Fall in love with dance this autumn as Dance Base, National Centre for Dance in Edinburgh, goes forth in its mission to get more people dancing as it expands into its new space at the Thomas Morton Hall in Leith. Having been awarded funding from the Scottish Arts Council Resilience fund, this move is a significant expansion for Dance Base with an additional weekly programme of 21 dance classes and the potential for more than 2000 people each year to engage with dance.  Daytime space will be available to professional dancers and companies to develop and rehearse work for public presentation – a boon for the local arts community in Leith. With refurbishment of facilities and investment in catering equipment, the building will also be available to more people as a community resource.

Dance Base’s Artistic Director Morag Deyes MBE said: “Dance Base used to be a National Centre for Dance without a dance studio, so we held classes all over the city and the Thomas Morton Hall was the star amongst those venues. What a delight that we are revisiting that amazing building and also connecting with the vitality and character of Leith. We are excited to be a part of it again and add our own brand of fun into the fascinating mix of that community.”

The development, created in partnership with the Leith Theatre Trust and the Scottish Historic Buildings Trust, is also a significant step for Leith Theatre towards securing a future for the building. Refurbishment and upgrading of the existing facilities in the Thomas Morton Hall including redecoration, restoration of the dance floor and conversion of existing cloakrooms into modern changing room facilities is currently taking place. With an initial two year license in place a further report on future development of the complex will be presented to the City Council.

The programme of courses and drop-in classes is now available and courses will go on sale on Sat 4 September from 10am. There’s something for everyone from ballet to hip hop and classes for young dancers too. Classes begin from Monday 27 September.
Free taster classes on Thu 23 September (17.30-19.30) and Sat 25 September (11.00-13.00) will give potential dancers the chance to try out classes and the venue. A grand launch party and ceilidh will kick things off in style on Fri 24 September from 18.30.