Three schools 'bring Indian classical dance to forefront' in new Slough partnership

Three dance schools have joined forces to create a new platform for dance education in Slough.

Dancing Nikita Company, Drishti Dance School, and Prodigy Dance School intend to bring Indian classical dance to the forefront of the town through this partnership.

The collaboration also marks a significant milestone for Dancing Nikita Company founder Nikita Thakrar, who will relocate her classes from Bath Road to Stoke Poges Lane after two decades.

“It’s an emotional change and a lot of the students have grown up there,” she told the Express.

“They've transitioned from children to adults, and the teachers at the school are people who started with us 20 years ago.

“For them, it's going to be a big adjustment, but at the same time, everybody's optimistic.”

With development partner Creative Academy providing the venue, the new facility offers double the studio space for weekly classes on Friday evenings and Sundays.

This means Kathak and Bharatanatyam classes can take place simultaneously, while the in-house theatre will enable more end-of-term productions, said Nikita.

“It's affiliated with the Arts Council, so it's a positive partnership because we'll be able to give our students even more scope to perform and to be involved in projects,” she added.

Creative Academy facilitated the partnership to expand its studio offering with more Indian dance.

Drishti Dance School, based in Reading for around two decades, is expanding its Kathak classes to Slough, while Prodigy Dance School – known in Slough for offering street dance – is ‘enthusiastic’ to be on board.

Prodigy Dance School founder Molly Southall said: “By combining our strengths, we are creating a seamless experience for students from enrolment to stage performance, while also supporting their long-term growth.”

“That brings a new demographic of people to our school, which up until now has been predominantly Indian, whereas now we're able to widen that, so that's very exciting,” added Nikita.

“We hope that we'll be able to enhance the demographic, get more people of different age ranges, backgrounds, and economic backgrounds.

“It's going to be accessible for everyone, because I believe dance is not just for entertainment, but it's also a creative outlet and it benefits physical and mental health.”

Now known under the umbrella ‘DNC’, the schools will officially launch the partnership at Creative Academy at an open day on Sunday, September 7.

New and existing students can try a taster class, meet the team and learn about subsidised places and scholarships, as well as mentorship and career pathways between 10am and 1pm.

After judging Slough’s Got Talent earlier last month, Nikita said there was a collective decision to ‘push local talent and culture forward’, and this inauguration will mark a ‘huge milestone for the town’.

“It's giving our students even more access to better training – they both bring a lot of expertise,” she added.

Moving premises is a ‘bittersweet moment’ for Nikita, but Stoke Poges Lane is near Slough Railway Station, and the school hopes to attract people from further afield to grow the 100-strong student body.

Drishti Dance School artistic director, Anuradha Chaturvedi, said: “This partnership is about more than just dance. It is about building a vibrant, inclusive community where Indian culture and creativity can thrive.”

“Since founding DNC in 2005, my mission has always been to preserve and promote the beauty of Indian classical dance. This partnership is a natural evolution of that vision,” added Nikita.

For more information, class schedules, or to get involved in the free open day, visit: www.dncstudio.com