Yorkshire Dance Centre

Aside from the wealth of classes offered at yorkshire dance… which you will have to read about in other reviews because I’m rubbish; I always have good intentions but end up finding some riduculous excuse not to go to them. (I’m sorry body I promise i’ll start moving you again soon)
As I was saying aside from the classes which I hear are excellent (my guilt is palpable), yorkshire dance offer a great deal, in terms of performances, professional development and rehearsal space.
If you are in any interested in producing your own professional performance work then yorkshire dance should certainly be on your list of people to speak to. They have 3 incredible rehearsal spaces, which can be offered in various guises including full residences, hires or «standby space» where basically they will allow people to use rooms at short notice if they happen to be empty. This open-​door policy mixed with the regular «platform» nights set up to showcase new work, make the place something of an artistic hub within the dance community and as such is well worth having a look.

Although it is located in a strange area of town, Yorkshire Dance is an excellent city community dance centre for the Leeds area, and a specialist dance resource for the Yorkshire region. Started in the early 1980’s, the company receives grants and is funded by the council to maintain its influential presence in the area.
When entering the dance company, the first thing that is evident when walking into the reception, is the friendliness and helpfulness of the staff. As a friend and I gingerly approached the desk, I was immediately aware of my sudden clumsiness, but with the support of another novice, I persevered. We were merely scoping the venue out, assessing whether it was compatible with our needs, but we signed up for a pilates class for later on that evening.
After entering the beautifully renovated studio space, I sort of felt like one of the kids from Fame. One of the kids who failed to be cast in Fame, I hasten to add. The other members of the group and the instructor were extremely inclusive however, sympathetic of our newness to the group and to the rigorous exercises.
Buoyed by the success of the class, we attempted a different one the following week. Fit 4 Dance encompasses aspects of pilates, dance techniques and fitness exercises to achieve flexibility, stamina and strength. We really enjoyed this class, the instructor was extremely patient with our beginners status.
My friend and I are using the opportunity to participate in as many different drop-​in sessions as possible, so we can fully commit to a 13 week course of our choice when the next season commences. Yorkshire Dance is a fantastic and affordable resource to rely on within the community, which only emphasises my love of dance.

I have always been interested in Dance and Performing Arts and as a child I attended various classes and summer schools. This interest returned recently and I looked online for any classes that weren’t going to be full of screeching children. To my delight I found Yorkshire Dance, a company that offers dance and keep fit classes in the centre of Leeds. I called up and spoke to a very helpful lady, bought a ticket over the phone for the next contemporary class, and went down that evening (The ticket was £5.50). The building is easy to find and well furnished, and the changing rooms provide lockers for your stuff and a place to get changed. Whilst waiting for the class there was an awkward silence as people stood looking at the ground or whispering in their pairs. The class was good with some amazing music, but there was an air of pretentious unfriendliness from other attendees. I didn’t go back to the Contemporary class but have now started Fit 4 Dance which is a mix of exercises designed to build your strength and stamina. This was great. Not too strenuous, not pretentious and a very nice smiley teacher.
They offer a wide range of classes which I have listed below:
Ballet, Modern Dance, Tap and Jazz, Pilates, Yoga, Fit 4 Dance, Latin Vibes, Breakdance, Belly Dancing, Flamenco, Tango, Musical Theatre, Bollywood, Creative Hip Hop and Ballroom. They also offer classes for young people such as Little Movers and Parents and Tots.

A hidden gem in Leeds. They have something like 60 dance classes a week in a whole load of different styles, such as more traditional styles like ballet and jazz, but also run classes in capoeira, belly dance and krumping, if you fancy trying something a little different!
They also have dance performances, courses and conferences, so if you’re into dance and want to learn more, this is the place to be!