Our History
Founded in 1941 by Miss Molly Mayhew, The Mayhew School Of Dance & Performing Arts is one of the longest-established dance schools in Northampton. Since its inception, the school has trained and produced dancers of the highest calibre. Our past pupils have gone on to work as dancers, teachers, and examiners for some of the world’s leading classical companies and dance organisations.
Teaching only 5 pupils at the outset, Miss Mayhew’s first classes were held in Northampton at the Manchester Unity Hall. As the school flourished and grew, it expanded to several venues within Northamptonshire, including Princess Street, St Catherine’s Street, and Abington Square.
When Miss Mayhew retired from the school in 1980, Linda Knight and Jacqueline Smith became joint principals of the school. Linda became sole principal in 1998 and continued in the role until 2014 when Fiona Sheehan became principal.
In recent years, the school operated from Queensgrove Church, with a thriving branch in Blisworth. In 2019, the school opened new studios in the Far Cotton area of Northampton, providing our students with purpose-built facilities, including three beautiful dance studios.
Competitions and Performances
The school has been hugely successful in competitions at a local and national level, producing winning items at both the All England Dance National Finals and the Classical Greek Dance Festival Finals. Our pupils have also enjoyed recent success in the AED UK Young Dancer Finals, ISTD Bursary Awards, and the RAD Bedells Bursary.
Pupils of the school regularly perform within the community in a variety of settings. We hold our School Show and Mayhew Youth Dance Company performances in alternate years ensuring all students receive opportunities to display their talents.