Adore Dance, based in East London, began life during the lockdowns when the combination of working from home and furlough meant founders Connor Taylor and Joe Watson had more time to start putting their dreams of opening their own dance school into motion.
Connor, an ex-professional dancer, and Joe, from a family of dancers and dance teachers, were able to open classes in May last year and since then have been going from strength to strength. Now, they are beginning to add even more new sessions in a range of styles for both adults and children, including ballet, commercial pop and barre fitness, and are starting their first Saturday classes for children.
In a real-life “Billy Elliot” story, Connor grew up in a mining village in the north of England. He was one of few boys to take up dance, starting his journey aged 10 and attending the Northern Ballet Academy in Leeds. From here he went to study Professional Dance & Performance at the Central School of Ballet whilst his career began to take on new heights. As a professional dancer, Connor had the amazing opportunity to dance with Alberta Ballet in Canada and The Royal Opera House.
But although Connor’s passion for dancing continued to grow, he also found that just as much as he loved performing, he also loved studio work, choreography and helping others learn, and sought new opportunities to train as a teacher.
With a professional background and dance teaching qualifications from the International Dance Teachers Association (IDTA), Connor wants Adore Dance to be able to open up high-quality lessons to the local community.
And it seems the community were looking for the opportunity too. After starting some initial research on Facebook, Connor and Joe found there was already keen interest, and since opening the school they’ve continued to see a positive response, picking up plenty of 5* reviews along the way.
With the more recent explosion in the popularity of TikTok, young people are finding new ways to spark a love for dance through its many trends, and others have been looking for fresh ways to get active after the impact of the pandemic.
In particular, they have been able to see the power of dance working its magic within the community, as regular attendees build new friendships, benefitting from the social side that dance can bring.
“We’ve been able to see the impact of these dance lessons as a bit of a lifeline for some, particularly young professionals, who have moved to London by themselves and found it tricky to meet new people and create those connections. Dance creates an amazing space to do that” Connor said.
As one of a few male leads in the teaching world, Connor also hopes to be able to inspire more boys to take up dance and make the space an inclusive one that welcomes people of all abilities who might be apprehensive about dance, or feel like it wouldn’t be for them. Whilst dancing professionally, Connor experienced the pressure that can accompany high-level dance, particularly in the ballet world. Adore Dance looks to build a relaxed environment, and strike a balance between giving people the push they need to achieve their goals and try new things, but without the feeling of dance being an ‘elitist’ discipline.
Connor and Joe want to be able to open their classes to more of the community and encourage new people to take the leap into dance, with the goal of being able to put on performances within the local area in the future.
To learn more about Adore Dance and the classes on offer visit: adoredance.london.
About Adore Dance
Adore Dance is a dance school for all ages based in East London. The school is led by world-class professional dancer turned fully IDTA qualified & experienced dance teacher, Connor Taylor (BA(Hons), AIDTA). At Adore Dance he has built a team of professional teachers, with a drive to open up high-quality dance lessons to more people in the local area.
Connor grew up in a mining village in the north of England, and started his dance journey at age 10, attending Northern Ballet Academy in Leeds, before going on to the Central School of Ballet to study Professional Dance & Performance. Following this, he toured with Alberta Ballet in Canada and continues to perform at prestigious venues including The Royal Opera House, Sadlers Wells, Leeds Grand Theatre & many more.
Connor is one of a few male leads in the teaching world, and stands out amongst dance teachers as an ex-professional with professional teaching qualifications through the International Dance Teachers Association (IDTA) in Ballet, Modern Jazz, Contemporary Jazz, Freestyle & Theatre Craft.
