The Jerwood DanceHouse

The DanceHouse is one of a growing number of centres for dance globally that have been created to reach out to communities and act as magnets for national and international dance artists.

This £8.9 million development on the Ipswich waterfront is the cultural hub of the regenerated dockside and will be the hothouse for the development and presentation of new and emerging dance talent

The DanceHouse houses three dance studios, a 200-seat flexible space studio theatre, fitness and Pilates suits, the danceeats! café and Dance Vibe dancewear shop.

Ashton Studio (12m x 12m): This double height studio has a sprung timber dance floor finished with Harlequin dance lino, wall bars, mirrors, and cubby-holes for bags etc. It has natural ventilation with opening windows, and comfort cooling is available when necessary.  This is an ideal studio for ballet and comes equipped with an upright piano, full sound system and video viewing facilities.

Wellbeing Studio (12m x 12m): This square double height studio has a natural wood sprung timber dance floor, wall bars, mirrors, and cubby-holes for bags etc. There is natural ventilation with opening windows, plus comfort cooling when necessary.  This is an ideal studio for yoga, pilates and fitness classes, and comes equipped with an electric piano, full sound system and video viewing facilities.

The Red Shoe Studio A/B (16m x 20m): Long and rectangular, this double-height studio can be divided into two spaces by a sliding acoustic partition. It has a sprung timber dance floor finished with Harlequin dance lino, wall bars, mirrors, and cubby-holes for bags etc. It too enjoys natural ventilation with operable windows, with comfort cooling when required.  This is an ideal space for classes using shoes as well as for non dance functions and meetings. It comes equipped with an upright piano, full sound system and video viewing facilities.

Studio Theatre (16m x 20m): The double-height ground floor Studio Theatre has seating for 200 and a stage/performance area of 15m x 12m. The seating can be folded back to the rear wall to allow the space to be used in the round or for other purposes. Warm-up spaces and swift access to and from the stage and dressing rooms have been carefully factored into the design. Access from the courtyard can be used for get-ins. There is also a cross-over wall giving dancers access onto both sides of the stage. The auditorium is lined with birch plywood which is acoustically perforated.  There is a sprung wooden birch floor throughout and a range of Harlequin dance linos for the stage area.

There is also a Therapy Room for physiotherapy, injury therapy and treatments, and a Pilates Studio suitable for one on one sessions. Both these spaces are available to hire, call DanceEast on 01473 295230 for more information.