21 - 22 November 2026 | NORTH NORFOLK
The art of technique
BeGinner plus | Small and personal
At a Glance
21 - 22 November 2026
Weybourne, North Norfolk
Led by Sian Murphy
Beginner plus with 2+ years experience
Limited to just 8 dancers
£400 per person
Two days to slow down and understand your ballet technique
Sometimes in ballet, we know the step - but can't quite make our body do what we want it to do.
The Art of Technique is a weekend devoted to going back to the foundations, understanding the details and building the confidence to move forward.
What to expect
Led by Royal Ballet Repetiteur Sian Murphy, the weekend has been created especially for Beginner Plus adult dancers who want to strengthen their technique and begin bridging the gap towards improver level.
Rather than rushing through exercises or learning a large piece of repertoire, we'll have time to look more closely at how and why ballet movements work.
Placement. Turnout. Feet. Balance. Coordination. Port de bras. Épaulement. Turns. Musicality.
The things that underpin everything else we do in ballet.
With a small group and plenty of individual attention, this is a chance to ask questions, repeat things and work on the details that can make such a difference to your dancing.
Not harder ballet. Better understood ballet.
Meet your teachers
Sian murphy
Sian trained at The Royal Ballet School before joining The Royal Ballet, where she danced as a First Artist.
Today she works as a Repetiteur with The Royal Ballet, coaching and rehearsing dancers across the Company's repertoire.
That experience makes Sian particularly special for a weekend devoted to technique. Her work is about looking closely at dancers - noticing the details, understanding what needs adjusting and helping movement become clearer, stronger and more expressive.
Over the two days, Sian will bring that same careful eye to our small group of adult dancers.
Her approach is warm and supportive, with time to explain not simply what a movement should be, but how to approach it and how the different elements of classical technique connect.
WHY A WEEKEND DEVOTED TO TECHNIQUE?
As adult dancers, we often learn by joining in.
We follow the person in front. We remember a correction from another class. We know roughly where our feet and arms should go — and then suddenly we're in the centre and everything feels rather different!
Sometimes what we need isn't another complicated combination.
We need time.
Time to understand placement.
Time to work out where our weight needs to be.
Time to think about how we're using our feet.
Time to coordinate our head, arms and legs.
Time to prepare a turn properly rather than simply hoping for the best.
And, importantly, time to ask questions and try again.
This weekend gives us that time.
What We'll Explore During the Weekend
Across the two days, Sian will gradually build from the foundations of classical ballet into centre work and movement.
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Finding placement and understanding where the body needs to be.
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Using turnout effectively while maintaining control and balance.
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Working through the feet and understanding how they support everything from tendus to jumps.
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Bringing the upper body, head and arms into the movement.
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Understanding where your weight is — and where it needs to go next.
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Helping arms, legs, head and musicality work together.
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Looking at the foundations of a turn before worrying about how many rotations we can achieve.
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Breaking down the mechanics before gradually putting the steps together.
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Because good technique isn't simply about where you put your feet — it's about how you dance.
SUPPORTING YOUR TECHNIQUE
Alongside Sian's ballet coaching, Hannah Collier will use Progressing Ballet Technique to explore the strength, stability and control that support classical ballet technique.
Hannah is a chartered physiotherapist, ballet teacher and certified PBT instructor, with experience in dancer rehabilitation, strength training and Pilates.
Her sessions will complement Sian's work in the studio, helping us connect what we are asking our bodies to do in ballet with the strength and stability needed to do it.
Together, the two approaches give dancers the opportunity to understand the technique and the body behind it.
SMALL GROUP. TIME TO LEARN.
One of the most important parts of a Let’s Dance retreat is having the time and space to actually be seen.
In a large class, it's very easy to follow along without ever quite understanding why something isn't working.
A small group gives Sian the opportunity to watch each dancer, offer individual corrections and respond to what she sees in the room.
And because every detail of the retreat is thoughtfully taken care of, there is space for the weekend to remain focused on the dancing - while you simply arrive, learn, enjoy yourself and let us look after the rest.
WHO IS IT FOR?
This weekend is designed specifically for Beginner Plus adult dancers with 2+ years of ballet experience.
You may have been dancing regularly for a while and feel ready to progress, but still find centre work challenging.
You may understand the vocabulary but need more time to coordinate steps into enchaînements.
You may simply feel there are gaps in your basic technique that you would love the opportunity to work on properly.
You do not need beautiful extensions, multiple pirouettes or years of training.
This isn't about showing us what you can already do.
It's about helping you understand how to do it better.
The atmosphere will be supportive, relaxed and non-judgemental, with adaptations where appropriate.
A NOVEMBER BALLET ESCAPE
There is something rather lovely about spending a November weekend immersed in ballet on the North Norfolk coast.
Our days together take place at The Old Stables in Weybourne, with ballet in our private studio, time around the table over lunch and a relaxed dinner together at a local pub on Saturday evening.
It's a chance to leave normal life behind for a couple of days, concentrate on your dancing and spend time with a small group of adults who love ballet too.
Everything is taken care of.
You just need to come and dance.
What’s Included
Ballet training with Sian Murphy across both days
Progressing Ballet Technique & Active Stretch with Hannah Collier
Two vegetarian lunches
Saturday evening dinner
Refreshments throughout the weekend
Let’s Dance welcome gift
Venue & accommodation
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The Old Stables, Weybourne
Nestled on the North Norfolk coast, The Old Stables offers the perfect setting to immerse yourself in ballet.
Surrounded by countryside and just moments from the sea, it's peaceful, welcoming and beautifully designed for a weekend of movement and restoration.
Easily accessible by car, or by train from London Liverpool Street to Sheringham via Norwich.
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Accommodation is not included in the retreat price.
We are pleased to offer a 15% accommodation discount at:
Please contact Clare directly for booking information and discount details.
The Details
£400 per person
A £200 non-refundable deposit secures your place and is deducted from the final balance.
Due to the intimate nature of the retreat and limited availability, early booking is strongly recommended.
Accommodation, transfers and private coaching is not included.
Full terms and conditions can be read here
BUILD THE FOUNDATIONS
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ENJOY THE DANCING
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BUILD THE FOUNDATIONS 〰️ ENJOY THE DANCING 〰️
Ballet doesn't suddenly become easy.
But understanding what you're trying to do can change everything.
Two days to slow down.
To ask questions.
To work on the details.
To understand your body.
And to build the technique that gives you greater confidence to simply dance.
Come for the ballet. Leave with so much more.
