When Jodie met Molly

Molly Assig and Jodie Harrop met when they were both aged seven at the former Doris Isaacs School of Dancing in Brighton.

Now in their 20s, and following a string of dancing and acting successes, the pair have just put on their first pantomime after setting up M & J Theatre Arts.

Cinderella was performed to more than 400 people at the Barn Theatre, Southwick, last month.

Its cast members were all aged under 16.

Molly, from Worthing, said: "The pantomime went really well. We had four great performances, and great audiences.

"We received fantastic feedback from everyone.

"I felt all the children in the audience related to our panto as it was performed entirely by children their age."

Dancing school

Molly and Jodie have already booked the Barn Theatre for their first summer show in July and for another panto next year.

Molly, a former Davison High School for Girls, Worthing, pupil, said opening their own dance school was something she and Jodie had dreamed of since they met aged seven.

Before making their dream a reality, both girls have had busy journeys.

After the girls were made duet partners aged seven, they went on to win many competitions, collecting various medals and trophies, as well as making it to the All England dance competition.

When the girls were 14, the Doris Isaacs school closed and they decided to go to different schools in Worthing.

Jodie attended Glendale Theatre Arts and Molly went to the Jean Butterworth School of Dancing.

At 16, both girls won places to go to the professional performing arts Bird College in Sidcup, Kent.

Shows and tours

Molly said: "After three years' training and our remaining very close friends, I got my first professional dance job in Portugal and went to live there for six months.

"Since then, I have danced in shows in Italy, Greece, for a year at the prestigious Lido de Paris on the Champs Elyses as a Bluebell Girl, and then went on tour with the Lido Company to Hong Kong, Tokyo, New York and Beijing."

Molly has also gained some modelling experience and has worked on Sky One television programmes Mile High and Dream Team.

Jodie, from Newhaven, left college and gained teaching experience, has performed in many Brighton Theatre Group productions, worked as a cabaret performer and was a backing dancer for Bryan Adams at the Brighton Centre during his world tour.

School set ups

Jodie has directed and choreographed many shows on the south coast and run her own dance school Splitz for four years.

After reuniting, Molly and Jodie opened M & J Theatre Arts in September, 2007.

Children aged three and over can attend the school, which teaches ballet, jazz, modern, tap, musical theatre and cheerleading, as well as training for competitions and exams.

Classes are held every Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoon at Woodingdean Community Centre, Brighton.

A free trial class is offered.

For more details, call 07903 813557 or 07837 371 660.