A READING dance school was delighted when a former Royal Ballet soloist and Royal Academy of Dance HQ teacher agreed to be their guest tutor for the day.
John Joshua Tuifua led students at Dance with Sonia Brown (DWSB) in an exclusive ballet masterclass on Sleeping Beauty.
And at the end of the day the school was delighted when he also offered to become their patron.
Dance school founder Sonia Brown said: “Josh travelled from London specially to run exclusive masterclasses for our dancers, with choreography adapted for the mature beginner dancer, taught in the charismatic and inclusive Tuifua fashion.
“It was such a wonderful day, celebrating our love of ballet, and bringing the professional dance world to Berkshire – it left our dancers on a high all week.”
“And we’re delighted that Josh also offered to be our patron.
“He said he’d had such a wonderful time with our dancers and that he loved our inclusive dance cause.
“He’ll be advocating for the work that we do, and assisting us in opportunities where needed.”
Independent dance school, Dance with Sonia Brown (DWSB), was established in 2019 by Thatcham resident Sonia.
It offers jazz, tap and ballet classes to adults in Reading, Thatcham and Newbury, and specialises in over-50s classes; with Silver Swans ballet, Low-Impact Jazz and Low-Impact Tap.
Sonia explained: “We’re so honoured and privileged to have Josh as part of our Dance with Sonia Brown family, and for our hard work to receive this recognition.
“We can’t wait to see what the future holds for this new long-term relationship.
We advocate that any body is a dance body, and we actively facilitate inclusive dance practice so every person can benefit from the joy of moving to music.
“It’s our mission to beat ageism in dance and wider society.”
John Joshua Tuifua was discovered, aged nine, by a Royal Ballet School (RBS) outreach programme and, after completing his studies, went on to perform with the RBS as a soloist for 16 years.
Now a qualified Royal Academy of Dance teacher at the RAD HQ, he is a dedicated pioneer advocating for accessibility to the arts and dance across social arenas.
He is patron to Project Dance, a company for young dancers run by young creatives; STEPPS, a mental wellbeing charity focusing on mental health for dancers; and now Dance with Sonia Brown, dedicated to facilitating mature dancers from any socio economic environment.
For information, visit: withsoniabrown.com
