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23/10/2026

🌟 Our OKD Star for October is Emmy! ✨

Each month, we celebrate a dancer who reflects our values - not just in how they dance, but in how they show effort, focus, creativity, and joy in class.

Having moved up this term from our Preschool class to Mini Ballet & Tap, Emmy has made a brilliant start to her new class!

We’ve noticed a real step forward in her confidence, independence and focus, and it’s showing in her dancing too. Her developing strength and coordination are making a difference to skills like ballet jumps, skips and pony gallops, and she’s approaching new challenges with growing enthusiasm.

What has stood out just as much is the kindness she’s shown to children who are new to OKD. Whether it’s sitting beside someone who’s feeling nervous, offering a hand to hold or partnering with them in class, Emmy has been helping others feel welcome and included.

And of course, we still love seeing her playful side come out - particularly when the props make an appearance and she’s dancing with a huge smile!

Well done, Emmy - we’re really proud of you! 💜

22/10/2026

🩰 Dance exams at OKD: why we don’t enter everyone every time...

Our next exam session is coming up in late November, and this time we have dancers preparing for Pre-Primary Ballet, Primary Tap and Grade 2 Ballet exams, plus Bronze and Silver Jazz medal tests!

But you might have noticed that not every OKD class takes an exam each time. So how does it work?

At OKD, we follow The Dance School Company’s (TDSC) syllabi, giving children a structured way to develop their technique, musicality and performance skills as they progress.

But following a syllabus doesn’t mean automatically taking an exam!

We generally hold two exam sessions each year, and different classes work towards different sessions depending on their progress. Sometimes a group might be ready for their ballet exam at one session and their tap exam at the next.

We consider the readiness of the class as a whole, and then look at each dancer individually. Someone who’s only recently joined might need a little longer, while a child who’s nearly ready could be offered a Presentation Award rather than the full exam.

If a child isn’t taking an exam at that time, they continue learning and progressing alongside their classmates.

Exams are always optional at OKD. We love the focus, sense of achievement and opportunity to demonstrate their learning that they can bring, but we want them to happen at the right time for each child.

We’re looking forward to seeing all that hard work come together next month!

14/10/2026

We might not be a competitive dance school, but apparently our families take a quiz quite seriously... 🏆

Our Autumn Celebration on Sunday brought together OKD dancers and their families for an afternoon of quiz questions, music, laughter and a choreography challenge that produced some brilliant performances from children and adults alike!

It was a close contest, with three teams tied for first place and a tie-breaker needed to crown ‘The Cool Cats’ our quiz champions, winning themselves places at a future OKD holiday workshop!

We also had the pleasure of presenting certificates and medals to dancers who took exams at the last exam session, including a special trophy awarded by The Dance School Company TDSC to Pola, who achieved the highest mark of the exam day. Congratulations to all our exam dancers!

One of the reasons we organise events like this is to bring together families who might otherwise only cross paths at the studio door. It’s great seeing children from different classes, their parents, siblings and our teachers spending time together outside their usual lessons.

A big thank you to Lily-Belle and Hannah for planning and hosting the quiz, to The Social LeytonstoneSocialClub for having us, and to everyone who came along and got involved!

07/10/2026

💭 Questions parents ask me about dance... Part 1!

After many years of teaching children (and plenty of conversations with parents!), there are some questions that come up again and again - as well as some very specific ones that you might have wondered about but never actually asked.

From starting dance ‘late’ and managing a first class when your child is shy, to ballet exams, neurodivergence and those mysterious strings on ballet shoes... we’ve answered a few of them here.

And genuinely, no question is too small or too specific. If there’s something you’ve always wondered about dance classes, pop it in the comments or send us a message and I might include it in Part 2 👀

Olive x

06/10/2026

Watching ‘Strictly’ at the weekend made me clarify some thoughts about competition and dance (and OKD)...

Competition has become a very visible part of dance. From ‘Dance Moms’, social media, and dance competitions that many dance schools take part in, we’re getting used to seeing dance presented as something where, ultimately, someone wins.

I’m not anti-competition. For some dancers, competing can be exciting, motivating and a brilliant experience. But at OKD, we’ve made a conscious choice not to make it the focus.

I’ve seen and heard some of the negative effects that have come from competing, often in far from ideal circumstances, and let me tell you it’s not for me or the children we teach. Dreams being crushed - no thanks. Hyper awareness of your ‘weaknesses’ at a young age - no thanks. Music and costumes that are totally inappropriate for a child’s age - no thanks.

And it’s not just at actual competitions - it can be in classes too. If you danced as a child, you might remember exactly where you fitted into the hierarchy of your childhood dance class. Who were the ‘best’ dancers (and who weren’t). Who was the most flexible or whose leg went the highest. Who always got the special part or was placed centre front.

At OKD, we don’t think children need competition or hierarchy in order to become good dancers. We’re interested in what can happen when the other children in the room aren’t your competition, but role models and friendly peers.

The child next to you can be the person who helps you remember the choreography. The older dancer you learn from. The friend who encourages you to try again. And the person whose success you genuinely celebrate too.

We still have high expectations. We give corrections. We teach technique carefully. We offer exams and create opportunities to perform. We believe children can do things they don’t yet know are possible when they’re taught well and supported properly.

💛If you resonate with our non-competitive, supportive approach, we’d love you to join us. Email [email protected] to book a trial class!

#

02/10/2026

👋 Introducing Tallulah 🤩

Tallulah graduated with a BA Hons degree from Shockout Arts, specialising in Street Dance Artistry and Hip Hop Theatre.

She has worked as a creative facilitator in schools and communities across London and Manchester, as well as in arts co-ordinator roles. Tallulah is passionate about accessibility and inclusivity in the arts.

⭐️ Fun Fact ⭐️
When she was 8 years old, Tallulah sung in a band and performed at open mics!

29/09/2026

Three years ago this month, our first classes began!

The idea of OKD had been taking shape while I was on maternity leave. I’d already spent years teaching dance locally and was lucky to know lots of families in the area, but turning that into a dance school of my own still felt like a pretty big leap of faith.

I knew quite clearly what I wanted OKD to be: excellent teaching without unnecessary pressure; somewhere children could make real progress while still genuinely enjoying dancing; and something that felt part of its local community.

The photo from summer 2023 makes me laugh now. OKD hadn’t officially started yet and I’d organised a photoshoot so we’d actually have something to promote the new classes with. Baby Fiadh came along and spent much of it being passed between several very helpful mums while I got on with the shoot!

Three years later, we teach children at our weekly classes 5 days a week, alongside all of the children we teach in schools and nurseries and those who join us for our holiday workshops. We’ve run exams, had our first full show, become Ofsted-registered, built a brilliant team of teachers and admin, held community events, launched the Ballet Buddies pen pal scheme and tried quite a few things that definitely weren’t on my original plan.

There have been plenty of less glamorous bits behind all of that too - late-night admin, timetable puzzles, learning how to build a website, approximately a million emails, and a lot of learning as I’ve gone along.

I’m so incredibly proud of what OKD has become in three years. Not simply because it’s bigger, but because it feels like the dance school I wanted to create in the first place.

So, a very big thank you to everyone who has been part of it so far - the families who trusted me right at the beginning, those who’ve joined us since, every child who’s danced with us, the teachers and wider team who now make all of this possible, the schools and organisations who’ve worked with us, and everyone who’s recommended us, supported an idea or cheered us on.

Happy birthday to us!

28/09/2026

Spend a Day with ✨Trinity✨

Ever wondered what your dance teachers get up to beyond the studio?

Here’s a little glimpse into Trinity’s day...a mix of choreographing, pilates, moving in the sunshine and teaching at our studio classes.

You can join Trinity on Wednesdays:
✨Pre-Primary Ballet & Tap (year 1)
🩰 Primary Ballet & Tap (year 3)

We love sharing a bit more of the people behind the classes! The care, experience, and commitment that goes into what your children experience each week.

💬 Whose Day in the Life would you like to see next? Let us know in the comments

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http://www.olivekanedance.com/

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