Excel Performing Arts is an exciting performing arts school in St Albans and was set up in 2009 from the need to find excellent, good quality, and affordable performing arts classes. Excel classes are not only fun but taught by professionals with a wealth of performance and teaching experience.
Our aim is to provide a school that is not only renowned for its high standards but also to create a welcoming, fun and friendly learning environment which nurtures talent and creativity. We encourage learning with a strong sense of teamwork and self value which helps build confidence within students whilst having the best fun ever! Excel Performing Arts is a place where all students feel comfortable, relaxed and confident enough to become the very best that they can be.
Excel Performing Arts is an exciting performing arts school in St Albans, run by leading West End and television actor Steven Houghton, and former professional dancer Sam Payton.
She does tap, ballet, jazz, modern and drama and would love to do more – but there just isn’t enough days in the week! She has made so many friends. I help out back stage during the shows and love being part of the excitement helping in a very professional organisation.
Both my daughters (6 and 12) attend many classes with Excel Performing Arts and it is a fantastic dance school run by Sam and Steven, two professional dancers. They are always very welcoming , patient, kind, calm and caring , and my children feel safe and secure with clear boundaries. Sam and Steven have high standards and expectations but most of all the kids have lots of fun with a fantastic focus too.
The yearly shows are fantastic. Sam and Steven’s tremendous enthusiasm, hard work and professionalism shines through all the kids. I love the shows as much as the kids as I also help backstage. The worse bit is when it ends. But the buzz does take a few days to disappear!!!
I have two children who have been with Excel for almost 6 years. During that time, I have watched them grow in confidence, particularly my son, who was quite shy when he started at age 8. Now aged 14, he loves performing in the drama class and this has resulted in him putting himself forward for things in secondary school that we never thought he would. My daughter who is aged 11 attends ballet, tap, drama and the performance class and would happily be taught by Sam and Steven every day if she could. They bring out the best in all the children and being backstage at the annual show, which is organised down to the very last detail, is just the best feeling in the world; not just for the children! I would highly recommend Excel Performing Arts, not just for the drama and dancing, but for the preparation for confidence in their future lives.
If you have a boy interested in dance, singing or drama then this is the place for you. There are lots of boys, but also it really helps that one of the teachers is male, as it gives them someone to look up to.
My daughter has attended Excel Performing Arts since she was small and started off doing ballet which I would strongly recommend. She enjoyed it so much she then went on to do jazz, tap and drama and singing. She is now 12 and a very confident dancer and performer. The classes are taught by professionally qualified dance teachers who have first hand experience of the entertainment industry appearing on Television and in West End shows. All Classes are fun, stimulating and technically challenging working towards recognised qualifications and an exciting show every year which is a fantastic finale and tribute to all the children’s, parents and teachers hard work and commitment. I highly recommend Excel Performing Arts.
My daughter has been with Excel Performing Arts since it first started. She has progressed in tap, jazz, ballet and drama with them. Sam and Steven are wonderful teachers who have given my daughter some fantastic opportunities. They teach to a high standard, but make it fun and challenging, so the children work hard for them, but they get a real sense of achievement. My daughter is also in the performance group which is an additional class, she loves this as the groups perform at events around the county. Every year there is a show which is amazing and all the children can take part. I’ve helped back stage every year and am amazed by the professionalism of even the youngest children and the confidence they get from taking part. I would definitely recommend Excel Performing Arts to anyone considering a dance school for their child/ren.