Urdang, previously known as The Urdang Academy, is a performing arts academy based in

Islington Islington () is a district in the north of Greater London, England, and part of the London Borough of Islington. It is a mainly residential district of Inner London, extending from Islington's High Street to Highbury Fields, encompassing the ...

, London. Founded as a ballet school by Leonie Urdang in 1970 and had been under the direction of CEO Solange Urdang from 2001 until August 2022, the academy now provides specialist

vocational training Vocational education is education Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understan ...

in dance and musical theatre at

Sixth Form In the education systems of England, Northern Ireland, Wales, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and some other Commonwealth countries, sixth form represents the final two years of secondary education, ages 16 to 18. Pupils typically prepare for A-l ...

further Further or Furthur may refer to: * ''Furthur'' (bus), the Merry Pranksters' psychedelic bus *Further (band), a 1990s American indie rock band *Furthur (band) Furthur was a rock band founded in 2009 by former Grateful Dead members Bob Weir and ...

and

higher education Higher education is tertiary education leading to award of an academic degree. Higher education, also called post-secondary education, third-level or tertiary education, is an optional final stage of formal learning that occurs after compl ...

level. It was acquired by

City, University of London City, University of London, is a public research university in London, United Kingdom, and a member institution of the federal University of London. It was founded in 1894 as the Northampton Institute, and became a university when The City Univ ...

in April 2022. The academy is accredited by the Council for Dance Education and Training and offers

Qualifications and Curriculum Authority The Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency (QCDA) was a charity, and an executive non-departmental public body (NDPB) of the Department for Education. In England and Northern Ireland, the QCDA maintained and developed the National Cu ...

-recognised qualifications validated by

University of Birmingham The University of Birmingham (informally Birmingham University) is a Public university, public research university located in Edgbaston, Birmingham, United Kingdom. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Queen's College, Birmingha ...

Anglia Ruskin University Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) is a public university in East Anglia, United Kingdom. Its origins are in the Cambridge School of Art, founded by William John Beamont in 1858. It became a university in 1992, and was renamed after John Ruskin in ...

and Trinity College, London. It was rated "Outstanding" by Ofsted in 2011 and again in 2015 as well as being named one of the best places to study degree level musical theatre by ''

The Stage ''The Stage'' is a British weekly newspaper and website covering the entertainment industry and particularly theatre. It was founded in 1880. It contains news, reviews, opinion, features, and recruitment advertising, mainly directed at those wh ...

'' in 2015. The academy was also shortlisted for School of the Year in ''The Stage'' 2017 Awards.

Locations

Urdang Academy was originally based in a church hall in

Golders Green Golders Green is an area in the London Borough of Barnet in England. A smaller suburban linear settlement, near a farm and public grazing area green of medieval origins, dates to the early 19th century. Its bulk forms a late 19th century and ea ...

until 1978, when it moved to studios in

Covent Garden Covent Garden is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist sit ...

. The old

Finsbury Town Hall Finsbury Town Hall is a municipal building in Finsbury, London. The structure is a Grade II* listed building. History The building was commissioned by the Parish of St James's Church, Clerkenwell to replace an early 19th century vestry hall ...

in Clerkenwell, Islington, has been the home of the Urdang Academy since January 2007, when the school relocated from its Covent Garden premises. The newest development is the addition of the new contemporary building Urdang 2, which opened in September 2014. Located in

Angel In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God. Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles inc ...

, Islington.

History

Urdang started life as a ballet school in 1970, founded by Leonie Urdang, who was born in Cape Town, South Africa, in 1939 and trained at the

University of Cape Town The University of Cape Town (UCT) ( af, Universiteit van Kaapstad, xh, Yunibesithi ya yaseKapa) is a public research university in Cape Town, South Africa. Established in 1829 as the South African College, it was granted full university statu ...

with a particular focus on choreography. She immigrated to the UK in 1961. Urdang rented space in two church halls to teach ballet students. She later relocated to an old warehouse school in Covent Garden, which was then converted into the Urdang Academy. After Leonie Urdang's death in 2001, her daughter Solange has overseen the Academy. It is recognised as one of the UK's finest performing arts colleges, rated Outstanding by Ofsted and accredited by the Council for Dance Education and Training (UK). In 2015, ''

'' named Urdang one of the best places to study degree level musical theatre. It was acquired in April 2022 by

who announced that " This acquisition is part of an ambitious new strategy to enhance and develop City’s reputation for music and its engagement with practice and the creative industries".

Courses

Full-time courses

The Urdang offers a degree course in dance and musical theatre, which both lead to

-recognised qualifications. The degree is validated by the City University of London *BA (Hons) in Professional Dance and Musical Theatre **Track A: An equal emphasis in all Musical Theatre Genres **Track C: A greater emphasis on acting and singing **Track B: A greater emphasis on dance to produce versatility

Accreditation

Urdang Academy is an Accredited School of th
Council for Dance, Drama and Musical Theatre
(CDMT) and is an Approved Dance Centre by th
Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing
(ISTD). It’s Degree course by the City University of London

Admissions

Entry to the academy is by audition only. Applicants are expected to attend an audition where they will be assessed in a jazz class, an acting workshop, a ballet class, a solo song presentation, a physical assessment and an interview.

Performances

In their third year, students perform in three full scale shows: a dance production, a musical presentation and a graduate revue showcase. First and second year students also take part in an end-of-year show and some smaller in-house productions during their training. Urdang have previously used the

Bloomsbury Theatre The Bloomsbury Theatre is a theatre on Gordon Street, Bloomsbury, in the London Borough of Camden, owned by University College London. The Theatre has a seating capacity of 547 and offers a professional programme of innovative music, drama, come ...

, the

Shaw Theatre The Shaw Theatre is a theatre in Somers Town, in the London Borough of Camden. It is a part of the Pullman London St Pancras hotel, located off Euston Road. St Pancras library Before being refurbished in 1998, the Shaw Theatre originally op ...

, the

Hackney Empire Hackney Empire is a theatre on Mare Street, in the London Borough of Hackney. Originally designed by Frank Matcham it was built in 1901 as a music hall, and expanded in 2001. Described by ''The Guardian'' as ‘the most beautiful theatre in ...

and the

Pleasance Theatre The Pleasance is a theatre, bar, sports and recreation complex in Edinburgh, Scotland, situated on a street of the same name. It is owned by the University of Edinburgh, and for nine months of the year it serves the Edinburgh University ...

for performances.

Link Talent

Third year students of the academy are represented by the in-house agency, Link Talent, which helps students gain placements on shows such as ''Strictly Come Dancing'' and ''The X Factor'' and auditions for West End shows. Students can be represented by Link Talent for up to six months after graduation allowing students the best opportunity in transition from student to professional.

Patrons

* Pippa Ailion MBE * Sean Cheesman *

Arlene Phillips Dame Arlene Phillips (born 22 May 1943) is an English choreographer, talent scout, television judge and presenter, theatre director, and former dancer, who has worked in many fields of entertainment. For many years, she was most noted as the c ...

CBE *

Wayne Sleep Wayne Philip Colin Sleep (born 17 July 1948) is a British dancer, director, choreographer, and actor who appeared on the BBC series '' The Real Marigold on Tour'' and ITV's ''The Real Full Monty''. Early life Sleep was born in Plymouth, De ...

OBE *

Anthony Van Laast Anthony Van Laast is a choreographer, mainly for the stage, concerts, television and film. His works have appeared in the West End and on Broadway. Career Anthony Van Laast was born 31 May 1951 Sussex, UK.Brian Friedman * Matt Henry MBE * JaQuel Knight

Notable alumni

Graduates from Urdang regularly perform in musicals in the West End and on UK tours as well as dancing on shows such as ''

The X Factor ''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for ''Pop Idol'' (2001–2003 ...

'' and ''

Strictly Come Dancing ''Strictly Come Dancing'' (informally known as ''Strictly'') is a British dance contest show in which celebrities partner with professional dancers to compete in mainly ballroom and Latin dance. Each couple is scored by a panel of usually 4 ...

''. Some have also choreographed and danced for pop artists including Beyoncé,

Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreog ...

Kylie Minogue Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter and actress. She is the highest-selling female Australian artist of all time, having sold over 80 million records worldwide. She has been recognised for reinve ...

Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...

Little Mix Little Mix are a British girl group, composed of group members Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Jade Thirlwall, and Perrie Edwards. Jesy Nelson was originally part of the group before she left in 2020. After becoming the first group to win the British ...

and

Take That Take That are an English pop group formed in Manchester in 1990. The group currently consists of Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen. The original line-up also featured Jason Orange and Robbie Williams. Barlow is the group's lead sin ...

. Other graduates go on to work as part of

cruise ship Cruise ships are large passenger ships used mainly for vacationing. Unlike ocean liners, which are used for transport, cruise ships typically embark on round-trip voyages to various ports-of-call, where passengers may go on Tourism, tours know ...

entertainment.

References

External links

Official website for the Urdang Academy
{{DEFAULTSORT:Urdang Academy 1970 establishments in England Dance schools in the United Kingdom Drama schools in London Educational institutions established in 1970 Schools of the performing arts in the United Kingdom