About Us

Liss Forest Ballet School
Cecchetti Classical Ballet
Liss, Greatham & Petersfield, Hampshire

The school exists to inspire and engender a love of Classical Ballet that will last throughout a dancer’s lifetime. Regardless of natural ability, when taught with fun and encouragement, dance becomes a lifelong pleasure either to go on to perform or to teach or to observe. The training engenders good stance, grace, fitness and confidence, valuable transferable skills.

Children are encouraged to obtain the highest possible standard within their capabilities whether dancing as recreation or aiming to be professional. Classical Ballet training bestows the ability to learn other styles of dance and is complimentary to those already learnt. It also awakens a love, and consequently wider appreciation of all styles of music, an intrinsic component of dance. For the already-musical child or adult, knowledge and pleasures are broadened. Many adults cherish their childhood memories and return to classical ballet; the school caters for them too. Much fun is injected into both children’s and adult’s classes for this highly technical art and achievements are rewarded whether or not exams are taken.

Children have been accepted into Central School of Ballet, Tring Park, the Legat School, Ballet West, Italia Conti and Young Dancer’s Academy for full time vocational training. Children have also been accepted into Royal Ballet School Associates, Central School of Ballet Associates, all levels of Cecchetti Associates, Legat Associates and into the English Youth Ballet. Ballet qualifications (gaining UCAS points) and their knowledge of the subject and surrounding disciplines aids successful offers to University for numerous professional studies including Drama, Theatre Studies, Film Studies, Physiotherapy, Sports Therapy and many more. Every child performs in the school shows and opportunities for competitions and other appearances are available to the talented and confident child. Adults are also welcome to tread the boards either backstage or in the limelight.

Performing is at the heart of the art, and – coupled with a good technique – style, musicality and confidence flourishes

FISTD Cecchetti

Principal Yolande Parkin won a scholarship to Elmhurst Ballet School and trained under the direction of Bridget Espinosa, gaining RAD Majors and attending Master classes with Dame Alicia Markova, Ronald Emblen, Terence Etheridge and Leslie Edwards. She performed professionally for 10 years, dancing in all styles with La Compagnia Di Operetta Italiana and Masque Dance Theatre (MDT). Injury led her to pursue a new artistic career, culminating in Interior Designer, Fabric Manager and Buyer within a large Hampshire-based firm. After 12 years away from dance she returned. Previously trained in Cecchetti as a young child with Gillian Dawson (F.I.S.T.D. and Examiner), Yolande has gained the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing’s highest teaching qualification of Fellowship (F.I.S.T.D.) plus Cecchetti Vocational exams to Adv2. The school’s biennial performances are a culmination of all these experiences, amassed into a refreshing variation of ‘the school show’. She has taught for the Cecchetti Associates and choreographs dances for the Cecchetti Children’s Awards, writes pupil summaries for Duke of Edinburgh Awards, funds the Dance Prize for The Petersfield School and taught private lessons for many years at Bedales Schools. Yolande is an invited member of Cecchetti Group and sits as Vice Chair.

Cecchetti Teaching Qualifications :
Oct 1997 - Associate - AISTD Cecchetti
Nov 2002 - Associate Diploma - AISTD (Dip) Cecchetti
Jul 2006 - Licentiate - LISTD Cecchetti
Aug 2008 - Advanced 2 - Adv2 Cecchetti
Dec 2010 - Certificate in Dance Education - CDE
Dec 2019 - Fellowship - FISTD

Awards :
May 2006 - Peter Pearson, Teacher’s Scholarship
July 2014 - IDS School of the Year 2013, Silver Award
April 2019 – Diana Barker Memorial Award for Fellowship Studies

AISTD (DDE) BA Hons

Hannah Lacey started her dance training at the age of 6 and took classes in Cecchetti Ballet, Tap, Modern and Drama for many years, gaining Intermediate level in Ballet and Advanced 1 in Tap. After dancing through school and college, Hannah then went on to study at the University of Chichester, and gained a BA Hons in Dance in 2014.

Hannah has taught for community projects, other ballet schools and built up her own small dance school near Medstead, Hampshire. Having gained her Diploma in Dance Education in Cecchetti Ballet in 2018, Hannah is now a fully-fledged dance teacher and Registered Member of ISTD and is very happy to be continuing to dance and teach what she loves.

James Forbat, English National Ballet
We are honoured to have James Forbat as our Patron. James trained at the Royal Ballet School, graduating in 2005 with Honours. On graduation he joined the London based company, English National Ballet, rising regularly through the ranks to become First Soloist. He has danced Principal roles in many of the traditional and modern ballets. See http://www.ballet.org.uk/ to learn about the company. James recently retired from English National Ballet and now teaches Vocational students in Valencia, Spain. James has always taken a keen interest in Liss Forest Ballet School and is very proud to be of Patron. He helps the school in any way he can, including selecting winners for the school performance awards. During the 2021 Lockdown James taught the senior students the female Bluebird solo over Zoom, all the way from Spain!

Yolande receiving the Award from Wayne Sleep OBE

James Forbat at ENB company class