If you love dance, and Heels in particular, London is clearly THE CITY where you absolutely must go! The London vibe and energy is a unique experience in itself, you have to live it to understand it, especially after 10 years in Nice haha – But as a dancer, the energy is multiplied tenfold x 1000.
To recontextualise things, I started heels classes in Nice at the end of 2022. It was a real discovery and a great rebirth for me. I’d done 10 years of hip hop in the Paris region, which I ended up stopping when I became an adult. So I hadn’t taken any classes for 10 years – apart from a few body expression classes in Nice with the incredible Marie-Pierre Genovese. So taking dance classes again, and in heels, was a double electroshock! And why in heels? No idea, I just followed my intuition, maybe age and maturity. So for a year, I took regular classes with the superb Maëva Gomez at Arty Studio and at Sopolendance with the sweet Inass. Thanks to them, I’m having a lot of fun, I’m giving it my all and I’m doing all the workshops as well as the end-of-year show. But that’s not enough!
Despite my progress, I feel limited. There’s a sort of energy trapped inside me that I can’t get out – I realise I’m not in the right place any more… I went off to do a workshop in Paris, but I didn’t really fall in love with it. I organized a trip in London and then it clicked! OK, it’s London, the energy I’m looking for is there, that energy that takes you so high up that you feel like you’re growing wings. We agreed that we wouldn’t find that kind of energy in France. So, at that moment, my desire to progress in dance was so phenomenal that it was THE trigger that made me go to London for 4 months in the summer of 2023. In reality, I was just going to realise a childhood dream that I had completely buried in my subconscious, believing that as I approached forty, this childhood dream could not come true: that of living the life of a pseudo-dancer lol. And yet I actually did it! This experience proves to me that NOTHING is set in stone.
So I’m off to London on a single ticket – without knowing how long I’ll be there – to perfect my style in heels and try out several legendary studios. From Base Studio to Pineapple Dance Studios, via The Manor London and Danceworks, I was truly immersed in the world of dance and I’m going to share with you below my impressions of each London dance studio I tried out:
1. Base Studio: the most authentic and underground – my favourite
“Wow!” As soon as I arrived at Base Studio, I felt like I was in the right place. The vibe was just incredible with all these dancers from all over the place. Located in Vauxhall in South London, I was struck by its authenticity and electric atmosphere. Each dance room is named after an artist: Studio One Britney, Studio Two – Timberlake… and so on. It’s one of my favourite dance studios in London.
In this studio, we’re clearly on a high level, with a panel of teachers who have choreographed dances for stars and professional companies. This is where I discovered the best teachers: Irene Salvi, Chilly K, Lowri Jackson, Cherelle… I remember my first class with Irene SALVI… I was in shock! I have no other words. I was literally stunned by the energy in the studio, by the level of the students and by the choreography itself. I gave up 15 minutes before the end! But then I came back for more beginner or all-level classes.
Prices are around £12 to £16 per class, depending on the teacher and the duration.
2. The Manor London: the most girly of all
The Manor London is a whole different kettle of fish. This studio, nestled in north-east London, offers the same classes as Base Studio, but in a much more girly atmosphere! With fluorescent mirrored corridors, changing rooms equipped with hairdryers, GHD straighteners, deodorant, cotton buds, etc., dance studios with black walls and neon lighting… In short, everything is designed to get you in the mood. In fact, it’s the studio I frequent the most, as it’s closer to where I’m staying. And so much the better, since Lowri Jackson and Salvi have left Base Studio to give classes at The Manor.
Prices are around £10-£14 a lesson.
3. Danceworks: the most classic and technical
Located in the heart of London, a stone’s throw from Oxford Street, Danceworks has a more sober atmosphere. There’s no underground vibe or glitz and glamour here, no, it’s all classical! There are plenty of classes in ballet, contemporary (I tried one and it was the hardest class of my life haha), modern jazz and ballet. There are also Heels classes which focus more on technique and grace, perfect for refining your movements and working on precision. The heels teacher is actually French, Jenny de Fattore.
Prices are around £14 to £18 per class.
4. Pineapple Dance Studios: the most “Fame” of them all
It’s impossible to talk about dance studios in London without mentioning Pineapple Dance Studios. Located in Covent Garden, this studio is a veritable institution, frequented by professionals and passionate amateurs alike. The first time I watched a class through the glass while waiting for mine, I felt like I was in the film Fame. The atmosphere is totally supercharged, there are classes all day long and the energy is contagious. At the same time, there are three floors of dance studios! Street jazz, contemporary, K-POP, commercial, hip hop, heels… there’s something for everyone.
There are several heels classes a day and I was able to try out quite a few of them: ultra beginner, beginner, intermediate, all levels… with Jenny, Rachel, Lowri Jackson, Danielle Barton, Yulia… and so on. There are so many classes that it’s impossible for me to remember all the names. But what I remember about this studio is its energy, which is different from other studios but just as crazy!
Budget-wise, expect to pay between £10 and £15 for a class.
My feedback
What an experience!
After four months of scouring all the dance studios in London, I came out with an extremely tired body, but on top of that I’ve developed a memory like an elephant.
There were several things that stood out for me:
- When you walk into a dance class in London, it’s like stepping off a ski slope. Basically, it’s no longer concentration at that stage, it’s survival to save your ego lol
- You don’t have time to feel the movements, you switch off your brain and you have to take 10,000 steps in 10 seconds
- 10,000 steps in 10 seconds? And yes, if the others do it, you can do it too lol I’m laughing but that’s really what it’s all about!
- Outstanding physical condition
- Performance, Performance and…. Performance
i know it sounds scary when I say it like that, but that’s what it really felt like. There are good and not so good things, but it all depends on your personality. Being a quiet introvert, this experience literally liberated me and allowed me to let go like never before! The London energy was extremely contagious for that. This over-stimulation in dance and even in general made me feel alive like never before. We’re living at 1,000 miles an hour over there, and it’s a feeling I haven’t felt since I moved down south in 2013, so it was really good to get back to it. What’s more, this over-stimulation has had a positive impact on the cerebral part of my brain. By taking so many dance classes and learning so many new choreographies, I had to cram a lot of information into my brain in a very short space of time. I remember coming back to Nice and learning a choreography in just one class. The London experience opened up a whole new side of me.
But after 3 intense months, I felt my body getting tired and I had to listen to it to get off my feet. The number of dance classes every day and having to choose one started to give me a headache. For the first time, I felt that dreaded feeling: FOMO (fear of missing out), something that seemed so impossible after 10 years in Nice, where I learnt to live in the moment without worrying too much about what was going on around me. Basically, FOMO is this fear of having missed out on something and it’s triggered by the surplus of choices we’re faced with. In short, too much choice kills choice and, I would add, too much performance kills performance.
I really missed the warmth of the south, the heels classes and my life in Nice at the end of my stay in London. I was finally able to express this energy that was stuck inside me and only London could get it out. But it was time to leave London and go back to Nice to get back into my little southern routine.
As far as my feedback on each of the studios is concerned, each has its own identity, which it embraces to perfection. Base Studio is ideal for dancers looking for performance and challenges, The Manor London is perfect for those who want to feel the essence of dance with an emphasis on expression, Danceworks offers a more technical and refined approach, and Pineapple Dance Studios is an institution not to be missed if you’re passing through London.
And finally, writing this article has been very intense for me, as it is for every personal article I write. But this one is all the more special because it allowed me to heal some deep wounds. Writing it here has been a real therapy. A year and a half has gone by since that experience and I hadn’t taken the time to write it. But this lapse of time now allows me to realise what I’ve been able to achieve and the lessons I’ve learned that now help me in my daily life.
In any case, thank you if you’ve read the article to the end and don’t forget, nothing is set in stone, this experience has enabled me to fulfil a little girl’s dream that I had completely ignored thinking it was over… Life has so many wonderful surprises in store. On that note, don’t hesitate to send me your comments 🙂
