Central School of Ballet

Central School of Ballet (‘Central’) is a world class centre for professional dance training in London. For more than 40 years, Central has created futures in dance, nurturing and developing the talent of generations of young dancers to reach their potential for excellence. Founded by Christopher Gable and Ann Stannard in 1982, Central is now led by Executive Director, Mark Osterfield, Artistic Director and Professional Training Lead, Kate Coyne and Director of Higher Education, Dr Jamieson Dryburgh.

Our degree courses create artists of the highest calibre, meticulously prepared to thrive in the dance profession. Our holistic approach prioritises rigorous training of the highest quality alongside physical fitness and mental wellbeing. In June 2021, we moved into our new facilities, The Countess of Wessex Studios, with seven studios, a state-of-the-art studio theatre, study and resource centres and a well-equipped health and wellbeing suite.

Our BA (Hons) in Professional Dance and Performance (comprising a two-year foundation degree, followed by a one-year BA Hons course) was the first ballet focused degree in England whilst our MA in Choreography is the first in the field with a specialism in ballet. Our degrees are validated by the University of Kent.