Dance, sing and act. All in one class.
Born To Be is the musical theatre company behind every musical theatre class at SJP. Wednesday evenings in Bromsgrove, working towards shows, concerts, workshops and trips.
- No dance classes needed
- No experience needed
- Everyone gets a place on stage
WednesdaysJunior 5–6pm · Senior 6–7pm
You do not need to dance with SJP to join Born To Be
Plenty of our students come on a Wednesday and take no other class. Plenty of SJP students add musical theatre to the dance classes they already take. Both are completely normal. Booking is handled through the SJP member portal, so you will set up an SJP account to reserve a place, but that is admin rather than a commitment to the dance school.
Quality training in all things musical theatre.
Dance, singing and acting are taught together rather than as separate subjects, because that is how they work on a stage. Students learn through weekly classes, then put it all to use in shows and concerts.
Musical theatre is not only about performing. It is teamwork, building a character, reading a script and knowing how a show is put together. We cover all of it, and we try to make every part of it fun.
Every student is guaranteed a place on stage in our yearly shows and concerts. Nobody sits a show out because they are new, quiet or still finding their feet.
Singing
Solo lines, group numbers and harmony, sung as the character rather than as a performer standing still.
Dance
Show choreography learned as a company, with the storytelling that goes with it. Come with dance training or without.
Acting
Script work, character building and scene study, so students know who they are playing and why.
Backstage
Costume, sound, lighting and stage crew. There is a place in a show for students who would rather be in the wings.
Which one is which?
They share a home, a stage and a lot of the same faces. Here is what each one actually does.
A dance and performing arts school
Weekly graded classes in a style your child chooses, taken term after term.
- Who for
- Babies to adults, all abilities
- Covers
- Ballet, tap, jazz, acro, ballroom, drama, singing
- When
- Classes across the week
- Leads to
- IDTA and LAMDA examinations, medals, troupes
- Run by
- SJ and the SJP teaching team
A musical theatre company
Dance, singing and acting taught together, aimed at putting a show on its feet.
- Who for
- Anyone who wants to perform, dance training or not
- Covers
- Musical theatre, script work, harmony, backstage roles
- When
- Wednesday evenings, junior and senior
- Leads to
- Yearly shows, concerts, workshops and trips
- Run by
- Madison Copson
All musical theatre classes at the studio are run by Born To Be. If your child already dances with SJP, adding musical theatre is one message to us. If they do not, that is fine too.
Two classes, both on a Wednesday.
Not sure which group your child belongs in? Tell us their age and we will point you at the right one.
Junior
Junior Musical Theatre
The first taste of musical theatre. Big group numbers, characters to play and games that quietly teach stagecraft.
Enquire about Junior
Senior
Senior Musical Theatre
Longer scenes, harder harmonies and real script work, with solo and featured roles for students who want them.
Enquire about SeniorWhat an hour actually looks like.
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Warm up together
Bodies and voices, as a company. It is also where friendships get made.
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Vocals and harmony
Learning the number, then splitting into parts and putting it back together.
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Choreography
Show routines taught in sections, with the story behind each move explained.
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Script and character
Reading scenes, trying accents, working out who the character is and what they want.
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Games and teamwork
Improvisation and ensemble games. The quickest way to get a shy student talking.
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Run it
Putting the pieces together, week on week, until it is a show.
Not everyone wants the spotlight
Students can learn the jobs that make a show happen: costume, sound, lighting and stage crew. It is a proper route through Born To Be, not a consolation prize.
- Costume
- Sound
- Lighting
- Stage crew
Everything points at a stage.
A yearly show, concerts through the year, and the odd workshop or trip in between. Students see the whole arc: first read-through, first run, tech, then an audience.
- A guaranteed part for every student, every year
- Full sets, costumes and lighting on a real stage
- Workshops and trips to see musical theatre done professionally
Madison Copson
Madison has always had a passion for dancing, acting and singing, and knew from a young age that she wanted to be on stage. She was a student at SJP Theatre Arts for over thirteen years, working through different styles of dance and taking part in show after show.
She was a keen member of Notorious dance troupe as well as dance captain for junior troupe Shockwave. She now teaches musical theatre and singing at SJP, and runs Born To Be.
- 13 years an SJP student
- Notorious troupe
- Dance captain, Shockwave
Rehearsal room to opening night.
Photographs are published only where a family has given consent.
The things parents ask first.
If yours is not here, send it over. We would rather answer it before your child walks in than after.
Ask us somethingDoes my child have to take dance classes at SJP?
No. Born To Be is its own company and takes its own students. Some children come on a Wednesday and take no other class; others dance with SJP through the week and add musical theatre. Either is fine. Places are booked through the SJP member portal, so you will set up an SJP account to reserve one, but that does not mean signing up to the dance school.
So what is the difference between the two?
SJP Theatre Arts is a dance and performing arts school teaching separate graded styles across the week. Born To Be is a musical theatre company that teaches dance, singing and acting together and puts on shows. Born To Be runs every musical theatre class at the studio.
Does my child need experience?
None at all. Some students have danced for years, some have never been in a class before. The class is built so both can stand in the same room and get something out of it.
Do they have to perform?
Every student is offered a place in the show, and most take it. If a child would rather be behind the scenes, there are real backstage jobs for them instead. Nobody is pushed on stage before they are ready.
What should they wear and bring?
Comfortable clothes they can move in, trainers, and a water bottle. No uniform is needed to start.
Can we come and watch first?
Send us a message and we will tell you which Wednesday to come along. It is usually easier to try a class than to watch one.
Come and join us on a Wednesday.
Tell us your child's age and we will tell you which class fits, what it costs and when to come along. We answer every message ourselves.
- Junior 5:00–6:00pm, Senior 6:00–7:00pm
- Bromsgrove, Worcestershire
- Booked through the SJP member portal