Danceworks

If you’re one of life’s natural dancers full of grace & poise, Danceworks is for you. Alternatively, if you’re one of life’s enthusiastic-but-slightly-less-natural dancers full of eagerness & fervour, well then, Danceworks is also for you!

Located opposite Selfridges and full of everything you’ve ever imagined a dance school would have – wooden floors & mirrored walls, t-shirts & tutus, the sound of taps & the smell of ambition – this place is a fantastic spot in which to learn something new, hone skills already acquired or brush up on the childhood moves you remember with fondness. There are 7 studios spread over multiple floors teaching everything from ballet to jazz to tap with some perhaps unfamiliar options too including flamenco, belly bolly fusion or Thai kickboxing! I've always been a golden-age-of-musicals tap girl at heart and have found classes here to be perfect for both my skill & confidence levels.

Classes generally start at 10am though the studios themselves are open 8am-10pm Mon-Fri and 9am-6pm on the weekend and they have sessions for over 50’s, teens and toddlers as well as varying levels meaning you can jump right into professional level dance or dip your toe into a beginners session too.

There’s a January special on at the moment whereby annual membership costs £99 rather than £159 – break that down over 52 weeks, add the cost of the classes themselves and this is an incredible deal especially when compared against some other dance schools across the capital. You can also drop in as and when you feel like it and then you’ll pay a daily rate at reception plus the class fee directly to the teacher…bring cash and try to bring the right money so you’re not one of twenty people waving tenners and looking for change at the start of the class!

There are also changing rooms, a snack bar, free Wi-Fi & friendly staff who actually make you feel alright about joining if you’re bringing two left feet with you as opposed to an inner Darcey Bussell…in a city where there are other dance schools who look down on you if you’re not West End standard from day one, this is hugely important so if you’re at all nervous, this place will ease you in with a smile and a friendly welcome!

I've recently completed an 8 week Ballet for Beginners course at Danceworks and have taken away so much from it. Firstly I learnt that I am NOT as flexible as I initially thought. The same goes my balance - I apparently don't have any! The course takes you through the basics - foot positions, arm positions, incorporating BOTH at the same time... balance, posture, pirouettes (which are REALLY difficult FYI) and a combination of moves which, while not quite swan lake quality, look quite pretty and impressive once practiced solidly for an hour and a half which in the length of each class. This course was run by Greta who besides being your quintessential beautiful ballerina, is kind, patient and a wonderful teacher who talked us through each move and the theory behind it all. The course was about £200 for 8 weeks (ish - it was a Christmas present) and i'm now considering taking the next more advanced beginners course to continue on my mission to be the next Darcy Bussell!

Danceworks itself is a pretty cool venue - there are classes running all day from jazz, ballet, hip hop and ballroom and so it's constantly packed out. The changing rooms are pretty small, definitely not big enough to accommodate all the people visiting the venue, and when classes are starting/ending, the corridors become packed out and moving around is difficult so arriving early is always essential.

Sound proofing in the building isn't great - trying to plie whilst hearing a banging beat permeate through the ceiling from the above hip hop class is quite distracting but the building seems to be quite old and it faded after a while.

If you're looking at taking up a new hobby there are plenty of classes available on an adhoc basic as well as a series of courses. It's great to do something so different and try new things in the heart of Mayfair and be taught by people who know how to teach in such a patient and fun manner.