London and Leeds Adult Drop-in Classes

[Plie22]

Hi everyone,

 

I've recently started a new job which sees me spending most of my life in hotels in Leeds and London, therefore meaning that I can't attend my normal adult ballet classes back at home.

Has anybody got a recommendation of a suitable beginners class in Central London and Leeds which are drop-in? I've googled London and most classes I've found require you to commit to an entire semester, which isn't possible for myself at the moment.

 

 

Thanks in Advance!

 

A

[Interested Parent]

How about Danceworks, Pineapple and DanceAttic?

[Jan McNulty]

Northern Ballet in Leeds does an Adult 1 drop-in ballet class on Thursday evenings:

 

https://northernballet.com/academy/registration-timetables

 

(scroll down)

[Terpsichore]

Here's the link to Danceworks' beginners' classes in London http://danceworks.net/beginner-classes/ and here's Pineapple http://www.pineapple.uk.com/studio/index/filter/

 

The link to NB Academy's classes at Leeds is at https://northernballet.com/academy/training-programmes/open-classes

There is also a very good beginners' class on Mondays at Dance Studio Leeds http://thedancestudioleeds.com/

 

If you can get to Manchester Oxford Road by 18:15 which is just over an hour from Leeds you will find my favourite adult ballet classes at KNT which take place in the studios of Northern Ballet School most evenings and on Saturday afternoons  http://www.kntdanceworks.co.uk/    The Northern Ballet School - which has nothing to do with the Northern Ballet Academy in Leeds - is literally 2 minutes walk from the railway station.

 

I have reviewed all those classes and many others in Terpsichore and I have written an article called "Back to Class" in that publication on 8 Jan 2017.  Also,  I wrote about my first adult ballet class on 12 Sept 2013 in "Realizing the Dream."  I can't give you precise links other than to the homepage because the management has asked me not to, but there is a search facility and an archive in the top left-hand panel of the blog.

The real authority on adult ballet classes is Michelle Richer and she has contributed pages of articles on the subject to the Simply Adult Ballet thread.

Good luck with those classes.   Maybe I shall run into you at one of them.



 

[Kate_N]

For a really careful picky technical teacher, but caring and encouraging, I'd recommend Hannah Frost at Danceworks in central London. She also does a Friday night class at Central School. She's great. She doesn't let anything get past her, gives helpful hands on corrections, and is endlessly positive & encouraging (with a great sense of humour). I find her beginners classes are really great for getting me centred & tuned up. 

 

If you're a bit more of an advanced beginner, Adam Pudney at Danceworks is great! And Renato Paroni, Sunday afternoon at Central School is a master teacher. 

 

They're all drop in, but if you're working 9 to 5, they might be a bit tricky, as they all start at around 4:30pm (except the Sunday class). 

Edited January 14, 2017 by Kate_N

[LinMM]

Franziska Rosenzweig is also very good and teaches atDanceworks on Thursday evenings ( beginner and an intermediate class) all after 6pm and she also teaches on Sunday afternoons again two classes.

 

There are beginners and improvers classes at Central school of Ballet with various teachers most evenings in the week if you just go into the Central website and look at adult classes you can have a look there I used to like David K's ( sorry will get the surname in a minute) and he teaches in a Sunday too when he teaches one of his more advanced classes.

 

In Clapham you have London Russian Ballet School which do Adult classes BOTH in the daytime and evening on most days of the week and on Saturdays too.....all drop in .....though you get a reduction if pay for a few in advance.

I can't tell you about Pineapple as I really dislike the studios there except for the big one at the very top which is well away from all the noise going on!

There are also drop on ballet classes at both the Place .....and the Rambert......though I have a feeling that the latter are no longer drop in so would need to check that out but the studios in both places are really excellent .....much nicer than Danceworks .....which really does need a makeover now in my opinion.

I know in Leeds at the Northern Ballet Academy there are classes on Wednesday and Thursday evenings and on Tuesday's too as well as there over 55 classes( which may not apply to you of course) on Tuesday and Friday mornings.......I've just researched this as will be in Leeds around the middle of May when am hoping to attend a couple of classes there.

Hope this helps

[LinMM]

David Kierce is the name of the Central teacher ....he is very funny and encouraging!

[Jan McNulty]

David Kierce is the name of the Central teacher ....he is very funny and encouraging!

 

 

 

David and Hannah Bateman are hosting two more Ballet Retreats in 2017 - one in London and one in Leeds:

 

http://shoutout.wix.com/so/7LcKixxz#/main

[BlueLou]

In central Leeds there are 3 places that I know of that do drop in classes - Northern Ballet, The Dance Studio, and Yorkshire Dance. Links ………    http://thedancestudioleeds.com

http://www.yorkshiredance.com