Community Open House event welcomes neighbours to new Southwark home

Central will open its new Southwark premises to local residents and neighbours on 11th November 4-7pm for a behind-the-scenes look at Central’s work and to find out about performances and the range of dance classes available for all age groups, interests, and abilities.

The Community Open House event will allow families to see Junior School dance classes in action, drop-in on professional Pointe, Contemporary and Jazz classes and see the skills of undergraduate students.  There will be a practical session where children can learn to make a tutu – no sewing skills needed, and a music session from Central’s resident composer Philip Feeney. For those aiming for professional dance careers, there will be an opportunity to find out about Central’s degree-based training.  Local residents and neighbours can also discover the varied adult classes that are available for all abilities in the bright new bespoke studios taught by dance industry specialists.  The adult classes are available Monday-Friday and on Sundays on a drop-in basis at £12 each.

Central moved into the Countess of Wessex Studios, named after the school’s patron, in Hatfields (located between Southwark and Waterloo tube stations), at the end of the summer term 2021.  The school has spent the intervening months becoming established in the new premises.  The Community Open House event aims to highlight the new opportunities for the local community alongside its professional training courses at undergraduate and postgraduate level.

Mark Osterfield, Central’s Executive Director said:  “Our first Community Open House event at our new state-of -the-art studios is an opportunity for our new neighbours in Southwark, as well as our friends from across London, to find out more about our work. We want Central to be a place where children, young people and adults have opportunities to experience the joy or dance, for pleasure, for health and wellbeing, or as a pathway into professional training. We hope many will visit next week and in the future.”