Hipnotic School of Dance

The School

Hipnotic School of Belly Dance hosts events and runs performance groups throughout the Reading area. We teach a range of styles of belly dance across the Reading area for students of different levels and with a variety of dance aspirations.

We know that belly dance has to power to change your life, because we have all experienced that change ourselves. Belly dance can be a powerful form of self expression. It is also challenging, rewarding and a great deal of fun. It can help you maintain your fitness, improve your self esteem and introduce you to new people, music, experiences and cultures.

Attending a class or event with a Hipnotic instructor isn’t just about learning to dance. It is also about learning to use your body and understand it in a way that you may not have done before. In addition to our teaching and performance work, we also work with weight loss groups, charities that work to improve women’s place in the world, community groups, and teach adults with learning difficulties.

We specialise in a form of dance where groups of individuals improvise together on stage, building confidence, team work, adaptability and empathy with others. This is a fabulous team building exercise, and develops individual communication skills and trust.

We run a regular dance showcase event at the Jazz Cafe at the Madejski Stadium, host workshops and other dance events in Reading. We are also all part of the local performance troupe Covert Bling, as well as accomplished solo performers.

All teachers are well-connected professionals, fully insured and competent with many years dance experience and expertise in several dance styles and the use of a variety of props. We are dedicated to giving our students a positive dance experience, and a variety of performance opportunities.

Please see the class schedule page for details of classes.

The Teachers

Emma Pyke

Emma is a teacher and performer based in Reading, Berkshire, UK. She has been dancing since 1993, initially under the tutelage of Afra Al Kahira and has been teaching since 1998. She works nationally both as a performer and workshop teacher and s available for private tuition in a range of subjects.

Emma teaches workshops for all levels and in many styles and is a regular teacher at the annual Celebrating Dance Festival. She prefers to teach technique based workshops as she feels that a strong grounding in basic principles nurtures a more confident dancer.

Emma likes to inspire and develop her students’ individual dance styles and encourages them to perform at every opportunity. She currently only teaches weekly classes in Reading at intermediate/advanced level.

She also has been closely involved in the running of two troupes – Mersin, who she co-founded in 2002 with Sara Shrapnell and more recently in 2007 with Covert Bling.

Emma is also involved in the editing and proof reading of Taqasim and Mosaic magazines and writes regular articles for publication nationally and internationally. For more information please see Emma's website.

Deborah Fox

Deborah has been obsessed with Middle Eastern Dance for more than eight years and Improvised Tribal Style dance for 3 years. She is an ASMED advanced dancer graduate and strives to offer the best information and tuition that she can, and takes workshops with professionals from the UK and abroad in order to add to her skills. She has been been a student of Emma Pyke's for the last 8 years, and was a member of professional troupe Mersin.

Deborah teaches regular classes in Middle Eastern Dance and Improvised Tribal Style Belly Dance, as well as offering specialist tuition to adults with learning disabilities. She performs with the troupe Covert Bling and as a soloist in various styles. She also runs a successful tribal costuming business and has had her work featured in fashion shoots as well as worn by dancers across the country. Please see her website for more information.

Kathryn Whittington

Kathryn has been dancing for seven and a half years and has studied ATS, Tribal Fusion and Oriental styles with some of the best known dancers in the world. She has passed the JWAAD Foundation Course ("The safe delivery of belly dance classes") which is accredited by the Open Colleges Network, and is Certified Rachel Brice's 8 Elements Level 1: Initiation. She teaches beginners and improver/intermediate bellydance classes, and Tribal Fusion classes weekly. She will be running a conditioning course at the weekends in the new year. She is also a member of the troupe Covert Bling.

She regularly performs professionally in cabaret and variety shows, and nightclubs in Reading and London, and can be seen performing at dance festivals across the country. Please see Kathryn's website for more information.