About us

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About us

Our Values

Everyone Is Welcome!

Our motto is ‘every child is a star’ and we welcome all children that would like to dance
regardless of if they just want a bit of grace and poise in their life or would like to learn their
basics in order to go on to full time performing arts training. We welcome children of all
ages, shapes, and sizes.

Safety First!

All of our classes are designed to be as safe as possible for the bodies of our students. We up
date our knowledge yearly so we know what exercises are safe and what are not. Each class
includes a proper warm-up, and care is taken to prevent bad habits that could lead to future
injuries.

Keep It Age-Appropriate!

We believe that all movements and costumes should match the ages of our dancers. We want
your 6-year-old to look and dance like the beautiful 6-year-old that she is, not like a more
mature dancer. We strive for a very tasteful family atmosphere.

Fun Is Hard Work!

The body learns by repetition which we hide in fun dance routines and imaginative imagery
whilst doing exercises. The working towards exams and the end of year show makes the
children try hard to succeed and impress. We use positive feed back and learn to work as a
team to achieve.

Dance is a process, not an overnight event. We keep our classes challenging to students while
not rushing the process that may cause bad technique and injury. Highly enjoyable and fun is
a number one rule!

Respect Is The Key!

At DCA, we strive for an atmosphere of respect. Our teachers show respect for our students
by coming to class with successful lesson plans, and by lovingly and firmly making sure each
student is fulfilling her personal potential. Our students are expected to respect their teachers
by working hard and trying their best in all classes.

Our Staff

RACHEL JUDE

I am Rachel and I am a dance teacher, originally from England. I have just finished a contract
in Singapore where I taught all ages from 3 years to adult in creative ballet, hip hop and basic
jazz. I was also the Birthday party co-coordinator and in charge of three major camps.

Since the age of two I have been involved with musicals, dance and dramas and have been
trained in various styles such as; jazz, hip-hop and tap. This led me onto University where I
gained a Bachelor of Arts with Honors in Dance practice and performance.

So I am ready to take on Budapest and I can’t wait to be sharing my skills and experiences
with the children! I already came over last February to teach on Fairy school and I loved it so
I know it’s going to be a great year. I will teach most of the younger classes.

ANNA WOJAKIEWICZ
Saturday Drama/Dance teacher

I grew up in Spain with my mother tongue being Spanish/ Valencian/Catalan and Hungarian
but living in an English environment meant that my English also feels like native. I also can
speak German.

My education comprises of full time acting and dance training at

2009/2010
2008
2007
2006

I have been in several short films and taught in Madrid. I moved back to Hungary in
2011 and have signed up to a professional further studies ‘film school’ in hope to get
enough contacts and eventually direct films.

So my Saturdays are free to come and pass on my knowledge to help the children at
DCA become more confident and gain some acting skills.

“Metrópolis” Acting School and „El Horno” Dance School (Madrid)
“Nucine” Acting School(Valencia)
“Pineapple” Dance School (London)
“Corazza” Acting School and “Scaena” Performing Arts (Madrid)

CIKRA VAJNI
Saturday Arts Craft Teacher/General Help

My name is Cikra and I grew up in the UK. I have always been taken by arts and crafts, spent

most of my childhood with my pencils, paints, scissors and glue somewhere near me. Whole
worlds were born from my imagination on paper when I happily spent hours drawing. Often
shampoo bottles became spaceships, cardboard boxes turned to airplanes, dolls houses or
tipple storied parking lots. My favourite classes at school needless to say were painting,
handcraft, and clay modelling.

I always loved drama too and have been involved with many productions. After my A-levels
(Art and Design, Drama and Theatre Studies, and Psychology) I travelled to Norway to work
with mentally and physically disabled people. Among other responsibilities I was also an
assistant in a weaving workshop.

In 2006 I moved back to Hungary to start a family, my daughter is now four years old.
I attended Krea Kortars Muveszeti Iskola in Budapest for two years where I acheived an OKJ
in Interior Design. Since then I have been attending to art classes with a private teacher trying
to perfect my skills as much as possible.

Now I work as a craft teacher and nursery nurse in a kindergarten in Budapest where I
continue my childhood mission of making exciting things with the children from recyclable
products - through this hopefully teaching them something about the values of recycling.

During the summer camps and on Saturdays I will be at DCA. I am very excited about
creating the set for the end of year show together with the children, helping students in their
drama class, helping with circus skills (I can juggle to !) and basically be where ever I am
needed!

KATA HAJNAL
Guest artist (Vocal training)

I am Kata Hajnal (coloratura soprano) and studied in Budapest as the pupil of Artemis Gabor
and Erzsebet Zorn (Continuo Conservatory Budapest).

I also studied in Los Angeles at The California Institute of The Arts as a student of Maria
Fortuna and Grammy Award winner opera singer Juliana Gondek, and at the University of
Oregon, as a student of Milagro Vargas.

I first appeared on stage (Budapest Music Academy) as a soloist at the age of 16 (Britten:
Ceremony of Carol). I hold a special certificate by The National Centre for Entertainment
Music, as a musical, operetta and song singer.
ational Centre for Entertainment Music
I was a member and a soloist of the Budapest Academy Choral Society for 10 years (Sydney
Opera House, Taipei Opera in Taiwan).

In 2002 I performed several times with the Scala Stagione Theater in Germany. I was also
a soloist of the world famous VOXNOVA group in Berlin (Konzert Hause Berlin, Potzdam
Concert Hall).

My first CD appeared on the market in 2003. Hajnal Kata "Megkisert a mult" and most
recently I won a prize at the Stockhausen contest in Kürten.

I now have a little baby so the time is right now to do more teaching and less singing and to

continue working as a composer and recording artist.

I will be motivating children both musically and in other facets of their life.
I have prepared children and adults for plays and musicals in and around the World.
As a professional vocal coach I will assist the older kids in their singing for their 2012 DCA
show.

I have also written the music for the DCA theme song and will coach the children so we can
take it to professional recording!

We will launch the song at our end of year show and profits will go to charity!

SAM KETTLE
Ballet teacher

coming soon

DEANN DOMINISH
Secretary

Coming soon

KENNITH FRISS

Coming soon

KATA BACSA
Guest street Jazz teacher

Coming soon

Founder/Principle

SANDRA KNIBBS
Founder/Principle

I only ever wanted to dance, but I had never the opportunity for formal training. In my
late teens I found the courage to go alone without support and to my surprise I gained a
scholarship to attend professional training.

During the course which I loved, I realised that my lack of confidence frightened me when
I was dancing in this very competitive environment. I would never succeed as a dancer
if I wasn’t confident. I struggled with this as I danced because I loved dancing and I was

frightened I would not be good enough. Because of this I decided to switch to the teachers
course.

I strived in this area and found that I could easily explain to others how to do a movement and
due to my own lack of confidence in performing I found I was sensitive and my aim was to
build the students confidence so that they could feel that they were a star . This is how my
motto came ‘where every ones a star’

I continued professional dance classes but I could do it for fun as I was striving on
the teacher’s course learning how to correct and teach to children and gained teaching
qualifications with the Professional Teachers of dancing and the International teachers of
dancing (the largest examining board in the world) in freestyle dance, modern/jazz and tap.

I always had a love for children so also became a qualified nursery nurse. I worked in
nurseries and children’s homes during my teenage years. I have always loved what I do so I
work a lot. I strive to bring out the best in everything and everyone!

My other deep love was travel and I always felt inside that I would never live in the UK.
Often I took babysitting placements round the world especially in the summer holidays. It
came to know surprise when I met my Hungarian husband that I would see if Hungary was
where I fitted!

At the beginning we lived with my husbands parents in a small town Gyomaendrod heading
towards the Romania boarder. I started to teach dance and had the most wonderful experience
ever holding a week camp then continuing with weekly classes But it was a very poor part
of the country and when winter came the 200 Ft per class that the children could just about
afford to pay was not enough to pay the heating bill and the class had to close down.

We realised we had to move to Budapest if we were going to reach our dreams of a dance
school, Laszlo my husband played a very important part at that time and was the support I
needed. I signed for Hungarian classes at HLS where I met my first important contact to the
success of DCA. Zoe Higgies, who I still keep in contact with now . She was the wife of
the Australian Embassor. She was bubbly down to earth and took me under her wing. She
introduced me to Mary pazit , then the principle of Bisb .

It was bisb that I started my first dance club with 5 children in the April of 1998. Shortly later
I was teaching at Superkids and slowly grew. It was a slow process as I didn’t promote and
wasn’t business minded I just wanted to teach and create. The first and only financial advisor
I visited asked me “where’s your business plan”. I answered “I don’t have one and I don’t
want to do anything else in my life other then teach dance so I don’t see the point”

A few years later I was growing so I started to employ teachers from the UK .

The main focus being the show at the end of the year. The first show ever being performed at
the Bab szinhaz in 2000 , 7 consecitive years at Aisb theatre, 2 years at the Jozsef Katona , 1
year at kamaradi and this coming year we will perform at Budafoki.

2000 DCA First-Ever Show
2001 The Wizard of Oz
2002 Peter Pan

2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Cats
The Little Mermaid
Annie
I hope I get It
Dance Your dreams
Girls just wanna Have Fun
When You Believe
Dance Circus

We have had hardships from fluctuating to 300 children and dropping down to 100 children.
We have kept prices the same even though our costs seem to be increasing like fire and with
the recession we have had situations where we had over 35 Japanese kids but all the families
have been sent back to their home countries, we sadly said goodbye to our last two Japanese
students this summer. There is more competition so in many cases people didn’t even come
and try us out to see how wonderful it is.

Now I need to listen to that financial advisor as a love for what I do is not always enough to
keep a dream. I am dedicating time this year to the promotion of DCA. I have also dedicated
time to the skill of ‘delegation’ so that we can go through the year relaxed and communication
skills to perfection!

I want to keep teaching children with safe training and watch them perform at the end of
the year. Some kids naturally full into this, but others it’s a more gradual process as I help
children find the confidence, and they all do by the time it comes to the show!

It’s about treating all the children the same and encouraging team work. Of course they all
need to be taught different some need a firm approach others need a sensitive approach.

It may be hard work, and some naturally pick up better then others but it’s possible to all
make it regardless of natural ability. Those that are naturally blessed can always improve and
will be encouraged to think about the finer aspects of the dance.

I care a lot about natural health and safety. The sad truth is that professional dancing to a
very high degree is not healthy for the body as it pushes the body to the extremes of being not
natural. However if one is to go on to professional training we can teach a lot about the safest
way to do an exercise to eliminate the risk of injury.

I will not by any means put in exercises and moves that can hurt or cause problems to
developing bodies. Unless a teacher is constantly updating oneself they would not even know
the damages some traditional exercises can be doing to a young child’s body.

One example is Ballistic stretching (when the child uses a strong bouncing motion to go into
the stretch). This way of stretching forces the limb into an extended range of motion when
the muscle has not relaxed enough to enter it. It can injure vital muscles and nerves with the
sharp jerking movements. It is even possible for tissue to be ripped off the bone. All our
stretches are done static and we teach the children how to perform it safely!

I am constantly updating myself and attending seminars in the UK. I love being qualified
with the International Teachers of Dancing as it has fantastic reliable training which I feel is a

great investment in my career and keeping the children safe and up to date.

I also have recently become very interested in natural healthy eating and have started to bring
this into my life and I feel it goes hand in hand with taking care with safe dance training.

Things are always changing which keeps things so exciting I am very excited about the year
ahead with my new communication skills, delegation to give me more time to concentrate
on the things that really mater and watch my children and your children reap the benefits of
DCA!

Location and transportation

Saturday classes
Alsóvölgy u.26, district II