CATs | DanceEast Centre for Advanced Training

The DanceEast Centre for Advanced Training (CAT) offers high-quality training to young people aged 10 – 18 years with exceptional talent and potential in dance. The CAT is part of a national programme supported and developed by the Department for Education’s Music and Dance Scheme.

WE TRAIN

The CAT is an intensive programme which is suited to those who are ready to make a commitment to intensive training and those who may aspire to pursue a career in dance.

The purpose of the CAT is to prepare young dancers for full-time professional dance training and includes tuition in five key areas:

Technique (Ballet & Contemporary)
Creative Dance and Choreography
Performance
Dancers’ Health and Wellbeing
Enrichment Activities (theatre trips, collaborative projects and workshops)

Students attend two mid-week classes (Ballet and Contemporary) and a full-day at the weekend (Ballet, Contemporary, Health and Creative). This is approximately 8 hours of dancing a week. The curriculum gives a strong basic grounding in technical and creative skills, as well as introducing students to the wider dance profession, enabling all students to apply to a range of dance colleges, conservatoires and universities with a broad set of skills.

WE PERFORM

Each year several projects lead towards performances in various regional events at DanceEast and beyond.

Our students perform each year in DanceEast’s Studio Theatre in the Centre for Advanced Training End of Year Show. They have previously performed in local, regional, national and international venues such as The State Ballet School of Berlin, Royal Opera House, South Bank Centre, Norwich Theatre Royal, St Martin in the Fields and Snape Maltings.

PROJECTS AND WORKSHOPS HAVE BEEN LED BY MANY LEADING ARTISTS, SUCH AS:

Alexander Whitley
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre
Arthur Pita & Valentina Golfieri
Avant Garde
Gecko Theatre
Hofesh Shechter Company
JamesCousins
JasminVardimon Company
Joseph Toonga
Joss Arnott
Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures
Protein Dance
Richard Alston
The Royal Ballet
Tim Casson
Uchenna Dance
Umanoove/Didy Veldman
2Faced Dance Company

CLASS LOCATIONS

Classes take place at the Jerwood DanceHouse, Ipswich on Sundays (Saturdays for Introductory Level), with mid-week evening classes available in Ipswich, Norwich & Cambridge. In certain circumstances it is possible to tailor a more individualised programme for those who may have difficulty travelling to one of the CAT classes during the week. All students also take part in Easter and Summer Intensives, often with leading dance artists, giving them a varied and rich experience of what it is to be in a professional creative process.

STUDENT SUPPORT

You will receive an Individual Training Plan (ITP) to aid your development and highlight personal goals and needs. ITP’s are devised in consultation with parents/carers and CAT Tutors to monitor and support the student’s learning. This ensures that every effort is made to encourage a healthy balance between academic work, dance training and family life.