Performing Arts Courses & Classes in London and Online
City Lit offers performing arts courses in the heart of Covent Garden in Central London during the evening, daytime and at weekends. Explore our range of subjects including acting, (including accredited acting courses), dance, radio and screen, and voice, speech and communication as well as a full range of music courses, such as piano, singing, strings and wind instruments to jazz and pop, music technology, music theory and history
Our courses are labelled clearly for beginners or those with previous experience and you can speak to a specialist advisor to help you choose the right level. If you would you like some help or advice:
For music courses email music@citylit.ac.uk. You can also view our music auditions and advice page.
For drama, dance and speech courses email drama@citylit.ac.uk
- Acting: improvers
Course start date: Thu 1 May 2025 (and 5 other dates)Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Deirdre Strath ClydeContinue your development as you explore a range of exercises and acting techniques that will illuminate and enliven a variety of scripts and scenes. Consolidate techniques and deepen your understanding in a safe and supportive atmosphere.Full fee £279.00 Senior fee £279.00 Concession £195.00 - Pentatonics and beyond: improvising in popular musicCourse start date: Sat 19 Jul 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: David HarrisonStudy how to improvise in popular music. These two practical sessions are for players of any instrument. Get to grips with improvisation in this exploration of common scales and approaches to improv in pop, rock, blues, folk and jazz. We’ll look at blues scales, pentatonics, extension notes and more to help you get the most out of your improvisation.Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £79.00 - Sing musical theatre workshop Course start date: Tue 29 Apr 2025 (and 8 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Katherine StrohmaierThis popular course explores musical theatre singing. Grow your knowledge of the repertoire. Suitable for singers and actors wanting to improve their singing and acting through song technique. Be guided through the basics to find the right singing qualities for this repertoire.Full fee £299.00 Senior fee £299.00 Concession £209.00 - Tap dance: improversCourse start date: Mon 28 Apr 2025 (and 5 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Jacqueline PertPractice and improve your basic Tap skills and increase your vocabulary of steps and sequences. Gain a greater understanding of rhythm, tempo and syncopation. Suitable for students of all ages with good general fitness. Tap shoes are essential.Full fee £189.00 Senior fee £189.00 Concession £132.00 - Piano/keyboards 4ACourse start date: Tue 16 Sep 2025 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Edward HendersonFor pianists with around three years' experience. Improve your finger technique, coordination, phrasing, music
reading, and your confidence.Full fee £219.00 Senior fee £175.00 Concession £153.00 - Piano: workshop 8 Course start date: Tue 16 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Gisela MeyerIf you play piano at around grade 8 standard, join one of these workshops to develop your playing by studying a wide repertoire, learning to make your own stylistic and interpretive decision under your tutor's guidance. Break week 28th October 2024. - Piano: advanced workshop Course start date: Wed 30 Apr 2025 (and 7 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Petros MoschosCity Lit's most advanced, regular classes are for advanced pianists, whether performers or specialist teachers. This course is designed to continue to develop your technique, broaden your repertoire and increase your understanding of piano playing to the highest level.
Entry to this course is subject to audition with the Head of piano. If you are interested in joining this class, please apply using the pink button; someone will be in touch with you to arrange an audition.
Break week: 29 May 2024.Full fee £349.00 Senior fee £349.00 Concession £244.00 - Piano: repertoire workshopCourse start date: Wed 17 Sep 2025 (and 8 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Shelagh SutherlandIf you have a minimum playing standard of grade 8, come and explore the wealth of piano repertoire, concentrating on style and period. Broaden your interpretive skills and gain experience in performance practice. Break week 29th October 2025.Full fee £379.00 Senior fee £379.00 Concession £265.00 - Men's ballet Course start date: Thu 1 May 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Martin WimpressPerfect if you've never taken a ballet class before, or if you did ballet as a child and want to return. This men’s ballet course provides slow and fun training in how to use your body correctly, with a focus on correct placement, stance and posture.Full fee £129.00 Senior fee £103.00 Concession £90.00 - Piano: workshop 7 Course start date: Thu 18 Sep 2025 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Lucia Sanchez de HaroIf you play piano at around grade 7 standard, join one of these lively workshops to develop your playing by studying a wide range of piano repertoire, with a focus on technique, tone production, pedalling and performance skills. Break week 28th October 2024.Full fee £299.00 Senior fee £239.00 Concession £209.00 - Piano: upper intermediate repertoire workshopCourse start date: Thu 18 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Petros MoschosIf you play piano at around grade 7-8 standard, join one of these lively workshops to develop your playing by studying a wide range of piano repertoire, with a focus on technique, tone production, pedalling and performance skills. Break week 30th October 2025.Full fee £349.00 Senior fee £279.00 Concession £244.00 - Piano/keyboards: intermediateCourse start date: Thu 18 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: David FrankelFor pianists playing at around grade 5 standard. Improve your technique, coordination, phrasing, music
reading, aural skills and playing confidence.Full fee £319.00 Senior fee £255.00 Concession £223.00 - Acting: scenes to performance Course start date: Thu 18 Sep 2025 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Laura BaggaleyPractise and develop your acting skills by rehearsing in depth scenes from contemporary plays or a whole short play. These will be performed in the college's John Lyons Theatre to an invited audience at the end of the course. This course is suitable for students who have completed a broad range of our acting courses at beginners and improvers level or who have gained suitable experience elsewhere.Full fee £379.00 Senior fee £303.00 Concession £265.00 - Flamenco: improver and intermediate Course start date: Thu 18 Sep 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Danielle AllanA friendly, intensive class, with live guitar accompaniment, that focuses on the confident execution of Flamenco dance with pleasure, passion and panache. Performance opportunities throughout the year. These classes are suitable for those who have danced Flamenco for at least a year.Full fee £259.00 Senior fee £207.00 Concession £181.00 - Dance 60+ improversCourse start date: Thu 18 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Francis AngolOur improvers class is an exciting new dance class for people over 60 who would like to engage their body in a more challenging and dynamic manner, to further develop their skill and knowledge of dance cultures.
We aim to improve stamina, coordination, balance, confidence and musicality. The class will consist of a mixture of exercises and dance sequences set to great music.
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