Tickets on Sale - November 2025
Tickets are now on sale for our next full school production, '25' at Buxton Opera House.
'25' will be an extra-special fun-filled extravaganza of all styles of dancing, to mark the 25th Anniversary of the Claire Dobinson School of Dancing.
For more information and ticket sales, click to visit Buxton Opera House Box Office.
To revisit any of our previous full school productions in photographs, visit the Shows page.
NATD Scholarship Success - October 2025
Huge congratulations to Bree, 2025 NATIONAL CONTEMPORARY CHAMPION!!!!
Claire was extremely proud of all our brilliant pupils who gave their very best at the NATD Theatrical Scholarship Finals in Birmingham and the first NATD Song and Dance Championship. As well as Bree's outright win of the Contemporary Section, Valentina and Clemmie made the Song and Dance Semifinals and Bree was placed 6th overall in the Senior Modern.
As you can see in the photograph, Bree won the most magnificent trophy we have ever seen at the Claire Dobinson School of Dancing!
NATD Directorship for Claire - October 2025
We are delighted to announce that Claire has been elected to the NATD Council of Management, so is now a Director of the National Association of Teachers of Dancing!
Claire has chaired the North Midland Theatrical Area Committee since 2020 and also serves as an elected member of the committees for Contemporary Dance and Gymnastic Dance. However the new appointment is a huge honour, and we are all extremely proud of Claire.
Claire would like to say a huge thank-you to all the NATD teachers and examiners who voted for her.
25 Year Celebration - September 2025
A big thank you to all who joined us on Sunday 21 September to celebrate 25 years of Claire Dobinson School of Dancing!
We enjoyed a fabulous afternoon party in the Autumn sunshine at Darley Dale Cricket Club, with great music by Yeah Ducks and Jon Dobinson, a delicious buffet from Bloomers organised by Lily K, and superb organisation - as ever - from Sarah Rathbone and family.
As Claire said in her speech, it has been amazing to be part of this wonderful community, and it was great to have some extra time together, to see old friends and catch up.
Especial thanks to those who donated the fabulous raffle prizes, and who purchased tickets on the day. We raised an amazing £500 for Weston Park Cancer Hospital.
NATD Scholarship Success - June 2025
Huge congratulations to all of our fabulous dancers who competed in The NATD Northern Area and North Midland Area scholarship heats! Claire is extremely proud of everyone who took part. You were all brilliant and we had wonderful results!
In the North Midlands Area, we secured six places in the Grand Finals:
SENIOR TAP - Hattie (HEAT WINNER)
SENIOR MODERN - Eleanor (HEAT WINNER) and Sienna
SENIOR CONTEMPORARY - Sienna and Eleanor
INTERMEDIATE BALLET - Bethany
INTERMEDIATE TAP - Alice
Bronte won the Promising Dancer Award for the Junior Section, and we also had call backs for Flo, Anya, Mia and Thia!
In the Northern Area, Brianna won another two places in the Grand Finals:
SENIOR CONTEMPORARY - Brianna (HEAT WINNER)
SENIOR MODERN - Brianna
Thia-Louise won the Promising Dancer Award for the Intermediate Section.
Brilliant Exam Results - May 2025
Huge congratulations dancers on another fantastic set of exam results - we were awarded 14 Merits and 96 Distinctions! Claire is extremely proud of you all.
We're now looking forward to our next set of examinations - good luck everyone!
Making Space at Buxton Opera House - May 2025
Many thanks to Buxton Opera House for inviting us to take part in another fantastic Making Space production. We had a lovely time, as always, and our dancers were amazing as you can see!
Brilliant Exam Results - January 2025
Huge congratulations to everyone who took examinations before Christmas - you all passed with Merits and Distinctions!
Over three days of exams, with two different examiners, we were awarded 23 Merits and an amazing 168 Distinctions! Claire is extremely proud of you all, and delighted with this fantastic start to our anniversary year.