Did you take dance classes as a kid and you quite fancy starting again as an adult? Or perhaps you danced as a child, and you’d like your child to do the same? Maybe you’ve just watched Along Came Polly and want to try out some salsa dancing. Either way, there are plenty of free dance classes in London that you can try out before committing to pay for a block of lessons.
London is home to the West End, with plenty of dance schools for true beginners, intermediate, and of course experienced dancers too. There’s dance classes for kids, and dance classes for adults. Dance is a great way to keep fit for free, meet new people in London, and have some fun at the same time! So without further ado, let’s check out the best free dance classes in the city.
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Swing Patrol
If you’re looking for an alternative way to keep fit in London (perhaps London gyms aren’t your thing) a free dance class is a great way to test out something new. Swing Patrol (presumably a play on words of Snow Patrol), is a dance club that teaches swing dance and Lindy Hop.
The free class works on an exchange basis, whereby you’ll need to put up posters for one hour in an area local to you in exchange for a free class worth £10. Swing Patrol will provide you with the posters and tape. Just drop them an email to see if you can help out!
It’s a super social club, with socials held monthly. Classes are throughout London, with locations in Waterloo, Aldgate, Vauxhall, Harringay, Shoreditch, Dalston, Bermondsey and more.
East London Dance
One for the kids, East London Dance offer free dance classes for children aged 7-17. There are several different free dance classes are based on street dance, hip hop and Bollywood. The classes aim to build confidence, fitness and creative skills.
The classes are held weekly during the evenings, during term time. As the name of the dance school suggests, they are based in East London, near Stratford.
Book your child into the free classes online- be sure to sign up in advance of the new term to avoid disappointment.
ClassPass
With the free trial of ClassPass, you can get a free gym pass to hundreds of fitness and dance classes throughout London. You can often get two week’s membership completely free when you trial the pass. It usually costs £65 per month, and if you decide you like it, you can also save £40 off the cost of a monthly membership by using the refer a friend code.
ClassPass allows you to book into classes all over London through their dedicated app making it super easy to go to classes with friends after work or at the weekend. Dance classes available include salsa, cardio dance and many more.
Zouk
Enjoy a totally free beginners Brazilian Zouk dance lesson in Piccadilly, central London. For an evening of social dancing, live Brazilian music, and Latin dance you’ll want to head to their website to sign up. Your first class is completely free.
This type of dancing allows you to move freely and most importantly, have fun! This is a very sociable dance community and you can either come by yourself or join with a friend or partner. You’ll be sure to meet lots of new people here.
During the lesson, everyone has their chance to learn the Zouk dance steps and sequences, and then afterwards everyone is able to dance with each other socially if they wish to. Interested? head to their website to see videos of the Zouk dance class in action!
Cubaneando
Cuban salsa classes with Cubaneando are not to be missed. Every Tuesday evening at 6:30pm, there is the chance to take part in a free half hour dance class, focused on footwork. The free class is open to dancers of all abilities, and is held in Southwark, central London.
The venue has limited capacity, so be sure to book ahead to secure your spot. The club is known as being London’s friendliest salsa scene, and many dancers come alone. Dance partners are rotated throughout the classes. Many students do the two hour (paid) lesson, but if you want a taster, this is a great choice on this list of free dance classes in London.
First Dance London
Need some practice for your first dance at your wedding? First Dance London offer a 30 minute free dance lesson to couples ahead of their big day. For novice dancers, you may well need more than 30 minutes to get your dancing up to scratch, but otherwise this is a great opportunity to get a taster session of a professional dance class.
The instructors at First Dance London are highly trained professional ballroom dancing instructors, so you’ll be in safe hands. There are two studio locations across London, so to find out more and book your free dance lesson, head to their website.
Better
Better is a charitable social enterprise, which offers a free taster session for street dance for children ages 4-14 in the Tower Hamlets area. These classes are fun, energetic, and a great way for kids to enjoy themselves. Classes include a range of dance styles such as break dancing, locking, popping, and hip hop.
Book classes online ahead of the term, or book in for your first free taster class by phone call or at reception at the Poplar Baths Leisure Centre.
Upside Down Dance Academy
Another one for the kids, Upside Down Dance Academy offer a free taster session to kids and teens under the age of 18. The Academy offers various street and cultural dance classes at all levels from Rookie to Star (beginner to advance).
All classes are taught by UK and international teachers with high profile and background in dance as dancers, performers and choreographers with years of experience.
With several London locations in Elephant & Castle, Deptford and Westminster there are plenty of options. Head to their website to register your child for the free class.
Meetup
Did you know that you can find free dance classes in London on the Meetup website? If you haven’t heard of Meetup before, it connects local communities together for free events and is a great chance to meet new people and make new friends in your area.
Head to the Meetup website to browse upcoming free dance classes in your area and book yourself in! You can’t go wrong, and who knows, you may even meet your new dancing bestie.
Eventbrite
Free dance classes are ever changing. To get ahead of the curve, it’s a great idea to regularly check the free dance classes thread on Eventbrite. It will show upcoming free dance classes in London, including one-off events. It’s fun to bring a friend for a cheap afternoon or evening social event, or even go by yourself to meet new friends if you are new to London.
At the time of writing there are lots of interesting options from Kathak, Latin, East Asian, Salsa, Improv and Rumba. With locations all over the city, you’re bound to find something near you to enjoy.
Discount Codes & Vouchers
If you would prefer to complete a series of dance classes affordably, on a budget, you can check out discount codes and vouchers on websites such as LivingSocial. LivingSocial regularly publishes great value dance class bookings to take you from shy beginner to confident dancer!
At the time of writing there is a block of 7 Latin dance classes available on LivingSocial for the bargain price of £10 instead of £70. A brilliant offer! Especially considering the classes are in Paddington, a central London location. There’s also Cha Cha and Mambo 4 week beginner classes for just £5. A steal!