City Academy Review

Absolutely wonderful, inspiring and supportive school

I did the beginners Salsa class with Dani and I ended up a little bit dissapointed.

I think it could (and should) be better. Dani is a good dancer of course but not very well at teaching, we does not give any feedback on ours moves, his classic phrase was "some people are doing it fine some others not" .. but no more than that.. You did not know if you were correct or not... or how to improve.. or anything.
It is all about you looking at mirror and guessing, I am pretty sure that you could learn the same from a YouTube video.

So for people starting it is not very useful because you could be doing the wrong thing and practise over that and you will end up with wrong basics.

I will do the next level but with different teacher for sure.

I did a taster contemporary dance class with Panagiotis and he was absolutely fabulous. He is not only an inspirational dancer, but also a fantastic teacher. He was patient with all of us; I felt I was included in every stage of the class. The vibes in the room were energising and I felt that I achieved something at the end of the class; I learn new moves and how to put them together into a beautiful choreography. I can't believe how much I learnt in just one hour with Panagiotis. I also met really friendly people in the class and we were hanging out afterwards. Thanks, Panagiotis, for being such a knowledgeable and generous instructor. I signed up for the course with City Academy and am looking forward to starting this week.

The tutor was amazing, the content was great and the timing of the class was fantastic!

My experience at City Academy was excellent! I got to sing a varied selection of songs with friendly, enthusiastic and knowledgable teacher Rachel Maby. This course was both a place to have fun and to improve singing skills.

My boyfriend bought me a DLSR camera for Christmas as I really want to start a blog. Although I was happy, I had absolutely no idea how to use it, all these settings were really intimidating. A short Google search landed me to City Academy's Photography course, particularly a digital photography course for starters.

Now, I know about Aperture, Shutter Speed, ISO settings and all that (important) malarkey like a PRO

Thanks SO much City Academy!

The teacher is everything you could want from a teacher!

X

The tutors on my Acting Developers course, Phoebe and Katie, did a great job: full of energy, really well organised and structured the lessons so they were distinct but also complemented each other.

The swing dance classes are totally joyful, borderline addictive and the highlight of my week! Great for both for guys and girls and no partner necessary since you switch partners every few minutes. Holly and Romayne are both delightful and super teachers, couldn't recommend enough!

Excellent range of classes for anything you want to learn. I wish I knew about this earlier. Well, at least I have found it now. I am so grateful.

I took the Screen Acting Level 2 class. Tom was such an incredible teacher. His passion, dedication and knowledge is second to none. I feel so honoured to have been taught by him and to have gotten to know him. He is such a true gem and just a fantastic teacher!

I had a wonderful time on this course. Hamza is a fantastic tutor who makes you feel supported and comfortable. His insights into everyone's personal development is astounding and his criticism is always delivered constructively. You really felt it was a safe space, where you could fail and it would be okay, which actually just led to you performing better and getting the most out of the course. Other people on the course were wonderful to meet and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking to improve their screen acting.

I've taken several classes with City Academy in the past few months (beginners acting, four day acting foundation and contemporary dance), and they've been consistently excellent. Teachers have been wonderful - welcoming and generous - and course content is in-depth and professionally delivered. I always got the sense of learning real skills, alongside meeting a fascinating range of people! Will definitely continue to take classes with them, and would recommend to anyone.

I loved the teacher - very energetic, helpful and funny. The class had a good mix of theory and lots of practice. It was above all really fun and so we were all able to learn in a relaxed and energised way.

The Tap Improvers 2 was a friendly class and the tutor seemed to be a good judge of when to stretch us and when to help us out. I've taken other classes at City Academy with great teachers too :)

The enviorment and learning atmosphere while meeting some great people!

Just completed the Sitcom writing beginners course, I had no past experience, but feel I have learnt a lot over the last 6 weeks. Most enjoyable and great tutors who were very helpful and encouraging.

We really enjoyed this one day beginners course. It truly was for folks just starting out with good balance between fun and informative exercises and one to one time. Tea and biscuits on hand in a great studio space right in the centre of London. If you want to learn the first rudiments of drawing l recommend this course. Thank you city academy and Francine and Susi.

Aemonn was a friendly, enthusiastic and at-the-top of his game teacher. He started on time, he finished on time, and he handled all questions in a kind and thorough way. His explanations were clear and to the point. Cherry on the cake: his sense of humour and his passion for singing pervaded throughout the sessions."

Not just one factor but several. The tutors were both FANTASTIC - really couldn't have been better. They were inspiring because they were both SO good at what they do and very knowledgeable, and with that they were very friendly and supportive and made it feel safe to make mistakes and try again. Also the content was great - varied, plentiful and just the right amount of challenge - and the venue was excellent too. The course was a real process and I learned a lot. The other students made a lovely group too. Thank you!

The instructor was great, good learning pace and challenging. It is very easy to book the course and city academy provide a great support, such as a reminder of the start of the course. I can see that I have improved alot in the due course. And a special thanks to Anna the instrutor. :)

Really fun class! Got exactly what I wanted out of it - a fun, energetic way to keep fit, with a fabulous tutor in Anna McDonald!

I recently attended an audition for one of the academy theatre companies. The team made the whole experience really fun and rewarding. It was wonderful to see everyone in the room relax and grow in confidence even over the short time we were together. It honestly felt more like a workshop than an audition and I felt that everyone, regardless of whether they progress to be a part of the company or not, learnt something from the director and his team. There were certainly a lot of smiles as we left!

I was a little nervous about taking a Tap class, what with two left feet and all, but this class was so much fun! The teacher was really welcoming and encouraging and the rest of the class were a joy to learn with, such a diverse group. Move over Gene Kelly, I ll be dancing for a long time now, can t wait until the next course

Super fun and instructive street dance lessons. The choreo will definitely raise your level. Manuela is a wonderfully supportive teacher who will devise a way to help with you with even the trickiest steps.

I did the City Academy dance foundation course over the summer and was disappointed. It was mostly random routines with little structure or technique like the website claims. The teachers focus on making it difficult (which is challenging and fun in it's own way) not making it understandable (slow and deliberate practice). They were really nice but I walked away with little applicable dance training and I wouldn't recommend it.

Many of the students complained and the admin wasn't very responsive until it was too late. I do think the teachers know best but I wish they would've at least conducted a survey at the end or at the beginning.

On the other hand, there were students who really wanted a ton of routines because they are more fun. And some of the routines were fabulous. My classmates enjoyed it. I would just say to anyone thinking of going to assess your own learning style: routine versus technique.

It wasn't any different than going to classes at Pineapple, Danceworks etc. For the price/time commitment, I should've just gone there. At least I would've been able to choose teachers/hours etc.

I have since completed the dance foundation course at RDA and it is the exact opposite. It is all technique with a few routines and a lot more individual feedback. I think the contrast makes me really reflect and, writing this half a year later, I realise it was mostly a waste of time/money.

Teaching, equipment and interaction during the course fostered adequate learning."

I've done a number of dance courses with City Academy. Salsa classes with Dani & Magda are really great and Pia was excellent for the beginners lesson. All taster courses have been good, although I'm not suited to all dance styles! I've started Ballroom with Jo who is another excellent teacher. It can't be an accident, there's a clear pattern inn high quality teaching!

You do have to pay attention and practice, as they are group classes focusing on technique. The rewards are good though as you can then have a go easily in a social setting.

As well as high quality teaching the admin is sensible, reactive and friendly.

I've been very happy learning to dance over the years. Thank you all :)

Really high standard of teaching; a jam-packed, inclusive day which covered every aspect of effective public speaking. Plenty of opportunity for practical work, putting into practice everything we'd learnt. We all came away with much greater confidence about our public speaking skills, and far greater control over our material and performance.

The basic are well taught and the teachers are really good.

I completed the ballet for beginners course. The tutor Jess was really friendly and nice and created a fun and supportive atmosphere for beginners. Also having small class sizes was really helpful so the teacher could spend more time with each student.

I just finished my first acting course, acting for beginners. I can honestly say I enjoyed every single class with Isla. That was an amazing experience and it definitely helped me a lot. I already found another one I ll book. I would definitely recommend it!!!

Great musical theatre classes and the atmosphere is perfect (easy for beginners but more experienced students still learn/get feedback). The tutors are beyond hilarious and give a great feel!

Hamilton musical workshop, fluent course, no waste every seconds!

Jonathan was amazing! Really inclusive encouraging and got the basic points about improvisation accross very effectively. I had a wonderful day, laughed a lot and met the most inspirational group of people. This day of fun and shared emotion has given me the confidence to do more impro. In fact I feel I NEED to do it!! Thank you Jonathan!!!

Loved the Pop & Rock singing course, great fun and learned a lot.

Diva Dance - Beginner Course
Amazing teacher, amazing dance routine!
Lorraine was everything you would want in a teacher, she made it fun and easy to follow. I actually ended up missing the last two sessions due to work and I was absolutely heartbroken. As soon as I have the time I will be booking another Diva Dance Course with Lorraine

This is the perfect dance studio that I have ever seen. Good trainers for kids and adults too.

I took Street Dance lessons: Anna is really a great teacher, so enthusiastic and making you feel great during and after dancing

I did the diva dance class last year and because I loved it so much (the tutor and class course generally), I signed up to beginners ballet not long after to try something a bit different. This course was great - my next one will be the intermediate level!

I attended this intro Salsa course seeking to consolidate the foundations of this dance and that's exactly what my teacher provided. They had an exceptional ability to break down the dance into small building blocks, identify rules and patterns and provide us with great tools to build Salsa choreographies and lead our dance partners through them. This course was simply excellent. Thank you very much!

I've done a beginners acting class and been part of two of the 'Acting Company' productions and thoroughly enjoyed all of it!! Great plays, great teams and great directors. An incredible experience and a great learning opportunity!

"The coaches were all great and made it really fun yet still really professional. Loved it and gutted it's finished"

I've just completed beginners ballet - Georgina is a great teacher, keeps it fun but very strict on alignment. I loved it I'm doing it again

Great experience of tap dance beginners. Fun, fast paced, but enough time to practice. Learned a huge amount in 6 weeks!

The tutor was excellent. Great knowledge and the right amount of encouragement with correct and help is develop further. I felt like he gave individual attention to everyone and that he was invested in my progress.

Tim Faulkner was an inspirational and very talented teacher. Sadly I missed the two middle sessions because my dog was injured but I came to the first and last session and I learned a tremendous amount and it has inspired me to study this subject further. Thank you

Attended the 1 day beginners ballet class with Hedrick - great instructor. Sunday well spent!

Our teacher Philipp was very interesting, he gave us a lot of advices, fact and stories about screen acting. A must to do !

Having time of my life! Couldn't dream about a better adventure than salsa classes with City Academy - it's all about fun, confidence building, social relationships and developing your passions. Absolutely loving it!

Great creative writing course for beginners. Supportive and clearly talented tutor, wonderful atmosphere and lovely fellow students. Included story structure, use of imagery and writing prompts. The exercises were fun and there was no pressure to complete things or get things right. Thoroughly enjoyable and a great stress relief from the day job

Ballet Improvers 1
Georgina makes is both rigorous and fun. I never imagined learning ballet at my age but she has made it possible. I am immensely grateful to her.

Attending this course facilitated by Jude Bolten was an eye opener.

First, the instructor helped me to discover words that were difficult for me to pronounce properly. So I discovered what I did not know that I didn't know.
Secondly this course offered me specific tools and techniques for elocution, articulation, variation, volume, kit list, pause & exhale, Alexander technique,effective vocal use, to mention a few.
Lastly the practical sessions was a pointer on how I can continue the exercises after this course.

Overall I now have an idea of what to work on, what tools and techniques I have to work with, and what to watch out for during my practise sessions. Thank you Jude."

I went to a Sit Com Taster Class. It was brilliant. Genuinely experienced writers there. Tasters are a great way to do what they say they will do - help you to taste and try new stuff. Well worth the money too !

Mark

Rory was great. Explained well and gave lots of encouragement.

Careless advisors who can't give any information on classes or suitability. I said to them they only care about getting the money in because they "don't give refunds if classes aren't suitable ". They said that's not how they want to be seen, didn't even deny it. A Mickey Mouse organisation

The Beginners Acting course led by Toby had a great vibe and was truly enjoyable with the right amounts of challenge and fun. It's excellent for working on acting skills and personal development. Great experience overall!

The Storytelling one day course was very enjoyable with a good mix of theory and interactive work. Miranda was a very knowledgeable and effective tutor.

I didn t think I would enjoy the acting beginners class quite as much as I did, but the tutor was great and the group was fun. I'd say definitely worth a try.

I felt the course was at the perfect level for me. Feel like I have some great techniques to prepare & deliver for my work

Just completed the Acting - Beginners class with Katie Sherrard. Fantastic course. Katie was an excellent teacher and I learnt a great deal and had a lot of fun doing it! Thank you for a memorable experience.

Thoroughly enjoyed all the classes and improved and achieved my goals as a result

Just completed yet another amazing workshop with City Academy. If you want to learn in an environment where you feel welcomed and encouraged then this is the place for you. I always leave any class or workshop i do with them feeling great and inspired :)

I am very satisfied with what I`ve learnt and How the classes were delivered

The tutor for the 42nd Street tap dance workshop was excellent and course content was just right. The tutor made sure we were all capable of learning the steps and made sure we were all ok before moving on.

I really enjoyed the blogging for beginners course and felt a lot clearer about blog writing and how I would go about it after.

I had the time of my life at City Academy. You need to go feel it immediately. Right now!

Musical Theatre Beginners Course
The tutors are amazing, they make us feel supported all the time, challenge us and treat us as individuals. Loved it!!! :)

Just completed my 3rd course for Bollywood beginners, l am addicted!
Emiko is the best teacher, she can teach even the most incapable people (by this l mean myself ) I really recommend her classes.
I have seen myself growing more confident day by day and everyone in our group has grown so much.
Will definitely continue, it's so much fun!
Thanks Emiko

I attended the Art Summer School here this summer. The winning, skilled, encouraging, shared expertise of both Susi and Francine made this the best art class / summer school I have ever had the joy of attending. Julia

I really loved the concept of the Diva Dance course. The sessions were fun and the tutors were great!

Highly recommend courses with City, always great people and atmosphere, very supportive and encouraging classes, great locations, but most importantly, absolutely fantastic teachers :)

Met a lot of professional staff in the industry. Great experience.

Aleksandra is extremely knowledgable, always prepared lessons and made sure we had materials before class to do homework. I felt supported in my personal journey to sing solo and achieved that with encouragement and support from Aleksandra. The group was small which made it work much better but having access to backing tracks to practice songs, songs to listen to and articles to read made it a very effective course. The best I ve attended at City Academy.

Tim Faulkner was very encouraging and helped me to develop skills that I have already put to good use. I will definitely try another class.

I recently did a Ballet Beginners Class with Vanessa Fenton and she is an amazing teacher! She really connects with the group and is very passionate about the technique and movements! She points mistakes and help you get better and you can actually feel you are improving class after class! Thank you so much Vanessa for all! I ll recommend City Acadamy Ballet classes for sure!

They're such a fun and amazing team down there! Lorraine was my teacher for Diva Dance, and to say it was fun was an understatement. She had an incredible talent for making you comfortable. Each week we would all be in stitches laughing together and just having an amazing time! Thanks, Lorraine!!

Musical Theatre Singing - Improvers class
Elliot is a great teacher!
He's very knowledgeable, smart, enthusiastic and passionate.
He definitely exceeded my expectations. I would really recommend his course!

It was a very interesting class with lots of useful information. The tutor kept us busy with exercises and the time passed quickly. Very worthwhile.

Belting Workshop
Dan was a really good teacher. I really liked that he talked in detail about anatomy and he helped me understand how it feels, within my voice, to belt

What a fun day on the Comedy Acting Introduction class, it was very informative, our tutor Natasha was great! Great location. Highly recommended.

Maks is an awesome teacher who really makes you push beyond your limits to improve. Good workout and technique class :-)

City Academy singing classes are just superb fun and educational at the same time. Easily one of the best decisions I have made in attending.

Brilliant teacher! Lots of fun and learnt great tap steps. Pace was sometimes a little too fast for me but very supportive teacher and was a good variety for all levels of beginners. I would highly recommend the course and teacher Rory Cubbins.

One Day Improvisation Course - Jake was very encouraging to everybody during a challenging but light hearted, fun day. He gave really good tips throughout and was prepared to chat and genuinely help afterwards when I was asking for some career direction. Thanks Jake!

Having just completed the Singing Beginners class, I want to say it was a fantastic experience! Jacob was an absolutely wonderful teacher. He always made it feel comfortable singing with and in front of other people. His warm up exercises and techniques have helped me to sing more healthily and avoid sore throats (which was what I had problems with before - I wasn't using the right body parts to sing). He coaxed people out of their metaphorical shells, gave us the tools to start singing, and celebrates how much fun it is to just sing together. His passion for music and guiding others really shines through. I'd definitely recommend him to anyone else interested in learning the foundations of singing.

Amazing lessons! Learn so much. Aimed perfectly at our level.

I took several dance classes here (ballet, contemporary dance, burlesque) and I really enjoyed all of them. Teachers were professional, enthusiastic and supportive. Also I have great experience with their customer service. Every time I needed something, they always helped me.

Harriet is an excellent teacher!
Comprehensive and practical approach to Presentation skills. She addresses the pitfall and weaknesses commonly made during presentation.
I enjoyed my day and learned a lot.
Thanks.

Great instruction.
Well organised. Everything was smooth

Beginners Singing Class
Well taught, friendly and encouraging so really put me at ease to just try in spite of nerves and also to ask questions. Would definitely recommend to a friend!

Rory is an absolutely brilliant teacher - funny, patient and so encouraging!
Always look forward to his classes :-)

Salsa Beginners
Magda and Danny are amazing teacher, they teach in a way that you are always learning, keeping you at ease with your difficulties and helping you improving!

The information and practical skills have been very useful and I can incorporate them into my life.

Excellent location, very experienced, practical and responsive tutor.

The screenwriting course was structured really well, and it was nice that it was focused for practical/real life use! Jon was an amazing teacher, really enthusiastic, encouraging and great at getting everyone involved. I am keen to do another course soon! Thanks.