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
- Solo swing and jive: general
Course start date: Sat 3 May 2025 (and 1 other date)Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Rosaria SativaDo you enjoy vintage social dancing events but don't have a partner? Looking to nail those moves and increase your freestyle confidence? Then this is the course for you! We will work on foot-work sequences and steps of authentic jazz dancing and Rhythm & Blues Strolls, progressing to faster pace flick kicks and turns for jive and Rock ’n' Roll dances. No partner required! This is a general level course suitable for beginners and improvers.Full fee £119.00 Senior fee £119.00 Concession £83.00 - Drumming 2ACourse start date: Sat 20 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Mark HuggettWelcome to the second year of drum class: work to improve your coordinated independence and application of rudiments to the kit. Includes reading drum notation. Break week: 1st November.Full fee £259.00 Senior fee £259.00 Concession £259.00 - Jazz piano 2Course start date: Sat 20 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: David FrankelTry more difficult tunes and conventions with more practice at 'comping' and improvising. You will need a working knowledge of jazz harmony in order to develop your playing on this course. Ideal for graduates of jazz piano 1.Full fee £229.00 Senior fee £229.00 Concession £160.00 - Folk and pop guitar 2ACourse start date: Sat 20 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Tony RowdenIf you can play a range of chord shapes, in time, and can follow chord symbols, this second year of guitar study will develop your ability to play the acoustic instrument. Improve your musicianship and expand your song repertoire. - Ballroom and Latin: beginnersCourse start date: Sat 20 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
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! - Ballroom and Latin: improversCourse start date: Sat 20 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
The improvers classes are created for those who already have a basic knowledge in dance or have completed the beginners course. Here, you will be taught new steps and techniques as we polish and really perfect your existing skills. The main aim of the course is for you to continue to learn and develop your new skills whilst having fun and growing in confidence. - Jazz harmony and ear training 2ACourse start date: Sat 20 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Cerys HoggIf you already play jazz and can recognise intervals and diatonic seventh chords in sequence, come and develop your aural, harmonic and rhythmic sense through the study of jazz standards and improvisation. Most sessions will involve playing as an ensemble. Please contact music@citylit.ac.uk to arrange to be assessed for this course. Break week: 1st November.Full fee £219.00 Senior fee £219.00 Concession £153.00 - Saxophone 2ACourse start date: Sat 20 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: David HarrisonFor sax players with a year's experience, who read music and have some experience of performing. Develop your tone, technique, reading and musicianship, playing popular styles, world music and jazz, with some opportunity to improvise.Full fee £219.00 Senior fee £219.00 Concession £153.00 - English pronunciation: stage 1Course start date: Sat 26 Apr 2025 (and 4 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: David John GwillimAre you a non-native fluent speaker who wants to improve your pronunciation of English and to speak the language more clearly and confidently? Work on clear formation of vowel and consonant sounds including the English neutral vowel and the distinction between voiced and unvoiced sounds. This term the course will be taught in the college.Full fee £259.00 Senior fee £259.00 Concession £181.00 - English pronunciation: stage 2Course start date: Sat 17 Jan 2026 (and 3 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: David John GwillimDesigned for people who have completed ‘English Pronunciation: stage 1’ although new students with sufficient skills can join. Develop confidence and clarity, explore diphthongs and triphthongs, inflection and the rhythms of Standard English. This term the course will be delivered in the college.Full fee £279.00 Senior fee £279.00 Concession £195.00 - Flamenco: beginners and improvers Course start date: Sat 3 May 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Danielle AllanA friendly intensive class, that focuses on the confident execution of Flamenco dance with pleasure, passion and panache. This course is geared towards beginners (more experienced students wishing to revise the basics are also welcome). Performance opportunities throughout the year.Full fee £189.00 Senior fee £189.00 Concession £132.00 - World music: rhythm driven tunes from Brazil, Cuba, Ghana and SenegalCourse start date: Sun 5 Oct 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Sarha MooreCome to play tunes from several traditions and two continents, working with complex rhythms in related and contrasting ways. There is a musical narrative that begins in Africa, travels to the Caribbean and South America, then back to Africa, carrying musical styles and rhythmic patterns. We will explore samples of this rhythmic timeline.
Piano places are limited to two so please check with the department prior to enrolling if you want to play piano on this course.Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £149.00 Concession £104.00 - Acting: Foundation (Certificate Level 2) Course start date: Sat 10 Jan 2026 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Cara Jennings, Vernon Thompson, Martin WimpressDo you want to be an actor but find it hard to fit the training around your other commitments? This intensive and practical accredited course, running every Saturday for 25 weeks including Induction and final tutorials, provides classes in the core disciplines of acting, voice and movement, and culminates in a showing of contemporary scene work to an invited audience. Successful candidates achieve the Level 2 Certificate in Performing Arts awarded by OCN London.
Full fee £1,499.00 Senior fee £1,499.00 Concession £1,499.00 - Contemporary dance: improversCourse start date: Sun 2 Nov 2025
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 £129.00 Senior fee £129.00 Concession £90.00 - Screen acting: intensiveCourse start date: Sat 22 Nov 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Gary GrantThis is a practical and intensive weekend course. Working in a friendly and supportive atmosphere, you'll explore and develop the key skills required for working on camera.Full fee £219.00 Senior fee £219.00 Concession £153.00
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