Vocational Training 

Vocational Training offers weekday daytime dance-training Tuesday to Friday to work alongside a dancer's own academic home-schooling.  

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Within easy reach of London (Swanley station is nearby), based in West Kingsdown, Sevenoaks.

Dancers come in daily from home or from a recommended home-stay.

A holistic classical dance programme designed to enable every dancer to achieve their potential, and focuses on classical ballet technique, body-conditioning, stamina and performance.  

There is work too in creative, improvisation, and contemporary and modern dance.  

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Training is in a small class with individual corrections and attention, and runs from School Years 8 to 13 (inclusive).

Nicola Tarry teaches ballet, with Victoria Hewitt (former Royal Ballet soloist) as a regular teacher.  

Contemporary is taught by Emily Adams, and Karen King teaches modern.

Vocational training also includes teaching from guest-teachers who are world-class dance experts.

Jenny Tattersall was a regular guest-teacher for 2024-2025.

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Vocationals will take part in specific external workshops where considered beneficial to overall training.

For 2024-2025, Nicola set up Vocational workshops at Acosta Dance and Jasmin Vardimon.

Dancers are encouraged to take up associate programme places, and to attend international summer schools and competitions.

Nicola Tarry supports YAGP entries and auditions. ​

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Dancers are expected to be driven, highly disciplined and self-motivated in order to gain a place at a vocational dance school either in year 10 or year 12, and/or to continue into Nicola Tarry Upper School and ultimately to pursue a dance career.

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Vocational Programme Results for 2025

​​ 9 students auditioned (in alphabetical order):

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Year 12 Offers (8 auditioned)

Multiple 16+ offers for Acosta Dance

American Ballet Theatre School

 BalletMet

Ballet West

3 x Boston Ballet School

2 x Brussels International Ballet School

3 x Elmhurst Ballet School 

English National Ballet School

European School of Ballet
Hamburg Ballet
Italia Conti

Miami City Ballet School

Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

5 x Tring Park, including 3 x funded and one bursary

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18+ Offers (one Upper School student auditioned)

Acosta Dance

Central School of Ballet with scholarship 

 Rambert

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There is also the option to continue into the Nicola Tarry Vocational Upper School.  
 

In every case, Nicola is looking to find what works best for that particular dancer for them to achieve a career in dance.  

At Nicola Tarry, it is all about the individual and what works best for them.

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New from 2026-2027:

The Nicola Tarry Vocational programme will expand to comprise:

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Junior Vocationals (School Years 7 to 9) 3 days a week, and

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Senior Vocationals (School Years 10 and above) 3 days a week

weekday daytime dance-training

to work alongside a dancer's own home-schooling

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2025-2026