About Dancing Academy
Established in 2008, Dancing Academy has grown into one of Chippenham and Wiltshire’s largest and most established dance schools.
Founded by Samantha Reed, DA was built on a love of dance and a belief that great training should be accessible to everyone. Today, our highly qualified teaching team brings professional and industry experience into our purpose-built studios, supporting dancers from their very first steps through to advanced training and professional careers.
Our results speak for themselves. DA dancers achieve consistently high examination results, with many reaching advanced levels before leaving school and progressing to leading vocational colleges, university courses, teacher training and successful careers in the performing arts, including the West End.
But dance isn't only about where it can take you professionally.
It can build confidence, support wellbeing, improve fitness, create friendships and simply make you feel good. That's why DA is home to dancers who want to compete and achieve, as well as those who dance for fun, recreation and connection. We also champion inclusive dance through ParaStars Dance and regularly take dance into our local community.
Whatever brings you to dance, there's a place for you at DA.
We believe there is more than one way to be a dancer.
At Dancing Academy, we don't believe every dancer needs the same goal, the same path or the same definition of success.
Yes, we care about great technique. We care about exams, performances, competitions and achievement. We’re proud of the dancers who go on to vocational training, university and professional careers.
But trophies, grades and destinations are only part of the picture.
We care about the dancer behind them.
The child who finds their confidence on stage. The teenager who discovers their people. The dancer who wants to train seriously. The adult who comes to move, feel good and switch off. The student who discovers they are capable of more than they thought.
We teach with the individual in mind — supporting physical health, confidence, creativity, wellbeing and connection alongside technical development.
Because dance isn't just something you achieve. It's something you experience.
We want dancers to leave our studios not only better dancers, but more confident, connected and capable people.
Your journey is yours. We’re here to help you make it extraordinary.
Samantha Reed LISTD, DDP, DDE, RAD RTS
Founder | Principal | Dance Educator
Samantha’s journey with dance began at just three years old and has grown into a lifelong passion for movement, creativity and education. From her earliest ballet, tap and modern classes, she discovered the confidence, discipline and joy that dance can bring — experiences that continue to shape her approach to teaching today.
Samantha believes every dancer deserves to feel valued, encouraged and inspired. Her teaching combines strong technical foundations with creativity, confidence-building and a personalised approach that recognises that every dancer’s journey is different.
At sixteen, Samantha was accepted onto the prestigious three-year Performer’s Course at London Studio Centre, where she developed her skills as a dancer and performer. Following her professional career and further training, she turned her focus towards inspiring and educating the next generation of dancers.
Samantha holds teaching qualifications with both the Royal Academy of Dance and the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing, including RAD CBTS and ISTD Licentiate DDP in Cecchetti Ballet, alongside extensive experience teaching advanced ballet.
Her passion for developing dancers extends beyond technique. Through her training and experience in Pilates, yoga and Progressing Ballet Technique (PBT), Samantha has developed a strong understanding of the importance of strength, flexibility, alignment, coordination and body awareness. These disciplines form an important part of her approach to helping dancers become stronger, more capable and more confident in their movement.
Samantha has also worked extensively with children across Wiltshire primary schools through dance and PE programmes, bringing a wealth of experience in working with young learners and helping them discover the joy of movement.
For Samantha, dance is about far more than learning steps. It is about building confidence, celebrating individuality, developing resilience and giving every dancer the opportunity to discover what they are capable of.
Samantha believes we were all Born to Move — and that dance can take us further than we ever imagined.
Discover where it can take you.
Come as you are. Find your people.
Dancing Academy is for dancers with different ages, abilities, ambitions and reasons for dancing. Some want to perform, compete and progress towards a career; others dance for fun, fitness, confidence, wellbeing or simply because they love it.
What connects our dancers is a shared love of dance and a desire to be part of a positive community. Through classes, performances, competitions, workshops and community events, dancers build confidence, friendships, creativity and experiences that stay with them beyond the studio.
Big dreams. No big egos. Just a community that wants to see you thrive.