Dancer, choreographer and director, Carlos Acosta, and the Acosta Dance Foundation (ADF) have announced the launch of a new dance centre, due to open in September.
The Acosta Dance Centre will be based in London’s Woolwich Works and will offer dance classes, courses, performances, residencies and programmes for locals in the Greenwich area and beyond.
It will also serve as a gathering place and artistic space for dancers, industry professionals and the community, the foundation said, predicting that it will impact 215,000 people.
The centre will focus on educational and community-based activities involving local schools, public dance classes and Acosta Ballet Camps that provide intensive training for young ballet dancers.
It will also serve as the home of the Carlos Acosta Choreographic Fellowship and a residency programme for artists to collaborate and explore cross-cultural projects, as well as the Acosta Advanced Training Hub, a free pre-professional programme for students aged 18 and above.
“The Acosta Dance Centre stands as the epitome of my life’s work, representing a global sanctuary for dancers of all backgrounds and a beacon of inspiration for the world of dance,” Acosta said.
“It is a dream come true, born from my passion to create a place where dance could bring people from all walks of life together, to celebrate joy and creativity through movement.”