Royal Dance Academy Builds Technique and Character

11-Nov-2010 Royal Dance Academy Builds Technique and Character
By Marlena Chavira-Medford
Staff Writer

Francine Garton has danced in some of the world’s top ballet schools and graced stages around the globe. But long before she was in the limelight, Garton danced at a village church hall in Liverpool, England, where she took ballet lessons as a little girl. It was here a teacher first saw a spark in the rising star.

“My teacher, Ms. Croft, was the first to see potential in me. I wasn’t very committed to dancing initially, I was always quitting and starting again. But Ms. Croft insisted I dance because she said she’d never seen anyone with so much natural talent,” Garton said. Under Croft’s guidance, Garton blossomed, and by the time she was 14, she won a scholarship to the prestigious Legat Russian Ballet School in southern England.

“Ms. Croft took me under her wing and taught me all that she could — and when I was ready, she let me fly. She opened doors for me that otherwise would have remained closed. I don’t think I can ever thank her enough for that,” Garton said.

After completing her training at Northern Ballet College, where she graduated with distinct honors, Garton traveled the world as a professional dancer and ran a successful dance studio in Manchester, England. Successes aside, she and her husband, Billy, had dreams of living in sunny Southern California. In 2001 they took the plunge. Her husband, who was a professional soccer player for Manchester United, launched the Manchester Carmel Valley Soccer Club and, soon after, Garton opened her dance studio, Royal Dance Academy.

“We put our life savings into this studio. It was a big risk. But I’ve always believed that if you want something, nobody is going to hand it to you on a silver platter. You have to be willing to sacrifice, and take risks,” Garton said.

Nine years later, that sacrifice and risk has paid off. Garton’s school has grown to include more than 600 students (girls and boys) and 16 instructors, offering classes in ballet, jazz, hiphop, tap, lyrical, and musical theater. Garton has the distinction of being the only instructor in the entire North County area who is certified to prepare students who want to enter the Royal Academy of Dance, a highly prestigious worldwide program.

Garton, who now has three young sons and a daughter, said balancing work and motherhood can be “overwhelming at times” but she’s driven by her love of teaching.

“I believe I was born to be a teacher. I love seeing a kid who didn’t have confidence at first because she struggled with the steps, and now she’s doing a solo in front of the class. She may not be the best dancer in the world, but knowing I’ve instilled something in her that makes her feel comfortable and confident enough to take the stage is what makes it all worthwhile for me,” Garton said. “My goal is make each student feel strong, happy and comfortable in her own skin. Tall, small, whatever size, and wherever they come from — dance is for everyone. We are all born with gifts. It’s a good teacher’s responsibility to nurture those, just as Ms. Croft did for me. If I can do for my students, what Ms. Croft did for me, then I will feel I’ve done my job.”

Royal Dance Academy is located at 3880 Valley Centre Drive, suite 209 (Piazza Carmel Shopping Center in Carmel Valley, anchored by Vons). For more information, call 858-350-9770 or visit royaldanceacademy.com.

Royal Dance Academy Builds Technique and Character (771 KB)

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