News

Mary Goodhew appointed new Director of the Legat School of Dance

06 May 2008

St Bede’s School Trust is thrilled to announce the appointment of Mary Goodhew as the new Director of the Legat School of Dance, from September, following the retirement of Mrs Wendy Vincent-Smith.

The thriving Legat School is based within the Senior School of St Bede’s, in the heart of the Sussex countryside, but students at St Bede’s Prep School, situated on the seafront in Eastbourne, can join the Legat from the age of 11.

The Legat became part of St Bede’s eight years ago and offers training in classical ballet and modern dance together with performance experience.  Students enjoy the privilege of highly acclaimed guest teachers and choreographers and incorporate their dance with St Bede’s academic programmes.

Wendy brought the Legat School of Dance to St Bede’s when Wadhurst College closed.  A graduate of the Royal Ballet School and dancer with the Dutch National Ballet for 11 years, Wendy had joined the Legat as a part-time teacher in 1992.  She succeeded Professor Paul Melis as Director of Dance in September 1997.

When the Legat arrived at St Bede’s there was no dance studio, but one was built almost ‘overnight’ and from 14 senior dancers in 2000 there are now 42.  Today, Legat graduates are offered places each year for Dance Degree and Diploma courses at Rambert School of Classical Ballet and Contemporary Dance, London Studio Centre, Labau, Millennium Dance 2000 and London Contemporary Dance School.

Wendy and Mary Goodhews’ careers have crossed paths on a number of occasions.

Mary studied ballet with Rita Emmerson, a former pupil of Enrico Cecchetti, the Ballet Master to Diaghilev’s Ballet Russes until she was 16.  Whilst a Cecchetti Society Scholar she was awarded the Graham Cup for the most promising Junior Scholar followed by the Cyril Beaumont Scholarship to the Royal Ballet Upper School.  

Whilst still a student Mary performed extensively with The Royal Ballet at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and on their overseas tours.  After graduation she joined Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet, now the Birmingham Royal Ballet, touring Britain and internationally.

Winning a Winston Churchill Fellowship and Nabisco Award enabled Mary to study teaching methods for classical ballet dancers in Russia and a Stephen Arlen Arts Award meant she could continue her study of ballet training methods in Europe, America and Canada.

Mary comes to St Bede’s from the Elmhurst School for Dance in Association with the Birmingham Royal Ballet where she was Artistic Director.  For the five years before taking up that post she was Ballet Principal at the Royal Ballet School – White Lodge.

Headmaster of St Bede’s School Trust, Steve Cole said: ‘Wendy Vincent-Smith has built a wonderful foundation for the Legat School and now we are extremely lucky to have enticed Mary Goodhew to St Bede’s.  She is a hugely respected figure in the world of dance and her reputation as a teacher goes before her.  I know that under her direction the Legat School will continue to flourish and indeed, attain new heights’.