Dancing in London...!

[JennyKaye]

Good Afternoon All...

 

I hope you are well. I am starting a new job next week in London - Bank to be precise! I am looking for classes and I would like to take an RAD Grade 7 or 6 class if possible and also some free classes. Only one downside is that all the classes I have looked at have been pretty expensive and I am on a bit of a budget

 

What can you recommend? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

Jen

[Redbookish]

Jenny, there've been plenty of suggestions on this forum - ENB, Morley College, London Studio Centre (all pay by term), and open classes at Danceworks, and Pineapple, just to name two central London studios. D_S_L and Tara and Chinafish can give you lots more informartion - or do a search in this forum!

 

For drop in classes where you're really taught the basics, I'd recommend Renato Paroni who teaches at Danceworks and the Marylebone Studio. In his Beginners' classes (which plenty of more advanced dancers take) he works very carefully & slowly to get people's alignment and placement right. I always learn a heap when I get to take them (the odd weekends I'm in London), and come out of class so well-placed and turned out. I think you'd find, however, that for his Intermediate & Advanced classes you'd need to be very confident of the vocabulary of steps and combinations - they probably equate to Intermediate RAD.

 

Now I know D_S_L will accuse me of being a "Renato groupie" but I do find doing his class about once a month very helpful.

[Kate B]

Not RAD and not cheap... But I would recommend the evening classes at the Place. (You knew I'd say that, didn't you?!) They have ballet there almost every night, a whole range of levels. The teaching and the studios are excellent.

[JennyKaye]

Thank you people!

 

It is mainly the RAD ones I am having a problem finding! I know I could go to the RAD itself but it is a bit of a mission to get to!

 

Jen

[Memo]

Why not contact the RAD and ask them if there is anything closer to where you are going to be? Will you be moving into the city or commuting?

[Dance_Scholar_London]

JNow I know D_S_L will accuse me of being a "Renato groupie" but I do find doing his class about once a month very helpful.

 

Hehehe, I object!

[Tara7038]

Hi Jenny

 

First of all congratulations of your new job. I work in the city just at the bottom of Leadenhall Street which is about 10 mins walk from Bank. Going back to costs that is one of the things about living and working in London. Everything is more,yes you earn more back things like classes are more.

 

As Memo mentions will you commute or live in London, maybe you could do your RAD classes on a Saturday and your free classes during the week. Either way let know who your class hunting goes.

 

Tara

[Dance_Scholar_London]

Depending on what time you finish work, it might be difficult to get to Battersea during the week. For my 5:15 class on a Tuesday, I left Russel Square usually at 3:30, and sometimes was almost late for class as the bus from Victoria to Battersea is RANDOM and gets stuck in traffic as soon as you leave Victoria Station. It should be easier on Saturday though...

 

Costs?..... London? EVERYTHING is over-priced in London but one does eventually get used to it

[JennyKaye]

Yes, I will be commuting, so I may keep my two Saturday Grade 7 classes up for a while and maybe take two free classes in the week.

 

I am thinking those ones at Morley College will be my best bet, however I am interested to try classes at Danceworks and Pineapple because I have not done so before.

 

I think I may also like to do the ENB classes as I do enjoy their workshops.

 

Does anyone have any experience of classes at the Central School of Ballet and Urdang Academy?

 

Jen

[Kate B]

I've been to Central and Urdang quite a lot.

 

Central is taught by Renato Paroni. If you like his classes and teaching style, then it's a great class. If you don't (and I don't) you won't enjoy it or get a lot out of it.

 

Urdang is a really nice and friendly class and really cheap for London. The teacher is very English (Karen Smith?), so the style is RAD although it's an open class. She sets very pretty and fun combinations and it's very enjoyable. I tend to go here in the holidays. The only problem is she's not a hands-on teacher - it's a very recreational class, so there are few corrections.

 

I loathe Danceworks and Pineapple because there are always too many people in the classes. The best (and most RAD-like) teacher there is Teresa Kelsey. She is a fantastic teacher who won't let you get away with any sloppiness.

[sunflower]

I've never been to pineapple, but I do go to danceworks sometimes and the classes are ridiculously busy (this is beginners, might be better in higher levels though?). I do find their classes useful as a supplement every now or again, or during the holidays when other classes aren't running. Also agree that TK is a good teacher, quite strict though!

 

Classes at danceworks are completely different from somewhere like Morley - there you pay by the term and therefore you get the same people and continuity. I'm sure I've raved about morley elsewhere Morley's cheap too, though I've heard the fees will be going up quite a bit in the autumn. Their terms always seem annoyingly short though, my class has stopped for 5/6 weeks over easter.

 

A friend of mine sometimes goes to Cental and loves it. I've still never made it to one of Renato Paroni's classes - tried once and got a substitute!