School Principal
Zoë Mather
BA (Hons) First Class, CBTS: RTS (RAD), AISTD (ADV), AAC1, RAD Mentor
Miss Zoë, the school Principal, opened Centre Stage in Poole, Dorset, in 2011 with a clear vision. She was passionate about providing the highest quality training in dance, singing and acting, in a rewarding and encouraging learning environment, underpinned by sound technique and artistic expression. Miss Zoë wanted to embrace the experiences gained over her (then) sixteen years of teaching to create her own entity: thus Centre Stage was born.
As a classical dancer, Miss Zoë trained with the prestigious Royal Academy of Dance in London, qualifying as a Registered Teacher within the Academy. Miss Zoë also holds a First Class BA (Hons) Degree – with results in the top 3% of the Country – and is also registered teacher of The Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance and a Certified Teacher with Acrobatic Arts.
Her teaching career began twenty-two years ago, where she worked for countless schools and colleges within both the private and public sector, teaching children and adults of all ages and abilities. As a respected RAD and ISTD Teacher, Miss Zoë has prepared students for professional examinations resulting in exceptional pass rates and students being accepted onto the Junior and Mid Associate Royal Ballet programmes.
After being approached, Miss Zoë devised an Audition Training Programme specifically for students wishing to prepare for auditions with top London Colleges and she mentored local schools and colleges to roll this out within their training criteria. Over the years, Miss Zoë’s past students have secured places at The Royal Ballet, Northern School of Contemporary Dance, Rambert Dance Company, Central School of Ballet, Italia Conti, Central School of Speech and Drama, Laine Theatre Arts, Bird College, Bodyworks, Arts Ed, Trinity Laban, Emil Dale, Urdang, London Studio Centre, Wilkes Academy and Mountview. Many still keep in touch to this day and may be even watching in the audience!
Miss Zoë has worked incredibly hard over the years to gain an outstanding and sought-after reputation. As a result of her exceptional examination success, she has mentored other teachers, local schools & colleges, offering professional observation and advice, specifically for examination preparation. Back in 2002, she was also responsible for the launch of GCSE and A-Level Dance at a local senior school, where she obtained a 100% A-C pass rate. Miss Zoë has also held the position of Head of Dance at two highly respected Musical Theatre Schools, where she was an integral part of the expansion of the department. Her choreographic merits have led her locally and further afield to London, working alongside Directors to stage work in theatres such as Sadler’s Wells, Her Majesty’s Theatre, The Pavilion, The Mayflower, the 02 Arena and The Royal Albert Hall (to name a few!). Towards the end of her freelance career, Miss Zoë successfully ran her own Commercial Jazz Company for seven years. The Company was so successful that it won local and regional competitions in London.
Most recently, Miss Zoë became an Approved Mentor for the Royal Academy of Dance, opening her school to prospective student teachers to undertake their extensive teaching placement under her guidance. After twenty-two years of teaching, Miss Zoë feels very proud to have been approached to mentor the future teachers for the Royal Academy.
Alongside running Centre Stage, Miss Zoë is a busy mum to her two miracle children – her daughter Sophia, aged 6, and her two-year old son Noah, who add love and light everyday.