Spotlight on Loughborough – Wonderland Dance Studio

There is a particular energy that you notice as soon as you step into Wonderland Dance Studio. Mirrors line the walls. Costumes are stacked ready for performance. A gymnastics mat sits to one side. The space is compact, but purposeful. It is designed not simply for dance, but for participation.

In this edition of Spotlight on Loughborough, Soar Sound visits Wonderland Dance Studio in Shelthorpe to hear how one local initiative has grown from six children to nearly sixty in seven years.

Founder Cary Benze explains that the studio emerged from a simple observation. After finishing university, she saw that many local children wanted to dance, but cost was a barrier. Traditional dance schools often require lesson fees, costume payments, and additional show expenses. For families in lower-income areas, these cumulative costs can exclude participation. Wonderland was set up differently. Costs are pooled. Costumes and performances are covered collectively. The focus is on access.

Shelthorpe is often described as a neighbourhood where many households face financial pressure. In that context, a self-funded, affordable dance school becomes more than an extracurricular activity. It becomes a local resource.

The studio offers a mixture of dance styles, with elements of singing and gymnastics woven in. What matters most, however, is not the technical form. It is the environment.

When asked what young people gain from taking part, Cary speaks first about confidence and friendship. The studio is somewhere safe, somewhere social, somewhere that keeps children engaged in something constructive. That emphasis on safety and belonging is echoed by Chanelle, one of the dancers. She explains that nobody feels silly, nobody is put down, and if someone struggles with a move, others step in to help. It is an ethos of mutual support rather than competition.

The teaching approach reflects this. Some children pick up choreography quickly. Others take longer. Some build confidence rapidly; others need time. Ability varies, but passion often compensates. Improvement is measured year by year, especially when looking back at previous performances. The reward is visible progress.

Inclusion is explicit. The studio welcomes neurodivergent children and adapts teaching methods to individual needs. Each child is supported in ways that allow them to participate fully. Individual differences are treated as strengths rather than deficits. That approach shapes the culture of the group.

The immediate focus is a theatre show at the MMC Venue in Mountsorrel, with tickets priced at five pounds on the door. For some of the dancers, performing under stage lights, with costumes and backstage access, is an experience they might not otherwise have. The expectation is straightforward: enjoy it and try your best. Mistakes are anticipated. Effort and enjoyment matter more than perfection.

The conversation ends, as many rehearsals do, with background voices calling out cues and music beginning to play. It is an ordinary moment in a local studio. Yet it reflects something larger: how accessible creative spaces can build confidence, connection, and shared identity in places that are often defined by deficit rather than possibility.