western association of ballet schools
About Us BRINGING PERFORMANCE TO LIFE WABS The Church of England's Children's
Society Annual Matinee took place at the Pavilion Theatre for some 30 years and
was the inspiration for WABS. Christopher Shiner, a local musician, arranged the
music and conducted the orchestra for the last "matinee" in December 1972. In
1973 Janice Perry, principle of the Selsdon School of Dancing, together with 5
other teachers and Christopher Shiner, formed the Bournemouth Association of
Ballet Schools. In 1975 the name was changed to the Western Association of
Ballet Schools (WABS) with Christopher Shiner as Chairman and large scale
productions were produced, first at the Winter Gardens and then from 1980 at the
Pavilion Theatre.