About us

Established in 2006, Nicola’s School of Dance has grown into one of Herefordshire’s leading dance schools, welcoming hundreds of children and adults every week.

From our specialist Ballroom & Latin classes to Freestyle, Commercial, Hip Hop, Cheer, Contemporary, Musical Theatre and more, there’s something for everyone. Whether you’re taking your very first steps, preparing for an examination, competing, performing on stage or simply dancing for fun, our classes are designed to help you grow in confidence, develop your skills and love every moment.

More than just dance

At NSOD, we believe dance is about so much more than learning steps.

It’s about confidence, friendships, performance and belonging. Our classes are fun, welcoming and age-appropriate, with experienced teachers who know how to bring out the best in every pupil.

We are affiliated with the United Kingdom Alliance of Dance Teachers (UKA) and regularly enter pupils for UKA examinations, giving dancers the opportunity to work towards recognised qualifications and celebrate their progress.

Our pupils also compete nationally in Ballroom & Latin, with many taking part in UKA Medallist competitions. Since 2015, our dancers have also competed in Cheerdance UK competitions, achieving great success.

A love of performance

Performance has always been at the heart of NSOD.

In 2013, we produced our first major dance show, Tangled, at the Performing Arts Centre at Hereford Sixth Form College. The success of the show inspired our first anniversary production, Ballroom Blitz, at the Courtyard Theatre in 2016.

Since then, our productions have continued to grow, including The Rhythm of the Rainbow at the Courtyard Theatre in 2022 and our spectacular 20th Anniversary production, Viva La Danza, in 2026.

With hundreds of dancers taking part in classes, competitions, shows and special events, we give our pupils countless opportunities to dance, perform and shine.

So much more than a dance school

Alongside our regular classes, NSOD offers:

Ballroom & Latin
Freestyle
Commercial & Hip Hop
Contemporary
Cheer
Salsa
Musical Theatre
Drama
Private lessons
Children's dance parties
School clubs and workshops
Holiday workshops and summer schools
Dance packages for corporate and social events
Regular examinations, competitions and performance opportunities

Whether your child dreams of performing on stage, competing, making new friends or simply trying something completely new, there's a place for them at NSOD.

Nicola Owen - Dance Business Owner

Fellow & Examiner of the UKA Dance Association

Ed Owen - Business Manager & Drama Teacher - Associate Teacher of the UKA

Ed trained as a primary school teacher and has a BA honours in education. He has performed with the Bottleneck Theatre company in multiple shows including Into the Woods and Billy Liar. Since 2015 he has been a principal in panto with HAPS at the Hereford Courtyard playing Kings, Princes and even the Dame! He has been involved with the Hereford Scout Gang show since 1990 both on stage and off stage. The Charming Theatre Company is the sister company to the dance school.

Ed was stage manager for Nicola's School of Dance's first ever show 'Tangled' in 2013 and produced and staged managed our 10 year anniversary show Ballroom Blitz in 2016. His skills and experience in the field play an invaluable role in developing classes at the dance.

He looks forward to working with the children and inspiring them to have the same love of performing as he does and seeing the Charming Theatre Company grow.

Until 2015 he worked as the branch manager for HSBC in mid Wales which has given him the experience in events management, corporate training, business development and HR. He look forward to transferring these skills to Nicola's School of Dance and developing exciting opportunities for our students.

Poppy Layton - Dance Teacher

A member of our school since four, Poppy has trained in all of our dance styles ballroom, Latin, Cheerdance and freestyle which has given her a huge variety of skills to teach across different disciplines. Poppy is a fabulous performer and has been part of our performance teams since they began.

She’s won national titles at the Blackpool Tower and took to the stage at Liverpool's Echo arena at the CYD Super convention. Poppy is currently studying dance at sixth form college, her kind, nurturing personality makes her a big hit with our younger pupils.

Poppy will be a full time member of staff from September 2024 leading Cheer and Freestyle and also teaching alongside other teachers and in our Curriculum work.

Poppy is has completed her Student Dance Exams with the UKA

Katie Jones - Dance Teacher

More info coming soon...

Emily Twigg - Dance Teacher

More info coming soon...

Amelia, Emma, Abi & Lucy

Student Dance Teachers

Amelia, Emma, Abi and Lucy have all danced with us since they were very young, and we’re so excited to now have them on board as part of the team!

Having grown up through the school themselves, they know exactly what it means to be part of the NSOD family. We’re thrilled to have them supporting and inspiring the next generation of sensational dancers and performers, sharing their experience, passion and love of dance with our pupils.

We are proud members of the UKA

United Kingdom Alliance of Professional Teachers of Dancing and Kindred Arts

We assist dance teachers throughout the UK with Professional Dance Examinations, Medal Test Examinations, Pupil Awards and a fantastic Annual Congress. We are proud to help, encourage, and support dance teachers in all dance disciplines to establish and develop their business.

We are an awarding body validated by the Council of Dance Education and Training

Corporate members of:

•British Dance Council

•Sports and Recreation Alliance

•Scottish Official Board of Highland Dancing

Any dance style – Any age – Any level

Nicola has been dancing since the age of 5 years old and has taken regular dance exams in Ballroom, Latin and Freestyle as a child. During her teenage years she travelled the length of the country every weekend to compete in Ballroom and Latin competitions. As part of her training she was coached in South Wales, the West Midlands and Surrey by experts in the Ballroom world. This enhanced her competitive career and through much hard work and dedication she was a regular finalist in National Competitions. In addition she represented Wales at International level.

She took her first teaching exam in 2005 and since then she has continued her professional development and become qualified by the UKA Dance to teach Ballroom, Latin, Freestyle, Cheer dance and more recently Hip Hop. In addition she has a BSc Psychology degree and a postgraduate certificate in Special Education, which has enriched her ability to offer schools quality dance education.

Both her competitive experience and educational credentials have lead to the successful growth of the school over the years and she is proud that the school offering classes, private lessons, competitive training and school out reach work.