MHPA:

Karen is a Mother to two girls and was a professional dancer until the birth of her second daughter in 2007. Karen has used her performance experience in the creation and execution of the baby and toddler classes, which were the initial classes that established MHPA, as a Business, in 2008.

Musical Hands was set up to offer baby signing to music classes - which is where the 'Musical Hands' part of the name comes from. As the children grew with the Business it evolved into the lovely, welcoming and friendly performing arts school, it is now.

The students who joined in the early years of the Business became attached to the name, so when it became a performing arts school, the children and their families, did not want to lose the 'Musical Hands' element of the Business name - so MHPA (Musical Hands Performing Arts) was created.

The baby, toddler and pre-school music, movement and signing classes are unique to MHPA. The content advances and progresses as the children get older and the structure and style of the class has been created to capture and enhance the imagination of the children, whilst learning musicality, basic dance and Makaton signing - all in one class!

Having trained in dance from the age of 3 and been fortunate enough to work as a professional dancer, Karen set up one ballet class a week, in 2012. 

Now in 2025, students of all ages, can attend a variety of different genres of classes in Crawley.

MHPA currently have students ranging from age 1 up to age 21, with adult classes returning soon and a new baby classes also coming this Summer - which will expand those age ranges even more!

Audition Success by the Children:

Students have succeffully auditioned for parts in professional ballet perfromances, professional pantomimes and touring West End Productions.

They continue to make us proud with not only how confident and brave they are when auditioning, but with how they represent MHPA and display the professionalism of a true performer, already at their young ages, whether successful or not. with their auditions.

Professional Dance College Success:

2021 saw the first of our students attend a professional dance college, as the age of enrolment (for our dancers) was capped at 8 years old back in 2012, when MHPA first offered dance classes.

Our oldest student, at only 17 years of age successfully auditioned and gained a place at Italia Conti.

In 2023 the next generation of Students (3 of them) graduated MHPA and successfully gained placements at Bird College, Performers and The School of Ballet Theatre.

Now in 2025 we also have sixth form students at Brit, Chichester, BN1 and LSPA and audition success already this year for both sixth form and undergraduate training in September at these colleges and many more.

We do of course also have students who go onto academic Universities or employment and the support for them is exactly the same. We are proud of all our students, whether they are a recereational dancer or a dancer pursuing a career in the performing arts.