Contemporary Dance Classes in London
Contemporary London
Contemporary — London
Class is coming soon
Fill out the form for more info
Class Details
Location: TBC
Day: TBC
Time: TBC
Age Group: 17 – 75
Teacher: —
Class Structure
Beginners Class — 60 Minutes
Breath & Spine
Class starts on the floor: breathing, spinal rolls and gentle mobilisation that wake the body up and switch the working day off.
Floorwork Technique
Rolls, slides and weight transfers close to the ground — learning to move through the floor rather than fight it.
Travelling Phrases
Swinging, sliding sequences across the space where momentum does the work — reliably the part that feels most like flying.
The Phrase
A longer movement phrase built over several weeks, taught in sections and danced with growing freedom and intention.
Improvisation & Cool-Down
Short guided improvisation tasks — always with a clear score, never just an instruction to dance — then a slow stretch to land you.
About Contemporary Classes in London
Contemporary dance has a genuine home in this city. Sadler's Wells programmes the world's best companies all year, The Place has trained British contemporary dancers for half a century, and the conservatoire graduates who stay in the capital keep its class culture unusually rich. Our contemporary classes in London draw on that depth: professional teachers, patient technique, no assumptions about your history.
Sessions run barefoot at partner studios around Zones 1 and 2 — Islington and Shoreditch among our bases — each a short walk from the tube. Expect release-based technique, floorwork, travelling phrases and a little guided improvisation, all built at a pace designed for adult bodies rather than eighteen-year-old conservatoire students.
People come for different reasons — strength, expression, or simply an hour where the phone and the inbox do not exist — and the style holds all of them. Complete beginners dance alongside returners who trained years ago; contemporary is forgiving of both and generous to anyone who keeps showing up.
Browse all 20 of our dance classes in London, or see contemporary classes in our other 66 cities.
Fill Out the Form for More Info
Fill in your details for up-to-date class info.
Why Choose Contemporary in London?
World-Class Homework
Sadler's Wells and The Place put the planet's best contemporary work a tube ride from class — watching great dancers weekly is a London-only training perk.
No Kit, No Barrier
The style works barefoot or in socks, so leggings and a t-shirt leave you fully equipped — the cheapest start anywhere in dance.
Headspace Included
An hour of breath, floor and movement is the closest thing to meditation many Londoners get — students consistently name the mental reset as the reason they stay.
Conservatoire-Trained Teachers
London keeps its trained dancers, and ours teach with real stage credits behind them — technique passed down properly, not approximated.
Your Contemporary Journey
From first class to confident dancer — here is how it usually goes.
Down to the Floor
Getting Started
Breath, spine rolls and first floorwork patterns. Expect unfamiliar shapes, a couple of happily earned bruises and better posture within weeks.
What to Wear
Leggings or joggers, a fitted top and bare feet or socks. Bring a warm layer — contemporary warm-ups start deliberately slow.
Momentum
Travelling & Swings
Sequences across the space where weight and momentum start doing the work your muscles used to — the style begins feeling like flight rather than effort.
First Improvisation
Short, structured improvisation tasks teach you to trust your own movement choices — gently, and always with clear guardrails.
Articulate
Longer Phrases
Multi-week phrase work with dynamics, texture and intention — dancing that says something rather than just travels somewhere.
Strength You Notice
Floorwork builds unusual full-body strength; this is around when friends start asking what exactly you have been doing.
A Practice of Your Own
Advanced Work
Complex phrase material, partnering basics and improvisation you genuinely enjoy — plus honest guidance if training more seriously appeals.
The Wider Scene
London's open classes, workshops and performance calendar become a buffet — and by now you know your way around the menu.
Contemporary in London FAQ
Everything you need to know before your first class.
Where do the contemporary classes happen in London? +
Partner studios across Zones 1 and 2 host the sessions — Islington and Shoreditch are our usual bases — and each sits within a short walk of a tube or Overground station. The precise address comes through when you register.
What is the cost of contemporary classes in London? +
A flat £8 per drop-in class. There is no contract, no membership and nothing to cancel — discounted block bookings follow once the regular schedule is set for your studio.
Do I need dance training to join? +
No — beginner classes literally start on the floor, building strength and coordination from zero. Adults starting contemporary with no background are the rule in our starter sessions, not the exception.
What clothing works for contemporary? +
Leggings or joggers with a fitted top, danced barefoot or in socks — there are no shoes to buy. A warm layer helps during the slow start of the warm-up, and some regulars add knee pads for floorwork.
How is contemporary different from ballet? +
Ballet builds a codified technique upwards — turnout, positions, line. Contemporary works with weight, breath and the floor, and prizes individual movement quality over fixed shapes. Many dancers train both; neither requires the other first.
Do I need to be flexible? +
You need to be willing, not bendy. Flexibility grows as a by-product of the work — the technique is built on efficient movement rather than extreme range, and every exercise scales to the body doing it.
Is there a lot of floorwork, and will it hurt? +
Floorwork is central, and it is taught progressively so it never has to hurt — you learn to pour into the floor rather than fall onto it. Knee pads are welcome while your technique catches up with your enthusiasm.
What about improvisation — I find that idea terrifying? +
So does almost everyone at first. Improvisation in class is always a structured task with clear instructions, never an empty request to just dance — and it stays optional right up until the day it quietly becomes your favourite part.
Where can I watch contemporary dance in London? +
Sadler's Wells and The Place programme it all year, and the Southbank adds seasons of its own — with cheap tickets if you know when to look. Ask your teacher what to see this month; they will have opinions.