Grazia Academy Of Dance & Acrobatics

💜A LITTLE BEHIND THE BUSINESS…
Tomorrow, the studio doors open again. For the dancers, it’s the exciting return to routine, seeing friends, getting back into class and starting a brand-new dance year.

But if I’m being completely honest… my tank is almost empty. 😂 The last month has been a juggling act. While my own children have been at home, and at times with very little childcare, I’ve been working behind the scenes to get Grazia ready for the year ahead, restructuring systems, planning ABD competitions, costume planning, organising summer camps, mentoring the team, planning classes, chasing payments, planning privates, updating policies, insurance and licenses, and trying to make sure we are ready for tomorrow.
And whilst I’ve been busy, I have managed to make some amazing memories with my family too. 💜 We’ve had some lovely moments together that I’ll always be grateful for.

But now… tomorrow is here.

And whilst everyone else is ready to get back to their routine, I’m arriving at the start of the new school year already a little exhausted. 😂

And you know what?………. That’s okay.

Sometimes you come back from the “break” needing another break. 😂

I often hear parents joke…

“I just give you all my money!” 😂
“You must make a fortune running a dance school!”

And I completely understand why it can look that way from the outside.

But what you don’t always see are the hidden hours, the invoices behind the scenes.

So here’s just ONE of them…

🎵 MUSIC. Our cost simply to legally play music within our classes?

Over £100.00 EVERY. SINGLE. MONTH.

This is one of the bills I grudge paying the most. 😂 It’s literally just for the ability to press play!

And that’s before rent, staff wages, insurance, licences, booking systems, accountancy, cleaning, equipment, maintenance, training… and everything else that keeps Grazia running.

I’m not sharing this for sympathy or to complain. I LOVE what we have created at Grazia. But I think sometimes it’s important to show the other side of small business ownership. Behind every class your child walks into, there is an entire business working away in the background to make sure everything is ready.

And tomorrow…

The doors open.

The dancers are back.

The studio is ready.

And even if my tank is almost empty… I’m ready!!!

Here’s to another year at Grazia. ✨

You enjoy watching your child walk into class, dance their heart out and leave with a smile, and I’ll keep opening those invoices behind the scenes 🤣

Nicola Dugmore

✨ THE FUTURE IS YOURS TO CREATE… One of the most beautiful things about watching our dancers grow is knowing that the little dancers who walk through our doors today have a whole world of possibilities ahead of them………Future nurses. Teachers. Business owners. Engineers. CEOs. Psychologists. Parents. Creatives. Leaders. Dreamers.

And who knows… perhaps some of them will even grow up to make dance their career.

But that’s the magic of dance — it teaches so much more than steps.
💜It teaches discipline.
💜It teaches confidence.
💜It teaches resilience.
💜It teaches teamwork.
💜It teaches commitment.

It teaches you to get back up when something doesn’t go right. And most importantly, it teaches you to believe in yourself. We don’t know exactly where their journeys will take them, and that’s the exciting part. Today they’re standing in a dance studio in their little ballet shoes…
Tomorrow, they could be standing anywhere in the world.

So dream big, our Grazia dancers, Your future is waiting for you. And whatever you choose to become, we hope you always remember where you learned to believe you could. 🩷

🩰✨ Nicola Dugmore

🏆D A N C E R O F T H E Y E A R 25/26
Evie has been so consistent throughout the year. She always gives that little bit extra, she’s hardworking, kind, patience, approachable and an absolutely fantastic team member.
She is incredibly coachable, and that is something that every teacher who works with her really values. She listens, she takes on feedback, she’s willing to learn and she always strives to improve. Every teacher genuinely enjoys teaching Evie, and that says so much about the dancer and the person she is. She’s always positive and supportive, and she brings such a lovely energy into every class. She’s a pleasure to have around, and she has already inspired so many of the dancers around her.

Evie gives her time, her energy and her heart to everything she does, and she absolutely deserves every bit of success that comes her way. We have no doubt that she has such a bright future ahead of her, and we can’t wait to see where her talent, hard work and determination take her.

So, we are incredibly proud and honoured to present the 2025/26 Dancer of the Year Award to… Evie!
Congratulations, Evie. We are so, so proud of you. ❤️

A HUGE CONGRATULATIONS TO ELSIE!
We are absolutely delighted to share that Elsie has successfully auditioned and been awarded a place with Ballet Britain for 2026/27! 🩰💫
Elsie, we are so incredibly proud of you! 💕 Your hard work, dedication and love for dance are shining through, and we cannot wait to see where this next chapter takes you, what an exciting journey ahead!

🦢 A HUGE CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR EADI!

We are absolutely thrilled to share that our gorgeous Eadi has successfully auditioned for English Youth Ballet’s production of Swan Lake! What an incredible opportunity and such a fantastic achievement. To be selected to perform in such a beautiful and prestigious ballet is something you should be incredibly proud of, Eadi!
Congratulations Eadi, we are SO proud of you! Go and shine, beautiful girl!