Thank you to a very special teacher

I have a lot to say in this post. I’ll try and keep it brief. My main message is a tribute to my daughter’s dance teacher, Miss Amelia of Regnante School of Performing Arts (RSOPA). Anna Grace has been taking ballet lessons from Miss Amelia ever since she was 3 years old. She always took it very seriously and loved being part of such an amazing dance school. In addition to ballet and pointe, she also took Musical Theatre which she loved and especially loved the Christmas ‘Celebrate’ shows each year. (Photo by Rachael Cooper Photography)

As a parent, I can’t help but be proud of her. She is a confident, talented girl who has decided she wants to switch gears and go on and do something else that, I’m sure, she will be amazing at as well. Tomorrow she will start harp lessons. Anna Grace has been planning this in her own mind for a while now and it was such a difficult decision for her to decide to make this change, especially since Miss Amelia and dancing has been such a huge part of her life. I have no doubt that she will take what she’s learned at RSOPA and be able to apply those skills to other things she will do in the future. She has learned numerous solo and group dance routines and numbers, she has performed on stage many times to an audience of adults and children, she has passed dance exams and has earned IDTA awards and medals, and she has gained a whole host of knowledge and skills – not only related to dance but life skills too.

None of this could have happened without Miss Amelia whose dedication to her students is her mission in life. Not only is she a an incredibly talented dancer, singer and performer in her own right, she is an inspirational teacher who helps and inspires hundreds of children each year. I’m so glad Anna Grace has been a part of RSOPA and I know she will miss it but carry the memories for forever. Over the past few days, she’s been feeling pretty glum about it all and I know this is down to the mixed emotions she’s having. Sad to leave RSOPA, thankful to Miss Amelia, and to Doug her Musical Theatre teacher and excited about the next stage in her life, turning 12 and going up to high school.

This isn’t the end of our relationship with Amelia Regnante!! We will continue to support RSOPA and help out when and where we can. Anna Grace is planning on helping at this year’s Celebrate show. Amelia and I recently organised an Emergency First Aid course for young people in Worthing which was a huge success. I was looking for a course for my son (they do not teach first aid in British schools anymore) and could not find one available for children under 18. So together with Amelia, we organised a first aid course for 11 to 17 year olds. Last Friday, both Sam and Anna Grace completed this course along with 14 other teens and pre-teens at RSOPA studios, taught by Alex Walter, a certified and experienced first aid instructor and paramedic. Amelia hopes to continue to offer first aid courses to young people at her RSOPA studio in Worthing. Watch this space!

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RSOPA was founded by Miss Amelia Regnante in 2006 and now has an established place in the Worthing community thanks to the staff’s dedication to their pupils and their ‘fun’ approach. Amelia offers group and private classes for all ages from 18 months to adults, afterschool and weekend sessions for Children, Teens and Adults including Ballet, Tap, Lyrical, Modern, Theatre Craft, Street Dance, Hip Hop, Musical Theatre, Singing, Drama, Contemporary, Stretching, Pointe Work, Jazz AND Saturday Academy catering for those wanting a complete programme of Dance, Singing and Drama in one package! Visit RSOPA website for more details or email Amelia on .