Cameron, Second Year

My first year of training at Central helped me to build a strong foundation of technical training. I have loved exploring my musicality and performance qualities while also improving my technique in class. I value the effort towards artistry at Central and the performance opportunities throughout the year, such as the Winter and Summer Showcases.

Training at Central holds ballet at its core while allowing dancers to experiment with other genres. My time at Central so far has enabled me to experience various styles of dance including ballet, contemporary, Spanish, jazz, choreography, improvisation, and dance studies. Central holds a balance of being pushed technically in class while also being supported by tutors throughout the process. I feel as though my transition into vocational training was seamless, due to the positive attitude throughout Central.

As I begin my second year at Central School of Ballet, I am most looking forward to the choreographic showcase later this year and focusing on my craft as a dancer in the ever-changing industry.

Noa, Second Year

I have enjoyed the past year at Central immensely! The excellent training I’ve received at Central is unlike anywhere else. The tutors really refine your technique to highlight the difference between a good and a great dancer.

Being an international student far away from home, Central and all its team have made me feel so welcome in every possible way from the second I get in in the morning, throughout the rest of the day.
The training at Central is intense but rewarding. I feel as though I am challenged each day to push myself to be the best dancer I can be. The tutors at Central constantly have the students’ best interests at heart and do all they can to help the us reach our potential. We dance for long hours but in doing so we build the strength, resilience, endurance, and determination necessary for being an excellent dancer in today’s world.

Since joining Central I feel I have grown as a dancer and as a person. I have learnt what it takes to push yourself to be the best dancer you can be while also being kind to yourself. This is thanks to the team at Central who make it incredibly important that we distinguish those boundaries with ourselves. I have learnt to take accountability and responsibility for my own supplementary training which will prove useful when I’m no longer in a school. Outside of dance, I have learnt how to work with others, live on my own and how to discipline myself in other areas of life. I balance my dance training with A Level Maths in the free hours of my day which is challenging but has taught me how to stick to plans, manage my time and how to prioritize.

This year I am looking forward to continuing to strengthen my classical technique, specifically on pointe as we are now doing longer hours of pointe work and technically harder material each day, learning Cunningham contemporary technique, making an original piece for our choreography assessment on a group of my classmates, and the Winter and Summer Showcases! I look forward to spending another year living in the heart of central London and getting to experience independent life abroad creating lifelong memories.

Kirit, Third Year

Central offers excellent training which is necessary in order to enter the industry when the standards are so high. I have loved my time so far at Central. I’ve been able to meet a lot of new people and make new friends. The classes offered have been fun and I feel like I have improved as a dancer.

Since joining Central I have become a lot stronger thanks to the work of Chris who is the first year male tutor and part of the Strength and Conditioning team. I feel far more stable and in control which is something an audience would want to see in the future. I’ve also become a braver dancer. Central has allowed me to push the boundaries of how I dance through modules such as contemporary, choreography and improvisation, when previously I had almost exclusively done ballet.

Now I’m in third year I’m looking forward to performing with Ballet Central. Getting to work with different choreographers and perform on stage is a really exciting opportunity.

Shin, Third Year

I am having a truly fulfilling and enjoyable time at Central School of Ballet. I am surrounded by wonderful classmates and I am learning a great deal from professional and unique teachers. With access to numerous studios and training equipment, I have been able to train intensively in order to become a professional ballet dancer. When I was injured in May last year, I received generous support from the physiotherapists as well as personal advice and training from my teachers, which enabled me to recover.

In the first year, I learnt the fundamentals of ballet, contemporary dance, and pas de deux. Before entering Central, I had never studied pas de deux or contemporary dance, but thanks to being taught from the basics, I am now able to enjoy dancing in genres other than classical ballet. I also feel that I have been able to build a stronger foundations for my dancing.

In the second year, I was able to broaden my range of dance by learning various techniques, tricks, and methods of expression. I was challenged with advanced technique and repertoire that I had never tried before, and over time I became more comfortable with them. Now I feel more confident in tackling any choreography that comes my way.

In my third year, I will be gaining experience to prepare for my professional career. As a third-year student, I will be performing in many productions as a member of Ballet Central, the school’s touring ballet company. We have already started rehearsals, and I am working hard every day.

I am often told by my teachers that I look too serious during lessons because I tend to think too much while I am dancing. But outside of lessons, when I am at Central, I am always able to smile.

Iris, Third Year

Since joining Central, I feel I have had lots of performance opportunities that have really helped me grow as a dancer – these include the Summer and Winter Showcases, as well as various in-house shows in our Gable studio theatre, throughout the year. I have been able to perform a wide variety of pieces, including classical works staged by our tutors as well as newly choreographed contemporary pieces. I am very excited to experience even more of this in my third year as the pieces for Ballet Central are created.

Last summer I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to go on a student exchange to Queensland Ballet Academy in Brisbane, where I was able to participate in classes with the Pre-Professional Program for two weeks. As the program is so closely tied to the company, this gave me a real insight into company life, an invaluable experience as I begin my last year of training at Central.

Midori, Third Year

Through my time at Central, I have truly appreciated the many opportunities we’ve had to work with professionals from the industry who generously share their wealth of knowledge with us. It has been so special to learn from them—gaining tools that will support us as artists moving forward, as well as valuable insight into the industry we are about to step into.

Another highlight of my time at Central has been the bond I’ve formed with my year group. Over the past two years, and now as we begin our third, we have truly grown into a family. The connections we’ve built here are incredibly meaningful to me, and I know they will remain precious long after our time at Central.

Training at Central is packed, rigorous, and often tiring—but at the same time, it’s incredibly rewarding and fun. Each day can look quite different: some days the schedules are lighter, while others can be heavier. As a full-time school, the training can be both physically and mentally demanding at times. However, know that you are never alone in this journey. Central has a strong support system—whether from your peers, tutors, or staff—so there is always someone looking out for you. The environment here is welcoming, and everyone is kind. If this is your first experience at a vocational school, there is truly nothing to be afraid of.

Since joining Central, I’ve felt myself grow not just as a dancer, but also as an artist and as a person. Living away from home as an international student has been a big adjustment, but it has helped me learn to take better care of myself and build healthier habits. As a dancer, I’ve grown so much thanks to the variety of tutors, the supplementary training like strength and conditioning and Pilates, and the resources available to us—all of which have helped me become a “smarter” dancer.

As an incoming graduate, I am especially looking forward to our Ballet Central tour in the summer of 2026. Our year group has truly become like a family, and I’m so excited to see what we will bring to the dance scene together.