Following 8 yrs training at the Royal Ballet School Bridget immediately joined London’s Festival Ballet (renamed English National Ballet) where she danced all over the world and the regions of England for the next 10 years. This was followed by a period dancing in films, commercials and TV.

Leaving ballet completely behind her she joined some influential friends in the ballet world and set up the first McDonalds in Shepherds Bush called Holmes Hamburger House. This was quickly followed by managing a hamburger restaurant in Jersey and then on returning to London opened a lunchtime outlet in the Horse & Groom in Belgravia. Head hunted by the top window dresser at Harvey Nichols by her artistic display of salads she was given a crash course in window dressing and joined Wetherall to dress their shops around the UK. A move away from all this travelling landed her a position with Vehicle Exports Ltd as Managing Director selling export cars to the forces out of NAAFI.

Now married with 2 children she moved to Glastonbury for 9 years and during this time took an HND in Arts Management and Administration which completely changed her position in the work arena. In Millennium year 2000 she acquired a grant to set up and run a five day Arts Festival in her home town of Boscombe. It ran for 5 more years but during this time she approached Janet Lewis an ex Festival Ballet dancer to look at starting up a youth ballet. This became English Youth Ballet starting in Yeovil in 1998 where she worked as General Manager for the next 12 years and the company continues to this day.

Back living in London she had already taken the CBTS course at the Royal Academy of Dance and started her first ballet school in Acton in 2009. This was rapidly followed by setting up Maida Vale Ballet School, Fulham Ballet School and Ealing Ballet School. Following her partner’s ill health and feeling it was a time to slow down with grand children rapidly appearing she sold all the schools and with a chance conversation with a young teacher who she could see great potential in they both set up Acton Youth Ballet offering students in Acton and the immediate area a course of classes in Ballet, Contemporary and Jazz with a view to performing opportunities at local charities and festivals.

Victoria began dancing at the age of three in her hometown in Oxfordshire. Here she studied Classical Ballet, Jazz, Modern, Tap, Contemporary and Musical Theatre. She completed all of her RAD graded and vocational work as well as performing regularly across Oxfordshire. Victoria studied dance at The Henley College where there were many performance and choreography opportunities. She has always been passionate about dance and furthered her training through the BA (Hons) Ballet Education degree and the Licentiate of the Royal Academy of Dance at The Royal Academy of Dance in London graduating in 2016. Whilst studying at the RAD she developed her performance and choreography skills in both ballet and contemporary technique and developed her teaching opportunities.

Victoria has taught in a variety of schools across London, training and preparing students for exams as well as choreographing for many performances. Recently Victoria has returned to Henley-On-Thames to teach A-level dance and BTEC Performing Arts. Recently Victoria worked with a close friend to set up a youth performance company, Acton Youth Ballet, with the aim to give local dancers a varied training and more performance opportunities. Victoria is excited to embark on a new adventure with Orbital Arts.

Victoria Harley

BA (Hons) Ballet Education, LRAD, RAD RTS