Not sure how anyone learns anything here…read more I took an adult Performance Tap dance class here, with the intention of taking a few others while I am here in London on holiday. After this class experience, I have definitely changed my mind. The instructor played the music so unbelievably loud that we could barely hear him speak or dance. Also, the other dancers did not listen to each other at all. Everyone just danced to their own rhythm without any regard for what their fellow dancers were doing. They were not at all in sync; which was incredibly ironic for a Performance Tap class. Part of being a successful performer is situational awareness; being in tune and in sync with your fellow performers on stage/on the floor at all times. Moreover, I expected more discipline from adult dancers. There were entirely too many times during the class where the teacher was speaking or trying to review steps, and other dancers were off tapping and doing their own thing, making it almost impossible to hear what the teacher was trying to teach. I almost can't fault them though because the class was quite unstructured. There was no delineation between warm-up, technique review, and actual choreography. We were just doing whatever the instructor did, whenever he did it. His hand cues were only slightly less awful than his counts and his verbal cues. Only a handful of people were able to keep up with him... I'm guessing they're accustomed to the dysfunction. Suffice it to say, Derek was definitely not one of the best instructors I've had. I found him only slightly less arrogant than his bio implied. At one point during the class, a student asked him a question about the choreography because he seemed to have changed the rhythm of the choreography that we were learning part way through the class. Most of the people in the class seemed to notice it (and it was a point of frustration and spirited conversation among some students after class). The student said something to the effect of, "It looks like you've changed the rhythm a bit," at which point he scoffed at her and replied, "Oh, *I* changed it?" in this condescending "How dare you imply that I'm wrong" kind of tone. As someone who has both taken and taught countless tap classes over the course of my life, I can say from experience that teachers and choreographers forget what they've choreographed all the time...especially when you're choreographing on the spot. We're human. It happens. But apparently not to Derek. Hmm. Classes are cash only, and are payable directly to the teacher at the beginning or end of class. There is also an extra £4 fee for drop-in classes, which are to be paid at the front desk by either cash or credit card. Why they have not made it possible for students to pay for classes with card is beyond me. If you find yourself without cash, not to worry. There is an ATM down the block near the Five Guys. Exit the studio and turn left, then turn right onto the street. It's about 2 to 3 minute walk, and the cash machine will be on the left side of the street. Overall, I am not certain that this experience was worth the frustration. The website is incredibly convoluted and it makes it almost impossible to effectively filter down the classes one wants to take. The website also does not have a long-term class schedule (I think it's only posted week-to-week), so you have to check back every few days to see what's available. Ultimately, I ended up waiting until I arrived in London and called the studio directly to see if they had the style and level of instruction that I was interested in. I am only giving this place an extra star because it was a catalyst for helping me to check off one of my bucket list items; taking my lifelong love of tap dance to another country.

Pineapple Studios is one of the most notorious dance studios in London and really has that 'Fame'…read moreesque vibe to it. I went here for a Musical Theatre training week almost a year ago and the place sported a minimalistic 80's vibe back then and has hardly changed since! Fear not however as the wide range of classes vary from beginners to advanced meaning there is something for every style and ability so you will never feel self conscious. I go every Wednesday evening to Street Jazz with Nicky Bentley which is not only brilliant fun but an amazing workout. Be warned, the tutors work you hard but you feel the benefit. I'm not a member and so pay £2 for a daily membership and an additional £6 for the class. I would advise that if you go to the more popular evening classes, get there early to get a good spot in the studio. Oh and take a towel as it gets quite sweaty if you participate in the more high energy classes! These tutors are the best in the business and I love it as an alternative way to get fit.

Danceworks is probably the less intimidating version of Pineapple studios. I have been here a…read morecouple of times for jazz classes and feel very comfortable. The studios are bright, modern and airy and it is geared completely towards all levels - you don't tend to get too mixed a group in terms of ability so no chance of feeling like the one who can't get it! The range of classes are great - yoga, pilates, jazz, contemporary, ballet....something that everyone can benefit from and most importantly, enjoy. They tend to stick the standard classes as opposed to the more quirky and trendy classes but do sometimes introduce styles such as Cheerleading and Bollywood. It is also fairly cheap to go - around £8 on average for a class plus a couple of pound entry on arrival.

Danceworks is an amazing studio offering a wonderful variety of classes and programs in many types…read moreof dance. The ballet teachers are the very highest caliber and my daughters have enjoyed every program they have attended there. The studio even offers opportunities to join some master classes online. The administration is also excellent. They are always prompt and courteous and make coordinating enrollment very easy!

The range of classes offered here are huge.You can participate in anything from belly-dancing,Cuban…read moreSalsa,and Jazz.If you happen to be getting married then you can even have a wedding duet specially created for you and even learn the art of strip-tease,pole dancing or erotic dancing.

Great adult ballet classes. Student video feedback!…read morehttp://www.jumpanddance.com/ballet.htm

The Place is the number one spot for contemporary dance class and shows in London…read more With no membership fees and it costing only £4 for the advanced level classes in the morning, The Place is outstanding value. All classes are taught by company members on a weekly basis. This makes Monday the best day to start so you don't get left behind in routines. Most teachers teach one routine throughout the week adding sections daily. The changing rooms and showers are very clean and tidy. The studios are large and airy with sprung floors. There really is no better place to go to learn contemporary dance anywhere in London. If you are a beginner they hold workshops and courses throughout the year. Check the website for more details.

The Place is a school for dance development that is leading the way in dance training, creation and…read moreperformance. Its one of Europe's most innovative dance spaces, where artists from all over the world come to push creative boundaries, to experiment and to perform outstanding new work for audiences who expect to be surprised, inspired and delighted. The Place also has a 280 seat theatre, an extensive range of classes, courses and participatory opportunities for adults and young people, and professional development programmes for artists. The theatre holds over 200 performances a year, including festivals and special events. I went along to The Place to see the performance done by Protein "May Contain Food". This performance runs from Thu 21 Apr to Sat 7 May but touring after this. The whole performance was very interesting all about food. First of all you enter a big room full of tables around the side all decorated differently some was done up with dried pasta laying across the table, some full of vegetables, some full of feathers laying across table etc. The table I chose was full of fast food wrappers and containers I don't like fast food but it looked more colourful and fun compared to the other tables. Also the main lead was the waitor for our table as the performance is all about waitors/waitresses, family/friends and food. They dance and sing about food teaching us about where food comes from, how we should appreciate food, how are life if revolved around food etc. Throughout we got tastings like a tomato and we had to roll it across our face, feel it, look at it, hear it etc to appreciate it. This was a fun unique way though with a very artist performance played out by the cast. I particularly liked the part when they was singing about meat they acted like animals, funny. Has to be seen to understand whole concept of performance.

This is a really good dance school offering Ballroom, Latin and Sequence dancing for all ages and…read moreabilities. You get quality teaching together with fun and friendly classes. There are Beginners, Improvers, Intermediate and Advanced social classes. You can also train for Medals tests and Professional Training to become a dance teacher. The owner is qualified to Fellowship & Examiner level.

I popped in last night for a drop in absolute beginner class with David Kierce and I had a lot of…read morefun. it really exceeded my expectations. Reading the reviews below I wasn't sure it was going to work as I was expecting it to be overcrowded, difficult to follow, etc. but given my renewed passion for ballet and the fact that I was done with work I decided to give it a try (also to feel less guilty about my lasagna at lunch). The class is the cheapest I have tried so far (£8 and no membership fee), but the level was at par. The studio is not huge and there were quite a lot of people, but we managed to fit and to do our exercises without crashing into each other. The teacher is great, really explains carefully all the steps and positions and is very funny. I would give the 5th star to this place if it had later classes (7.20 is hard to fit into a busy working schedule) and also if the changing room was a bit bigger and organised: there are a lot of stuffs from the real academy students, so there is a bit of confusion and I am sure I will leave something sooner or later (which reminds me of my ballet days when I was a kid). i'll try to put it in my weekly timetable from now on!

I took a few adult ballet lessons here a few months ago. The ballet teacher Renato Paroni was…read moregreat; seems quite passionate and have a fabulous sense of humour. However, it was overly crowded too crowded for a comfortable session to take place. I also did not get much attention from the teacher which was not really helpful. I tried the beginner's class on Tuesday and Thursday evenings ballet classes. And I think it is too easy for me who have some experience. However, the more advance classes looked really difficult. So, I stopped going to the classes and I am now looking for other better places more suitable for my level of experience.

I did the Dance Foundation course here and was unimpressed. The teachers were nice and fun and of…read morecourse some were better than others- but I didn't feel like I learned much I could take away. Most of it was routine- in which case I could've just taken an equivalent number of dance classes. It wasn't very foundational at all. I've had about a year of dancing behind me and I've tried tons of schools and around 30 different dance teachers in London. I'm now in the dance foundation course at Ruggieri Academy and it is a million times better with a similar format. You get homework, videos, and most importantly learn technique. I think if you're a beginner, I would recommend that one instead. At least you walk away every session with key principals in mind. It may be a slower way to learn but ultimately effective. I did Dance Foundation a few months ago and have nothing to show for it. Except a hole in my bank account. Cause that's the other thing- this place is almost double the price of the other dance studios. Maybe it is more suitable to advanced dancers- I don't know.

Great place to try out some dance/performing arts classes. They have a good variety of classes…read more The intro singing and public speaking classes were good.