The Premier

Clonmel’s leading performing arts school is back this September and is ready to rock!Developing performing skills in a range of areas within the performing arts, BellvueAcademy of Performing Arts was founded in 2015 by Clonmel natives; Keith Dwyer Greene and Lisa Kelly. Set in a positive and encouraging environment, Bellvue Academy offers a training platform to students aged 3yrs to 103yrs with a love for music and performance. Keith and Lisa have many years of teaching experience in the performing arts and, along with their talented staff, bring a fresh and innovative teaching approach which is rooted in a passion for performance.

On offer at the academy is a range of subjects including Voice, Piano, Musical Theatre, Dance, Speech & Drama, Acro-Dance, Theatre Totz, Vocal Ensemble, Guitar and Drums. Bellvue Academy prides itself on the knowledge that students are offered the highest standard of tuition across all disciplines. Training is provided by a team of highly talented and qualified teachers, all of whom have pursued their craft to university and postgraduate levels. Keith and Lisa, who are no strangers to the stage themselves, began their creative journeys as young children with the Gable Youth Theatre, founded by the late and great Mary Cummins. They furthered their love for performance with Stage Craft Youth Theatre and St. Mary’s Choral Society, before moving onto third level study. Lisa, a primary school teacher, continued her studies by first completing her degree at UCC, followed by her performance diplomas with London College of Music.

Keith, a secondary school teacher turned professional musician with the Irish Defence Forces, also completed his degree at UCC and his diplomas with the London College of Music. He later completed a Masters in Performance at the Cork School of Music. Keith and Lisa are united in their passion for all things musical theatre and performance. Immersed in continuing professional development, both are currently in preparation for their final performance exams with London College of Music. Landing on the stage of the White Memorial Theatre in 2016, Bellvue Academy made their in augural performance with Disney’s “Jungle Book” which went down a storm, and they didn’t stop there. The following years saw a series of blockbuster shows hit the stage which included “Pure Imagination”, “Dancing Queen”, “Breaking Free”, “Aladdin”, “Nursery Rhyme Adventure Time”, “A Musical Whatsical” and “Hairspray”. Students were due to tread the boards in 2020 with smash hit “Legally Blonde” but were forced to reschedule their production to a later date due to the pandemic. The academy also provides regular performance opportunities to their instrumental & voice students with their annual “Spring Sing” and “Summer Sounds” showcases, which take place in the Showgrounds Shopping Centre.

In their short six years of existence, this Clonmel performance school has linked up with many Irish Charities, raising much needed funds through different musical events. Bellvue run a charity Christmas concert annually and has fundraised for charities including Temple Street Children’s Hospital, Crumlin Children’s Hospital, Aoibheann’s Pink Tie and Sanie’s Trust. Most recently, they made a donation of Ukuleles to Crumlin. These charities hold a special place in the heart of Bellvue and bonds have been created with these charities which will never be broken. From its beginnings with 20 musical theatre students in 2015, Bellevue Academy has blossomed and now enrols over 200 students studying a range of subjects within the performing arts.

Bellvue Academy also offers graded exams to students who wish to pursue such a path. The Academy is associated with London College of Music, Royal Irish Academy of Music and Irish Board of Speech and Drama. Within the last three years, a number of Bellvue students continued onto third level study in the arts with degrees in Music, Musical Theatre and Drama & Theatre Studies. Some of Bellvue’s past students have returned to join the teaching staff which serves as an amazing encouragement to current students in the school. A “Mentorz” programme is in place for the older students at the academy and provides the opportunity for teenagers to gain work experience in the arts prior to embarking on their studies which has proved to be hugely successful. The teachers at the Academy boast many performance accolades between them.

Most recently, voice tutor Sinead O’ Donovan graced the stage of the Bord Gais Energy Theatre with the concert production of Bernstein’s timeless “West Side Story”. Keith and Lisa are incredibly proud of their staff and are continuously amazed with the talent, encouragement and passion demonstrated by each of them. During the closure of the school during the pandemic, Bellvue continued to offer training to students via online teaching. In addition, they welcomed a range of West End Stars to run workshops with a view to keeping the passions of the students alive. Guests to date have included Killian Donnelly (The Phantom of the Opera), Kerry Ellis (Wicked), Eoin Cannon (Angela’s Ashes), Claire O’ Leary (Les Miserables) and Sarah O’ Connor (Waitress). The students and staff at Bellvue are ready to hit the ground running this September and the rehearsal room is set to hear the dulcet sounds of music and laughter once again.

Registration is now open to students old and new for the coming term. Information on all of the classes on offer at the academy is available at www.bellvueacademy.com. Bellvue Academy….where confidence shines!