Courses for beginners

It’s never too late to learn something new. If you want to kickstart a new hobby or pick up a new skill then City Lit is a great place to start.

Our beginners courses will introduce you to your new passion and help you progress your skills to the next level. If you're not sure where to start then have a look at our selection below for some ideas and inspiration.

If you are ready for the challenge then let our expert tutors guide you on your journey towards to a rewarding new hobby.

Items 1-15 of 53

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53 courses available

  1. 4.9
    Classical ballet: beginners

    Designed for the beginner or for those wanting to go back to basics. Develop knowledge and skill in this enjoyable Ballet class which provides a fun and satisfying way to improve alignment, muscle tone, flexibility and coordination. The classes will also help to improve any other dance styles you might be practicing.

    Keeley Street

    Mon 14 Sep 2026 (and 3 other dates)
    Giovanna Lamboglia
    Full fee £279.00 Senior fee £223.00 Concession £195.00
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  2. Last Few Places
    4.8
    Tap dance: beginners
    If you are new to tap then this is the place to start. Come and find your dancing feet. Suitable for students of all ages with good general fitness. Tap shoes are essential.

    Keeley Street

    Tue 15 Sep 2026 (and 7 other dates)
    Benjamin Bailey
    Full fee £279.00 Senior fee £223.00 Concession £195.00
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  3. 4.8
    Ballet pointe: beginners
    This short course offers you the opportunity to get introduced to pointe work at a pace that allows you to understand how to execute the basic exercises correctly. Working with correct alignment and safely are a focal point and to address any issues and concerns you may have. To get the most out of this course you should have attended regular ballet classes for at least 6 to 12 months.

    Keeley Street

    Tue 15 Sep 2026 (and 1 other date)
    Aoife Doherty
    Full fee £179.00 Senior fee £143.00 Concession £125.00
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  4. 5.0
    Music theory: grade 1

    Learn the basic principles of musical language and notation: rhythmic values, time signatures, pitch on treble and bass clefs, simple major scales, intervals and key signatures, and the most common musical terms and signs. NB: Our February courses have scheduled breaks on: 15, 18 February 2027

    Keeley Street

    Tue 15 Sep 2026 (and 2 other dates)
    Katy Homden
    Full fee £199.00 Senior fee £159.00 Concession £139.00
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  5. 5.0
    Singing 1

    Start singing and explore your voice in this fun, confidence-building course. These classes will introduce you to healthy use of your singing voice and basic musicianship through a selection of songs from a variety of genres.

    Break weeks
    Term 1   26th - 30th Oct 2026
    Term 2  no scheduled break week
    Term 3   Bank holiday Mondays & 1-4th June 2027

    Keeley Street

    Wed 16 Sep 2026 (and 5 other dates)
    Shachar Shamai
    Full fee £299.00 Senior fee £299.00 Concession £209.00
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  6. 5.0
    Musical theatre dance: beginners
    Learn, develop and hone your dance technique in this fun and vibrant class. We will explore some of the most popular musicals from some of the best loved West End and Broadway shows. Suitable for beginners.

    Keeley Street

    Wed 16 Sep 2026 (and 1 other date)
    Clinton Goldsmith
    Full fee £229.00 Senior fee £183.00 Concession £160.00
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  7. Last Few Places, Evening
    5.0
    Ukulele 1
    Learn the essentials of playing the ukulele on this introductory course. You’ll learn complete songs from the first week. Strumming patterns will be taught and applied to various songs. By the end of term you should be able to accompany your own singing or play along to recordings.

    Keeley Street

    Fri 18 Sep 2026 (and 1 other date)
    Jake Rodrigues
    Full fee £229.00 Senior fee £229.00 Concession £160.00
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  8. Last Few Places
    5.0
    Ballroom and Latin: beginners
    This course is perfect for those who are new to Ballroom dance or looking to brush up on existing skills. Taught in a friendly and supportive atmosphere you will learn the basic steps and techniques of both Ballroom and Latin dance. No partner is required to join the course. You will perform with different members of the class, acquire some great dance knowledge and with the added benefit of feeling healthier!

    Keeley Street

    Fri 18 Sep 2026 (and 1 other date)
    Nuno Sabroso
    Full fee £279.00 Senior fee £279.00 Concession £195.00
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  9. Last Few Places, Weekend
    5.0
    Drumming 1A
    Come and learn the practical skills you need to play drumkit in contemporary music: stick technique, four-way coordination, listening and music reading. You will play acoustic and practice kits in class. Please bring your own sticks.

    Keeley Street

    Sat 19 Sep 2026 (and 1 other date)
    Mark Huggett
    Full fee £279.00 Senior fee £279.00 Concession £279.00
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  10. Weekend
    4.6
    Italian beginners: module 1

    With its rich culture and history and its incredible landscapes and architecture, there are countless reasons to learn Italian. Whether you wish to learn Italian in order to make your visits to Italy more enjoyable, or because you'd like to speak with family and friends in their native language, this course will provide the groundwork for you to begin your journey towards fluency. Our emphasis is on speaking and listening skills so that you can start communicating quickly in Italian. Once you've completed this course you can continue with 'Italian beginners: module 2'.

    Did you know that we offer free support sessions for beginner students over the term? More information is available in the How will I be taught section below.

    Blended (learn both online and in-person)

    Sat 19 Sep 2026 (and 14 other dates)
    Stefano D’Egidio
    Full fee £259.00 Senior fee £259.00 Concession £168.00
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  11. Weekend
    4.9
    Contemporary dance: beginners
    This course aims to give you a basic understanding of Contemporary dance that is influenced by other styles. The course provides an understanding of the basic principles, techniques and style.

    Keeley Street

    Sat 19 Sep 2026 (and 1 other date)
    Francis Angol
    Full fee £129.00 Senior fee £129.00 Concession £90.00
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  12. 4.7
    Spanish beginners: module 1

    Learn to speak Spanish on this lively, communicative course for complete beginners. The course is taught in Spanish with an emphasis on developing your speaking and listening skills.

    If you feel you may benefit from learning at a slower pace, please check our Spanish beginners at a gentle pace: module 1 courses, and if you already speak a Romance language fluently, you may want to check our Spanish rápidamente: module 1 courses.

    Did you know that we offer support sessions for beginner students over the term? More information is available in the how will I be taught section below.

    Online

    Mon 21 Sep 2026 (and 14 other dates)
    Analía Tolone
    Full fee £239.00 Senior fee £239.00 Concession £155.00
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  13. 4.6
    Japanese beginners: module 1

    Learn to speak Japanese, with the emphasis on developing your listening and speaking skills. Suitable for complete beginners. Choose either an in-person course in Covent Garden or live online sessions.

    We offer Japanese tasters in September if you would like to try out learning Japanese. Please make sure that you click on Show more dates at the end of the list to see all the courses.

    Online

    Mon 21 Sep 2026 (and 11 other dates)
    Hisaka Bunting
    Full fee £259.00 Senior fee £259.00 Concession £168.00
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  14. Evening
    Welsh beginners: module 1

    Learn to speak Welsh on this lively course for beginners, with the emphasis on the practical use of Welsh and the development of your listening and speaking skills.

    Experience learning the language by enrolling on a taster.

    Keeley Street

    Mon 21 Sep 2026
    Rhianwen Daniel
    Full fee £239.00 Senior fee £239.00 Concession £155.00
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  15. Danish beginners: module 1

    Make this year the year you start learning Danish! This friendly course for complete beginners and will introduce you to this fascinating Scandinavian language.

    Experience learning the language by enrolling on a taster.

    Online

    Mon 21 Sep 2026
    Hanne Christensen-Baker
    Full fee £259.00 Senior fee £259.00 Concession £168.00
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