Our History

Over the last 55 years the Diamond Dancentre has evolved into a well established and top class dance school. The original school was founded in 1955 by Angus & Winifred Donaldson in Woking, St Johns Surrey and was then known as the Donaldsons School of Dance located at the Atlanta Ballroom Woking Surrey.

Just 13 miles down the road in Aldershot Hampshire there was a Dance school called Ballroom Dance Academy run by Lesley and Shirley Howe, in 1960 Lesley and Shirley purchased the dance studio in Queens Road and with that moved their school there.

Whilst Angus and Winifred continued on with their school in Woking, St Johns their son Colin was to open the Colin Donaldson School of Dancing at the Cove Ivy Leaf Club in Farnborough, throughout the 1970’s and beyond the school grew and grew and subsequently moved to a new premises in Camp Road Farnborough and with the move came the new name Hampshire Dancentre.

A few years later the Ballroom Dance Academy was sold to Robin and Ellen Lunn and was re-named the Diamonddancentre. A few years later when Jacqui and Colin married the Hampshire Dancentre purchased the Diamond dancentre in Queens Road and the school was named the Hampshire & Diamond Dancentre.

In 1999 the school was re-named The Diamond Dancentre Ltd and is now known nationally for its excellence in Dance and is still thriving to this very day.

Throughout the years many social, medalist and open competitors have learned and trained at the Diamond Dancentre and we are proud to have many of our original customers still dancing and in some cases with their grand children dancing too.

Chronological Order

Donaldsons School of Dance
Atlanta Ballroom Woking Surrey
Angus & Winifred Donaldson
1955

Ballroom Dance Academy
Aldershot Hampshire
Lesley and Shirley Rowe
1953

Colin Donaldson School of Dance
Cove Ivy Leaf Club
Farnborough
Hampshire
1967

Ballroom Dance Academy
Queens Road Farnborough
Hampshire
Lesley and Shirley Rowe
1960

Hampshire Dancentre
Camp Road Farnborough
Colin Donaldson 1970
Colin & Jacqui Donaldson 1980

The Hampshire & Diamond Dancentre
Queens Road Farnborough Hampshire
Colin & Jacqui Donaldson 1986

The Diamond Dancentre LTD
Queens Road Farnborough Hampshire
Colin & Jacqui Donaldson 1999