A PROFESSIONALLY trained West End musical performer, who set up a dance school in Headley back in April, is thrilled by how popular her classes are proving, so much so that a second school will be opening in Frensham. Chloe Bell, 24, from Lindford, set up "Boppin" dance classes a few months ago, with the intention of inspiring children to dance and get fit, while developing a sense of achievement and, most importantly, having fun. Chloe trained at Elmhurst Ballet School for six years before advancing to Laine Theatre Arts in Epsom. She has appeared in Grease, Romeo and Juliet and Fame, among others. "Boppin" classes are held at Headley church centre and are split into four age groups: baby boppins for three to five-year-olds, mini boppins for six to eight year olds, teenie boppins for nine to 12 year olds and big boppins for 13 to 16 year olds. Since the outset, the classes have been popular. Chloe said: "I'm really excited, I've now got 85 little ones coming to my classes, which is amazing. Even I didn't imagine that it could be so popular. "At first, some of them were really shy or didn't enjoy dancing, but now my regulars are loving it. I have 20 in the babies' group, 15 in the minis, 14 teenies and 11 big boppers who are doing full-on, funky routines." She continued: "I hoped it would do well because of the lack of things for kids to do around here, and I thought the funky, freestyle dancing and routines would suit them more than the regimented syllabus stuff. I'm just pleased that they are coming back week after week." The feedback from the parents has been really good. Chloe explained: "A lot of them tell me that their children don't stop dancing around the house. "Some of them are downloading the music that we listen to in class and practising at home. "In particular, it's really great to see the shy kids coming out of themselves. Two or three didn't want to dance at first, but now they are fully-fledged boppins, and it's great to see their characters develop." Chloe has a five-week class structure, so every week is a bit different. "At first they were afraid to sweat, but I told them that it was good for them. I told them to get on with it and not whinge, and they did!" The Headley dance school has been such a resounding success that a second school will begin in Frensham in September. Held at the Marindin Hall, Frensham, it will be run by Nicole Mowat who was also in Fame with Chloe and has starred in other popular shows, such as Calamity Jane, Singing in the Rain, West Side Story, Tommy and Buddy. Not only that, but this summer, Chloe is offering to keep children occupied on Saturday mornings with her summer classes which will feature Fame workshops. Running from July 23 to September 3, children will be taught routines from the popular musical. As an added bonus, the children will get the chance to see the show for themselves. Using her old Fame contacts, Chloe has managed to negotiate a very special deal which will enable pupils and parents to go to the Aldwych Theatre for a very reasonable price. On top of this, Chloe and her best friend, Becky Stevens, a primary school teacher at Frimley Primary School, who has a degree in child psychology, will be holding a summer fun club at Rowledge Village Hall. This will take place from Monday to Thursday throughout the summer holidays. The sessions will be split into two parts. One half of the session, "Boppin", will be spent learning fun dance moves and routines to a variety of pop music. The other part of the session, "Crafty Katz", involves fun art and craft activities. A big charity show is planned for next April, which will be held at Mill Chase Community School in Bordon. By then, the children will have been coming to class for a year, so the improvement should be obvious to see. Chloe has asked some of her West End friends to perform during the show, which is why it will be held on a Sunday, as that's their only day off. Before that, to demonstrate the progress that has been made since April, there will be an open day on Saturday, July 16, and for the last 25 minutes of the session, parents will be able to watch the dance routines that their children have learned over the course of the term. "Normally I would hope to have taught them three routines, but most groups will only be doing two because it takes a while for their brains to click into gear and start picking the routines up properly. In fact, it's the babies who have managed three, which is funny!" The whole experience of setting up her own dance school has proved an enormous, yet rewarding, challenge for Chloe. "It's extremely tiring, I'm used to the physical side of things but it's mainly been the drain on my brain which has been hard to get used to. "I couldn't have done it without help from my parents, my boyfriend Marcus, who has been absolutely fantastic and helped me put together the business plan, and my best friend, Becky." "I'm now hoping to make the transition from musical theatre into television work because I can do that alongside the dance school" She concluded: "Overall it has worked really well. It was a big risk and I put a lot of money into it, but so far, so good! "I just hope Frensham takes off and proves as popular as the Headley classes." For more information about "Boppin" visit http://www.boppin">www.boppin. co.uk

Chloe at Cygnets Day Nursery (BD15-509-05)