top of page
_SAO5489 (1) (1).JPG

WHO WE ARE

We established Oliver Brown Dance Academy in 2018 with the aim of creating a fun, welcoming and supportive environment where children can enjoy dance, grow in confidence and make lasting friendships.

​

What started as a small number of classes running across just three days a week has grown into a busy and thriving dance school, now teaching 200+ pupils across 40+ weekly classes in Newton Abbot.

 

We are passionate about creating a positive atmosphere where every child feels encouraged, included and proud of their progress. We believe dance should be enjoyable for everyone, whether a child simply wants to dance for fun, build confidence, make friends or perform on stage.

 

We offer a wide variety of classes for children aged 2.5–18, including Street Dance, Ballet, Tap, Modern, Jazz, Contemporary, Acro, Cheerleading, Musical Theatre and more, with opportunities to take part in performances, theatre shows and optional dance exams.

 

One of the highlights of the year is our annual summer show at the Palace Theatre in Paignton, which last year saw over 700 family members and friends come together to support and celebrate our students.

 

Over the years, we’ve been incredibly grateful for the support of our dance families and local community, including throughout the Covid years, where we continued running online classes to help keep our students connected, active and dancing from home.

​

Above all, we are proud of the friendly and supportive community that OBDA has become, and we look forward to welcoming many more families in the years ahead.

 

We can’t wait to welcome you to the OBDA family.

Meet The Team

You're in good hands.....

DSC01274_edited.jpg

Principal & Dance Teacher

Megan Brown

Megan started dancing at the age of 4 and never stopped. Whilst growing up and dancing in Torquay she competed in various dance competitions, winning the modern and tap championships and senior Ruby Ginner Finals. Along side competing, Megan took exams with the ISTD and passed with distinction, advanced 2 modern, advanced 2 tap, advanced 2 classical greek, advanced 1 ballet and all her jazz levels. At the age of 18 she took her first teaching exam with the ISTD. After deciding to continue dance as a career Megan successfully auditioned and gained a Dance and Drama award to attend Stella Mann Performing Arts College. Studying at Stella she enjoyed 3 intense years of dance training and gained a Level 6 Diploma in Professional Dance. After graduating in 2011 Megan moved back home and started teaching locally where she went on to take her freestyle teaching exam and Acro Arts qualification. Since being back in Newton Abbot Megan took over a local dance company, Destination Dance, and performed professionally around the country and abroad. She has been lucky enough to dance in the London 2012 Olympic ceremony, Bahrain GP and Global Village in Dubai to name a few. She choreographed all of Destination Dance’s shows and has choreographed the Bridgwater Pantomime for the 2 years. Megan is so proud to be owner and principal of Oliver Brown Dance Academy, and loves handing down her love of dance and performance to the future dance stars of Devon.

137251817_1148333565637136_8858639702644

Dance Teacher

Charlotte Taylor-James

Charlotte danced locally at Miss Jenny’s school of dancing and performed in various pantomimes from a young age. She then gained a full scholarship for Millennium Performing Arts in London where she furthered her training and graduated with the jazz award in 2017. Since graduating Charlotte has been the dance captain and choreographer at Torquay pantomime, toured the country with the satin dolls a professional tap dancing troupe appearing in many different theatres across England. She also secured two dance contracts with Cunard dancing on the Queen Elizabeth cruise ship and visiting many countries across the world. Charlotte is a qualified ISTD dance teacher and has a wealth of experience teaching locally and in London. We are very lucky to have her as part of the OBDA team.

Anya pic B&W.JPG

Dance Teacher

Anya Burnell

Anya is a versatile and technically precise dancer with a First-Class Honours BA (Hons) from Urdang, a leading professional conservatoire specialising in dance and musical theatre training in the heart of London. She brings a wealth of experience across stage performances and on-screen work. Anya has competed at the All England Dance Finals and represented Team England at the Dance World Cup as a soloist and as a featured dancer in groups, winning multiple gold medals in both solo and group categories. Her talent was recognised early: at age 13, she received the Senior Dance Award from English Youth Ballet and performed a featured duet in their production of Coppélia. She also took part in a radio interview to promote the show. Anya excelled and reached the final stages of the nationwide CBBC series Taking the Next Step. More recently, she appeared in an on-screen production filmed in Cornwall in 2024. Throughout her training, Anya has received multiple scholarships, which have deepened her passion for choreography and teaching. She is a qualified BodyBalance and Combat instructor, blending strength, stamina, and conditioning to excel as both a performer and an educator. Passionate about teaching and choreography, Anya looks forward to bringing her expertise to the school - delivering inspiring classes, creating engaging choreography, and supporting students on their dance journeys.

©2026 by Oliver Brown Dance Academy LLP

  • Facebook Social Icon
bottom of page