highly qualified and experienced teachers who between them have spent many years dancing all over the world for some of the biggest names in the entertainment business.
Classes taught on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday & Saturday
Tap has to be one of the most enjoyable and rhythmic dance styles. Its roots are set in America and now the ISTD syllabus reflects this very earthy and rhythmic style. Our classes include the ISTD syllabus examinations, as well as our “street style” free-work classes. A modern, more funky style using strong rhythms to a wide range of modern songs.
For our late starters we run an advanced beginner class for those with little or no previous experience.
Classes taught on Monday, Thursday & Saturday.
Formation is the ultimate class for our students who wish to take their dance training to the highest level. Formation students receive the same exceptionally high standard of dance training that they do in their other classes, but will find a much more intense, focused class tailored to those students wanting to take their dance training further. The success of these classes is proven by the high rate of students going on to pursue their dancing careers at vocational colleges and engaging in professional work all over the world. Formation students also become part of Makin’ Steps display teams who you will see at many local and national events.
Classes taught on Wednesday.
Do you want real improvement in your vocal ability? In our singing classes you will learn to sing a wide selection of songs from show classics to modern pop. Tune your vocal skills as you learn techniques to expand vocal range and power, improve pitch, accuracy and mobility, gain subtlety, variety and depth of tone. Our highly experienced singing teacher will use powerful, proven techniques to develop your singing voice and confidence. Solos, group songs and harmony work are covered.
Classes taught on: Monday & Saturday.
Ross began dancing at the age of four and went on at sixteen to train professionally with a scholarship at the ‘Brian Roger’s Performers College’. Having become fully qualified at the level of Fellowship he now teaches more than twenty classes a week at the school. Ross has also taught part time at ‘Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts’ one of the UK’s leading musical theatre & drama schools. Teaching areas include hip-hop, commercial jazz, singing, street tap, audition technique, body conditioning and pas de deux.
He has worked extensively with Kylie Minogue - starting with his television appearance on ‘An Audience With…’ right through to TOTP Awards, MTV Awards, Brit Awards, Smash Hits and the Jay Leno Show in L.A. Other appearances include Cliff Richard’s Millennium and Route of Kings Concerts, Children in Need, A Star for a Night final and major car launches in Cannes and Monte Carlo.
His experience as a musical director includes ‘Live at Her Majesty’s’ in London’s West End and the numerous variety showcases with ‘Makin’ Steps’. Ross produced and arranged a Broadway Showcase of song & dance that he took to The Dubai Shopping Festival and has choreographed for Herbal Essence, Sista Style Trade show and Panasonic in Dubai using performers from ‘Makin’ Steps Agency’ of which he is also co-director.
In addition to ‘Makin’ Steps’ Ross runs his own recording studio producing, mixing and editing original music and demo sessions. Ross’ projects include creating the music for pantomimes and musicals at The Playhouse Harlow and recording the voices for ‘Willows Farm Village’ stage shows and animated events. Commissioned by CYP (Children’s Audio Publishers) he produced the music for ‘Times Table Challenge’ – a CD that is currently on sale in Early Learning Centres worldwide and various internet web sites such as Amazon and iTunes.
Classes Taught: Acting.
Acting is all about re-acting! Our classes enable our students of all ages, whatever their experience, to explore their potential through mime, physical theatre, voice and movements. Students will develop their skills in:
- Working together as a group.
- Learning to improvise (Acting without script)
- Self Discipline
- Releasing creativity and imagination through drama games and improvisation.
- Vocal support, projection and confidence.
From 2010 we will be entering classes for group LAMDA (London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art) performance exams. Please contact the school for more details.
Classes taught on: Monday & Saturday.
Growing up in an acting environment, Trovy gained an enormous amount of inspiration from her mother, Rose Ings, an actress and teacher who set up the Chain Reaction Youth and Community Theatre in 1996, of which Trovy is a founder member. With the ethos of the group being to encourage both experienced and newcomers to the stage, early experience with the company included productions of Godspell; A Midsummer Night’s Dream; the part of Mary in Jesus Christ Superstar and Miranda in Return from the Forbidden Planet. Trovy co-directed and produced a cabaret with Chain Reaction in 2007 in aid of St. Clare Hospice and in remembrance of Rose.
Graduating from Manchester University in 2001, Trovy joined the pantomime cast of Robin Hood at Harlow Playhouse as The Spirit of the Wood. It was there that she met Margaret, Scott and Ross and Makin’ Steps and has taken great pleasure in teaching drama at the school since 2002. Her directing credits include Tellin’ Tales drama showcase at the Harlow Playhouse Studio; Dreamscape (2008) and a corporate film for the Ministry of Justice on domestic violence. Although she is kept very busy teaching Trovy still finds the time to continue with her acting, and has had roles in short films, TV work and voiceovers.
Professionally trained for the stage at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in London her theatre credits include Tony Harrison’s The Mysteries; The Cherry Orchard; House of Bernarda Alba; The Way of The World, Henry VI Parts I & II; The Lion in Winter; Lights of Variety; For Services Rendered and The Turn of the Screw as well as the Armagon Krystal at the opening of the International Opera Festival in Hungary. Film and TV credits include Cold Calling; The Pines of Rome and most recently a comedy pilot for the BBC with Rob Brydon (Gavin and Stacey, I’m Alan Partridge).
A fully qualified London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art (LAMDA) Teacher Licentiate, Trovy coaches for drama school auditions and for LAMDA exams in Acting; Speaking of Verse and Prose; Mime; Devising; Speaking for Performance and Public Speaking. Her past pupils are currently training with the National Youth Theatre, East15 and Youth Theatre:UK.
Classes Taught: Street Dance / Hip Hop,
Learn the most up-to-date moves and styles including Popping, Locking, Breaking and more to the funkiest beats and latest chart songs. Our Hip Hop/ Street Dance classes offer the broad variety of moves and styles that come under the Hip Hop umbrella. These classes are headed up by Scott & Ross who are both highly qualified and experienced teachers who between them have spent many years dancing all over the world for some of the biggest names in the entertainment business.
Classes taught on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday & Saturday
Ballet forms the basis for all other dance styles, as it helps develop strength, posture, grace, co-ordination, muscle tone, technique and musical awareness. Our classical Ballet classes cover the Royal Academy of Dance and the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance syllabuses. Pointe classes for senior students. Examination and free-work classes available.
Classes taught Wednesday, Thursday & Saturday.
Tap has to be one of the most enjoyable and rhythmic dance styles. Its roots are set in America and now the ISTD syllabus reflects this very earthy and rhythmic style. Our classes include the ISTD syllabus examinations, as well as our “street style” free-work classes. A modern, more funky style using strong rhythms to a wide range of modern songs.
For our late starters we run an advanced beginner class for those with little or no previous experience.
Classes taught on Monday, Thursday & Saturday.
Modern is the technical form of Jazz and has a variety of styles. These include Fosse, as well as the more graceful lyrical dance. Classes improve a student’s sense of performance and are excellent for developing co-ordination, balance, flexibility and confidence. As well as free-work, these classes are offered at examination level.
Classes taught on Monday, Wednesday & Saturday.
Victoria started dancing with Makin’ Steps at the age of four. Over the years she has taken part in all of its productions, including Harlow Playhouse pantomimes and the Playhouse Theatre Company’s production of Cabaret.
At the age of sixteen, Victoria went to Harlow College where she gained A Level Dance and a BTEC national diploma. She then studied at North London Dance studios for two years and achieved her Foundation in Dance Instruction qualifications in tap and modern.
Victoria’s professional work includes a role as a featured artist in a Central Office of Information advertisement.
Victoria enjoys working alongside the other staff at Makin' Steps where she currently teachers tap, jazz, ballet and modern classes.
Classes Taught: Ballet,
Ballet forms the basis for all other dance styles, as it helps develop strength, posture, grace, co-ordination, muscle tone, technique and musical awareness. Our classical Ballet classes cover the Royal Academy of Dance and the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance syllabuses. Pointe classes for senior students. Examination and free-work classes available.
Classes taught Wednesday, Thursday & Saturday.
Tap has to be one of the most enjoyable and rhythmic dance styles. Its roots are set in America and now the ISTD syllabus reflects this very earthy and rhythmic style. Our classes include the ISTD syllabus examinations, as well as our “street style” free-work classes. A modern, more funky style using strong rhythms to a wide range of modern songs.
For our late starters we run an advanced beginner class for those with little or no previous experience.
Classes taught on Monday, Thursday & Saturday.
Modern is the technical form of Jazz and has a variety of styles. These include Fosse, as well as the more graceful lyrical dance. Classes improve a student’s sense of performance and are excellent for developing co-ordination, balance, flexibility and confidence. As well as free-work, these classes are offered at examination level.
Classes taught on Monday, Wednesday & Saturday.
Gemma is the newest member of the Makin’ Steps team and has been brought in to take the schools Ballet classes. She has her ISTD Certificate in Dance Education in Ballet, Tap Modern & National.
Gemma trained at Penny Meekings, Gary Lloyd studios, Pineapple Performing Arts School, Elston School of Dancing & Doric Dance Centre studying Disco, Freestyle, Ballroom, Latin American, Line Dancing, Ballet, Tap, National, American Street Locking and Hip Hop.
As well as teaching Gemma has engaged in many professional contracts including, Top Of The Pops, The 007 Review, A Chorus Line to name but a few.
Gemma is very excited about her new post at Makin’ Steps and looks forward to bringing her experience to the schools ballet department.