What Benefits Do Students Gain From Attending Studio One (DCPA)?

Updated

Studio One (DCPA) in Ferndown, Dorset, describes its classes as building far more than performance skills. According to the school's own description, students develop confidence, communication skills, teamwork, self-discipline, organisational skills, time management, motivation and perseverance — alongside the friendships formed through regular classes, shows and trips. These benefits apply to children and adults, since the school offers dance, performing arts and musical theatre training for both age groups.

The skills the school says students build

Studio One's website lists the following outcomes as central to its teaching, not incidental extras:

  • Confidence — described as a core aim, with teachers "helping them build confidence as they learn new skills"
  • Communication skills — developed through performance work and group activity
  • Teamwork — built by working alongside other students in classes and productions
  • Self-discipline — a natural by-product of regular training and exam preparation
  • Organisational skills and time management — managing classes, rehearsals and performance commitments
  • Motivation and perseverance — sticking with training over time and working towards exams and shows

The school frames these as transferable life skills that students carry beyond the studio, rather than purely stagecraft.

Opportunities that reinforce the benefits

The skill-building is supported by activities beyond weekly classes. Studio One states that students get:

  • Annual shows
  • Examinations
  • Theatre trips
  • Workshops with industry professionals

These give students concrete goals to work towards, which is where perseverance and time management get tested in practice. Performing in front of an audience is also where confidence gains become visible.

Friendship and community

The school highlights the friendships students create and build "along the way" as a special part of the experience. A parent review on the site reinforces this, describing "a real sense of community" where older students set an example and help younger children.

A parent's account of the confidence shift

The site includes a testimonial from a parent whose daughter started in Toddler Bop 4.5 years before writing. The parent describes the teachers as professional and child-centred, and says the school "transformed a very shy toddler into a very confident, competent, happy performer." The same review notes that classes have been "the highlight of my daughter's week" since she first attended.

This is one family's experience rather than a guaranteed outcome, but it illustrates the kind of change the school aims for — and it matches the confidence-building the school lists among its core benefits.

What to check before deciding

If these benefits are what you're looking for, the practical next step is to see whether the teaching style suits the individual. The school offers a free trial class, which lets a prospective student experience a session before committing. Since the benefits described — confidence, teamwork, perseverance — depend heavily on the teacher-student relationship and group dynamic, a trial is the most direct way to judge whether the environment delivers what the school promises.