Leading part-time stage school Top Hat has teamed up with the Samuel Ryder Academy to launch a new dance school.

The Ryder Dance Academy will be renamed the Top Hat Ryder Dance Academy and will be using the Samuel Ryder Academy’s purpose-built dance studio, which was opened in 2012, from Monday.

There will be some minor changes to the existing timetable of dance classes, but there will be a host of new dance classes introduced, including new Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD) dance-graded classes in ballet, tap and modern.

Children will have the opportunity to complete exams by the ISTD, which is one of the world’s leading dance examinations boards. Other dance classes include mini ballet for five-to-seven-year-olds, Popstars, street dance, mini jazz, junior and teen contemporary dance.

The classes are available for children aged from five to 16 with free taster sessions available. There are also discounts for pupils at the Samuel Ryder Academy.

Top Hat Ryder Dance Academy principal Warren Bacci: “It is a great privilege to be working with the dynamic leadership team at Samuel Ryder Academy to launch the Top Hat Ryder Dance Academy.

“We have been providing children in St Albans with dance and performing arts training for over two decades and are delighted to be able to now offer local children ISTD dance-graded classes, which are the perfect way for children of all abilities to improve their technique and fitness and get the recognised qualifications.

“Samuel Ryder’s purpose-built dance studio is really impressive and will certainly enhance the learning process for our young dancers.”

Talking about the school’s new collaboration with Top Hat Stage School, Matt Gauthier, headteacher at the Samuel Ryder Academy, said: “We are very pleased to be working with the Top Hat Stage School to expand our offer in the performing arts.

“Whilst academic rigor is at the very heart of all we do at Samuel Ryder, it is also very important that we continually innovate and widen pupil experiences through partnerships like this one.

“The new relationship will provide both our students and the local community with an impressive range of professional dance classes and I am looking forward to seeing how the partnership develops in the coming year.”