Leading Dance School expands with new East Lothian branch

Edinburgh Dance Academy (EDA), one of the UK’s top-rated dance schools, is launching a new East Lothian franchise in Haddington.

The school – whose former pupils include Ellie Fergusson, winner of the 2019 BBC programme The Greatest Dancer – currently provides a comprehensive range of traditional and contemporary dance classes for more than 500 pupils from its headquarters and other studios across Edinburgh. 

Its new programme of junior school classes will be held at Haddington’s Bridge Centre from mid-September. Classes will include preschool dance, Royal Academy of Dance certified pre-primary ballet, jazz, tap, commercial, contemporary and acro. 

The new East Lothian franchise will be led by Millie Thomas, who joined EDA in 2018 after completing training at Northern Ballet Academy and then Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance in London. 

Millie is a highly experienced and respected dance teacher who has taught on many outreach programmes and led classes in creative movement and beginners ballet for children aged 3-15.  

Helping to guide Millie in her new role is East Lothian resident Julie Mitchell, EDA’s founder and the school’s Principal and Artistic Director. An internationally-renowned figure in the ballet world, Julie also serves as an examiner for the Royal Academy of Dance 

Since launching in 1996, EDA has gone on to secure a number of accolades including becoming World Champions at the Dance World Cup along with being voted as the highest ranked dance school in UK and Ireland by VAD Productions, an independent, innovative dance production company.

The school also secured a number of awards at the prestigious British Isles Dance Inspirations event in Blackpool earlier this year where EDA’s Senior Competition team was named as the event’s overall champion.

Along with the outstanding results achieved by those wishing to take a more structured route, EDA alumni have also gone on to dance with some of the most prestigious companies including the Royal Ballet, English National Ballet, Scottish Ballet and the Portuguese National Ballet. 

EDA’s Julie Mitchell said: “As a local resident of the area, I’m especially delighted to announce our expansion into East Lothian with our new Haddington branch.

“Since setting up the school 26years ago, we have worked with thousands of young people helping them discover the joy of dancing and maximising their potential, not only in dance but also in confidence, self-expression, fitness, and supporting others. We now look forward to bringing all of this to East Lothian. A limited number of scholarships will also be offered where circumstances are appropriate.” 

Millie Thomas, head of the new EDA East Lothian franchise, said: “It’s exciting to be leading this new branch of our school in Haddington.

“I look forward to working with young children across East Lothian, introducing them to dance and developing their skills to the highest possible level for their individual abilities and aspirations.

“We can achieve this in a happy, structured, inclusive and supportive way.”