Our Story
Pirrie Performing Arts first started with a Musical Theatre Summer school in 2017.
Now proudly teaching from their own studios in Perth and from The Liberty Centre in Dunfermline, Pirrie Performing Arts have welcomed a huge range of students and also expanded their fantastic teaching faculty.
Principals, Dean and Sarah first met at rehearsals in London for Qdos Entertainment where they embarked on an amazing career, dancing onboard Celebrity, Cunard and P&O lines, sailing them around the World many times over!
After tying the knot, they bid life at sea farewell and returned to the UK to pursue their next dream; opening their own dance school.
Dean and Sarah have a huge passion for performing and have grown their school to nurture and inspire the next generation of budding performers.
As well as their great range of classes during term time, Pirrie Performing Arts also offer hugely popular workshops and intensives during the holidays.
Every year, each Pirrie Performing Arts venue has their own big variety show giving every student a chance to step out on stage and show their friends and families what they have been learning all year.
For the enjoyment of taking class or to further their training in the hopes of pursuing a career in the theatre industry, whatever the reason for coming, Pirrie Performing Arts take great pride in the time they invest with each and every 'Pirrie Performer' giving them all their moment to shine!
Dean Pirrie - Principal
Dean first found his passion for performing when he had the opportunity to study street dance under the mentorship of Royston Swanston and toured with his company in venues and concerts across England.
Realising he wanted to turn dance into a career, Dean attended Preston Dance College where he gained his Diploma in Dance Instruction with I.S.T.D.
Upon graduating Dean was offered a contract as singer/dancer with MirageProductions for Fred Olsen where he enjoyed two contracts taking him round the World.
Dean was awarded a full scholarship to further his training at Tiffany Theatre College studying Musical Theatre. He was selected from his end of year performance to dance for one of the leading production companies in the cruise industry- Qdos Entertainment. He enjoyed several contracts on prestigious cruise lines, Celebrity, Cunard and the P&O flagship, Britannia.
Dean has always had a passion for teaching and a flair for choreography and was invited to choreograph end of year pieces for final year students at Coatbridge College. He also choreographed many show case dances during his contracts at sea. He has a wealth of teaching experience working with a wide variety of ages and abilities in many different genres. His teaching credits include: successfully running afterschool street dance programs at three primary schools, teaching I.S.T.D Ballet, Tap, Modern and Jazz at various dance schools and master classes at several colleges.
Dean wants to combine his love for performing and his enthusiasm for teaching to help inspire children, build their confidence and most of all, have fun!
MEET THE TEACHERS
Sarah Pirrie - Principal
Sarah was born and raised in Fife and made her professional debut as a babe in the Carnegie Hall Dunfermline Pantomime, 'Dick Whittington and his Cat' where she first got the bug for being on stage.
After graduating from Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts, Sarah flourished in her role as Show Company Manager and Dance Captain for Qdos Productions on Celebrity, Cunard and P&O cruises. She was a featured dancer; performing in over 20 production shows in many different styles from Musical Theatre, Jazz and Ballet to Irish, Latin and Ballroom taking her all around the World several times.
Between contracts Sarah performed in Cinderella (High Wycombe Theatre), the MOBO Awards (SE Hydro for Fuse ODG), Humshakals (Bollywood Film), and was featured in several commercials including Chicago Fire Box Set (Universal Productions) and The Sun Bingo (STV).
Sarah has always had a love for teaching and taught ballet, jazz and tap at Italia Conti Associates during her training as well as instructing Latin and Ballroom classes on her cruise contracts.
With an enthusiasm for fitness Sarah recently qualified as a Personal Trainer and gained a further qualification in Exercise and Physical Activity for children.
Sarah loves meeting and working with a wide variety of children and is so proud to see her students conquer new challenges and grow in confidence.
LIANNE APPLEBY
DANCE & ACRO - FIFE & PERTH
CATHERINE BAKER
VOCAL TUTOR - FIFE & PERTH
DANIEL SCHLORDT
MUSICAL THEATRE - FIFE
Daniel is a Scottish singer, musical theatre performer, dancer and vocal expert who, after years of studying singing under renowned vocal coaches, Steven Luke Walker and Gillyanne Kayes, graduated from the Guildford School of Acting with a Masters Degree in Musical Theatre, class of 2013.
From a small town in central Scotland, Daniel grew up on a farm before moving to London to study Musical Theatre. Daniel has performed in the west end at The Savoy theatre, The Criterion theatre and Opera Holland Park as well as in numerous musical tours, films and concerts across the country. Working with Cameron Mackintosh, Bill Kenright and Cambridge Arts Theatre to name but a few production companies and with superstars from all aspects of the performance industry including Leona Lewis. Daniel’s favourite performance was when he played a principle role in the European Premiere of the musical; Lysistrata Jones and when performing as Shrek, The Stage newspaper wrote;
“As if to prove that it isn't all about bravado, Daniel gives an equally powerful performance of Who I'd Be. Quietly insistent throughout, he imbibes the show with character and gets the moral across with conviction."
Daniel is a lecturer at the prestigious Royal Conservatoire of Scotland as one of their Singing Specialists, teaches dance, singing and acting freelance across Southern Scotland and focusses on the creative side of productions, Daniel directs and choreographs and is currently involved in several productions. He also writes; he has a novel coming out in 2020 and a play in the works.
JAMIE O'ROURKE
DRAMA - PERTH
AMY HART
DANCE - FIFE
ANGELA BOSHOFF
BALLET & MODERN - PERTH
ALEX SCOTT FAIRLEY
DRAMA - PERTH
Alex is an actor based in Blairgowrie, where he is an avid mountain-climber and naturalist. He has appeared at Pitlochry Festival Theatre as Mary Sunshine in Chicago, and James Joyce in Travesties, as well as in Quality Street, High Society, Absurd Person Singular, People, The Ruling Class, A Chorus of Disapproval, Lady Windermere’s Fan and Hello, Dolly! He has recently appeared for Swanage Repertory Theatre, in The 39 Steps, Keeping Up Appearances, and Wait Until Dark, as well as for Guildford Shakespeare Company in Twelfth Night and The Merry Wives of Windsor, and in the national tours of the new play, Peril at Sea, and the vintage radio comedy Round the Horne.
Other credits include The Shakespeare Revue, (UK Tour); Stiles and Drewe’s The Three Little Pigs (UK Tour); Blood Brothers (Phoenix); Flahooley! and Mexican Hayride (Sadler’s Wells); Enjoy! (York Theatre Royal); A Capital Affair (Vienna’s English Theatre); An Inspector Calls(Vienna International Theatre); Doctor Faustus (Creation, Oxford); Pool (Brockley Jack); The Tempest (Winchester Theatre Royal); Alice in Wonderland, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and The Taming of the Shrew (Guildford Shakespeare Company); The Way To Keep Him (Artifice). His German-language credits include Was Ihr Wollt and Romeo und Julia (Openhouse, Vienna). As a puppeteer he worked on Midnight (Peacock, London); and Monstersaurus (UK Tour) and has toured the USA with The Gruffalo, The Gruffalo’s Child, Room on the Broom and Pigeon Party! He regularly appears in pantomime, this Christmas past as the Beast/Prince in Beauty and the Beast for the Gordon Craig Theatre, Stevenage.
Alex studied English at Jesus College, Oxford, and he still works as a proof-reader and translator. He teaches across the UK, and has devised and led workshops on everything from Revolting Rhymes to The Crucible, and from Macbeth to Alice in Wonderland. His website is www.alexscottfairley.com.
ROSEMARY STANFORD
VOCAL TUTOR PERTH
Rosemary is a professional vocal coach and currently a lecturer in Musical Theatre at Perth College UHI. Her previous teaching credits in singing and drama are with Ad-lib Performing Arts, Theatre Arts Perth (TAS) as well as Vocal Tutoring for Perth & Kinross Council, Saturday Cool School(2011 - 2017) . Rosemary received an honours degree in Acting and Performing Arts (LIPA - 2010) and has been part of many shows and projects since. After a break in performing to focus on teaching/music projects Rosemary recently took to the stage again playing the role of ‘Lady of the Lake’ in Spamalot,
with Ad-Lib Theatre Arts (2018).
Rosemary has established a career in music, currently singing in local Perth band True Gents and Jazz duo Finn & Roseas well as creating original theatre and music.
Rosemary is delighted to be a part of the Pirrie Performing Arts team and hopes her enthusiasm for singing and performing and her expert knowledge of the voice will help the young performers: build their confidence in singing and performing, learn new skills using singing technique exercises and warm-ups and most importantly to have lots of fun at the same time.