Central’s Royal Patron Visits the School’s Southwark Studios

4 July 2025

The Duchess of Edinburgh visited Central School of Ballet at its studios last week, her first visit since she opened the new building in Hatfields in Southwark in February 2020, just weeks before the country closed due to the COVID pandemic.

In 2003, the Countess of Wessex became Central School of Ballet’s Royal Patron, one of her first patronages following her marriage to Prince Edward in 1999. The Countess, who later became the Duchess of Edinburgh, demonstrated a continuous interest in the school’s progress and especially the ambition to move to new premises with enhanced facilities. In its former Herbal Hill home in Clerkenwell, visited by the Countess several times, Central played host to 1200 people each week, including those on its elite undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes, those who participated in its comprehensive adult classes, and a burgeoning Junior School and Associate Programme for emerging talent. New premises were desperately needed to support the increasing interest in Central’s broad dance training offer.

By 2020, Central had secured a brand new building in Southwark following an extensive capital campaign, and in February that year the Countess opened the bespoke new studios in front of the school community. Named The Countess of Wessex Studios, the building became a tribute to the encouragement and support by Her Royal Highness of the school in pursuing this goal.

During her visit last week, the Duchess was given the chance to see the school in action through a snapshot of the range of training and support activities that take place every week in Hatfields. Central’s undergraduate students demonstrated a pas de deux rehearsal, a second year contemporary rehearsal and the first year group rehearsing their performance for the school’s forthcoming Summer Showcase at the end of term. Selected Junior School pupils, aged between 8 and 12 years, demonstrated some of the class work that takes place at Central after school in term time every week.

There was also an opportunity to see how undergraduate students achieve the level of fitness required for professional dancers, which is similar to that of elite athletes. Students demonstrated training in the Pilates studio and gym, part of the Tabor Hub. The Duchess asked about the determination and physical gains each student strives towards, a combination of grace and power, leading up to graduation.

Finally, students from the third year, all part of Ballet Central, the school’s touring company, performed one of the pieces from the 2025 tour now in progress across England. Foyer de danse, choreographed by Frederick Ashton (1932), is an example of the attainment of students. Animating Edgar Degas’ iconic paintings and pastels of Paris Opera Ballet dancers, the Ballet Central performance is the first staging of the ballet in over 90 years. The Duchess was also introduced to Central’s wardrobe department to see how the costumes for the tour are designed and created along with other performances throughout the school year. Most importantly, the students and staff spoke to the Duchess directly about their ambitions, following the school’s academic curriculum and the rigorous training that produces such accomplished graduates. It was wonderful to host the Duchess again at Central.

<hr>

Written by Anita Hamilton

Photos by Lauren Hewett