Joan Williams Stage School - JWSS_Swansea

We are so very sad to share news that our beloved Jackie Jazz has passed away. An absolute force of nature (with a foul mouth 🤣) - we all adored her even when we were at the receiving end of the harshest feedback known to man!

Jackie was a Friday night staple for a good 20 years at Joan’s and we’re sure can all vividly remember the Saturday morning aches that followed. The outpouring of love and respect for her over the weekend has been heartfelt, and has brought back memories that have made us laugh and cry in equal measure.

Sleep easy Jackie - you were one in a million!

It is with deep sadness that we join the worldwide Performing Arts community in reflecting upon the loss of the remarkable Jackie Bristow.

A former member of Gowercollegeswansea Performing Arts staff, Jackie's contribution to the teaching of Dance was inestimable. Following a very successful performance career, and a long serving and greatly loved member of the Musical Theatre Faculty ArtsEd she spent the latter part of her highly regarded teaching career at Gorseinon.

Jackie knew what Excellence looked like. To her, there was no other standard to aim for. It was her starting point - when you set a bar high enough, everyone will improve. From starting lessons with her customary “RUN,” no second of a lesson was wasted. Every learner, though she may not remember their name, was there to be stretched to the very best of their potential. Lessons would end with students exhausted, yet many would ask to stay on for the next class. They knew Jackie was formidable but they recognised that, in her sessions, they were being taught by someone special who the Theatre Industry knew as a world class jazz dance technician.

A particular ‘Jackie Jazz’ strength was her ability to recreate Dance Repertoire. Our students were fortunate to experience skill when preparing public performance work. Particularly memorable work includes Fosse’s ‘Bye, Bye, Blackbird,’ ‘Sing, Sing, Sing,’ and 2018’s production of ‘West Side Story’ when she recreated the original Jerome Robins choreography, drawing from her experience as Dance Captain for a UK tour of the production early in her career. Here we witnessed teaching of the highest standard.

Since Jackie’s passing, social media has become a forum for hundreds of tributes from former students and colleagues as they remember her: ‘legend,’ ‘a force,’ ‘one of a kind,’ ‘wonderful.’ To those of us at Gorseinon, she was all of these things and more, and we loved her. A particular tribute that will resonate with most of her students over her very long career: ‘She scared, inspired, and looked after me, all in equal measure’.

Staff and students, past and present will miss her greatly.

Jackie, because we knew you, We have been changed for good. DLJ.

Exam results are in! Huge congratulations to our last examinees of the year who’ve sailed through their Grade 1 Modern Theatre / Grade 5 Tap exams and kept up our 100% pass rate 💜

Well done everyone 👏 and huge thanks to and

Well done to these girls who have just taken the last Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing Tap and Modern exams of the year!

Well done to the Joan Williams Stage School girls who danced at Penyrheol Theatre yesterday as guest performers at the NSDC Summer Show - lovely to see you on stage enjoying! 💜

Huge congratulations to the Joan Williams Stage School seniors who performed Anything Goes at Swansea Grand Theatre tonight as part of The Stars of Tomorrow - absolutely smashed it!

Awesome choreography by Kristen Hyett 👏

Seniors interested in contemporary check out the County Youth Dance Company (CYDC) open class taking place next week…Julie Hobday is a JWSS graduate and Cerys trained there too so you’ll be in great company 💜

Open Class next Tuesday 13th Sept 5.30-7.30pm YMCA Swansea - come and join us if you are........ 13 and over, you are interested in contemporary dance performance and choreography and challenging your skills further.......
Email - [email protected] for more info

Wishing all our pupils who are collecting GCSE results the very best of luck today!

Results are in! Huge congratulations to our last examinees of the year who’ve sailed through their ISTD tap exams and kept our 100% pass rate going strong 💜 Well done girls… next stop - Primary Tap and Grade 5!

Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing

And that’s a wrap! We are officially on summer break ☀️

Ended the year with tap exams for these three dedicated youngsters…well done girls! So grateful to Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing for continuing to offer that allow children to continue to progress between main exam sessions.

Break a leg everyone - we can’t wait to watch you! 💜

1 day to go!!!
So excited for students to perform on this beautiful stage, there is so much history. Our first show in 4yrs to celebrate 10yrs of Mellin Theatre Arts!!!