Taster Day | Swindon Ballet Programme

Swindon Dance is holding a taster day for its Centre for Advanced Training (CAT) ballet programme on Sunday 31 January, from 10:30 am to 2:00 pm at Regent Circus. It's a free session, and it's designed as a way into the full programme, so if you've got a young dancer in the house, this is the place to start.

Over the course of the morning, you'll meet the teaching team and take part in a dance class led by the centre's own instructors. There's also time to find out about the admission process and get a sense of what life as a CAT student actually looks like. The classes are meant to be accessible and enjoyable for everyone, regardless of experience level, so you don't need to be a seasoned pro to have a go.

To give you some context, the CAT is one of nine National CATs across the UK, delivering world-class dance training to young people aged 11 to 19. It's supported by the Music and Dance Scheme under the Department for Education, which provides fully funded places to keep the training accessible. Those places are often free or come at a subsidised fee, and the funding can cover extra costs like travel, performance tickets and physiotherapy.

If you do decide to move forward, the full Swindon Ballet Programme runs weekly on Sunday afternoons, 11 am to 5 pm during term time. It's taught by industry-leading choreographers and artists and covers ballet, strength and conditioning, music appreciation, choreography, performance and pointe where appropriate. The taster day on 31 January is the first step: it runs from 10:30 am to 2:00 pm at Regent Circus and is completely free.