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
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- Contemporary dance: beginnersCourse start date: Tue 29 Apr 2025 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Orley QuickThis Contemporary dance class is a dynamic and fun experience based on the principles of Release-technique and some playful explorations. Simple movement phrases and tasks are built upon to develop greater awareness of the body in space and in relation to others. Floor, centre and travelling exercises lead to efficiency of movement, rhythmical and free-flowing dance sequences.Full fee £199.00 Senior fee £159.00 Concession £139.00 - Contemporary dance: improversCourse start date: Sun 4 May 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Francis AngolThe course aims to give you a further embodied understanding of Contemporary dance that is underpinned by Somatics practice, and other contemporary dance techniques, to bring greater flow and dynamics to your expression as you allow yourself to move from your inner space and to negotiate the flow of weight, rhythm, breath, space and time.Full fee £99.00 Senior fee £99.00 Concession £69.00 - Core energeticsCourse start date: Sun 11 May 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Kate MontagueCore Energetics is a body-mind practice designed to enhance your self-awareness, aliveness, creativity and focus, and a means to opening up physically, helping you to become aware of your energy flow.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £69.00 Concession £48.00 - Shakespeare and the bodyCourse start date: Sun 11 May 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Sean CroftUnlock Shakespeares hidden physical language through the work of Lecoq, Meisner, Michel Chekhov and Grotowski as we discover a deeper, more physically rooted and emotionally driven connection with Shakespeares work. No experience is needed for this short intensive course however an openness to explore and to develop text and physical performance simultaneously is necessary.Full fee £99.00 Senior fee £99.00 Concession £69.00 - Jazz vocal samba and bossa novaCourse start date: Sat 24 May 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Clare FosterFor vocalists with a sound technique and experience of singing jazz standards who have an interest in Brazilian music.Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £79.00 - Mask technique and the physical body (level 1)Course start date: Sun 1 Jun 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Sean CroftThis playful and creative mask course, suitable for students at any level, introduces you to the mask. You will be carefully guided to explore the principals and techniques required to bring a character to life, to create speech with the body and without the voice. Masks will be provided but why not bring along some different style outfits and a variety of hats with you, then you’ll have more to play with on the day.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £69.00 Concession £48.00 - Afrocentric drummingCourse start date: Sat 7 Jun 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Paul ChiversExplore your enthusiasm for drumming with African rhythms and their variations. Develop individual and group playing skills and learn how to apply a variety of percussive instruments to any musical style or setting.Full fee £99.00 Senior fee £99.00 Concession £99.00 - Charleston: general level
Course start date: Sat 14 Jun 2025 (and 2 other dates)Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Rosaria SativaThe Charleston is a fun, easy and uplifting dance and this solo dancing course will have you moving with speed, vitality, and expression. With toe tapping Jazz music from the 1920s and beyond you will learn original Charleston dance steps and moves, improve your musicality and improvisation. A great way to get fit whilst learning a unique and impressive new skill.Full fee £99.00 Senior fee £99.00 Concession £69.00 - Contemporary African danceCourse start date: Sat 14 Jun 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Francis AngolA dynamic and vibrant class that combines West African dance and music with some Contemporary dance influences. The movements, energy and music will leave you energised and rejuvenated.Full fee £99.00 Senior fee £99.00 Concession £69.00 - Acting Shakespeare (intensive)Course start date: Sun 29 Jun 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Laura BaggaleyA one-day workshop exploring scenes from two Shakespeare comedies, Twelfth Night and Two Gentlemen of Verona. Broaden and develop your acting skills in an intensive encounter with Shakespeare! - Combining voice and PilatesCourse start date: Sat 12 Jul 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Kate MontagueThis innovative and one-off workshop shows you how to integrate modified Pilates movements with voice training as a holistic approach to voice, starting at breath release and progressing into phonation and resonance. Through this combination you may begin to find a link between body and voice through the core muscles of support. A fun but intensive Saturday workshop in the college.Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £55.00 - Charleston intensiveCourse start date: Sat 19 Jul 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Rosaria SativaBuild a foundation of basic dance skills on this fun intensive which will have you dancing the energetic Charleston. You will be dancing to original jazz music from the 1920s and 30s as well different music styles to show that you can dance the Charleston to almost any beat.Full fee £99.00 Senior fee £99.00 Concession £69.00 - Jazz repertoireCourse start date: Sat 19 Jul 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Cerys Hogg, Della RhodesEnjoy playing and improvising on familiar and new jazz repertoire in a mixed ensemble. For players with substantial experience of jazz playing, ear training techniques and harmony study. Tunes will be announced and charts sent out two weeks in advance of the course. Rhythm section places are available for guitar, piano, bass and drums. - 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 - Stage combat: unarmedCourse start date: Sun 20 Jul 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Sean CroftExplore unarmed combat and develop a selection of moves to combine in to a choreographed sequence!
A well-executed fight scene can make stage combat look easy but, much like dancing, it must be intricately choreographed and extensively rehearsed, to provide that authentic feel while remaining safe. Suitable for everyone.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £69.00 Concession £48.00
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