Acosta Dance Foundation - Summer Intensives 2026

This programme brings together talented young dancers from London and across the globe who are eager to deepen their training through the Carlos Acosta curriculum, rooted in the traditions of the Cuban Ballet School, Técnica Cubana Contemporánea and Afro-Cuban Folklore.

Programmes & Fees

Acosta Dance Foundation Summer Advanced

Ages: 14-16
Time: 9:30am – 4:00pm
Monday/Friday
Fees:
Two-week programme: £1300 (non-refundable)
One-week only: £800 (students registered for the first week only do not have access to the performance; non-refundable)
Acceptance fee: £100 The acceptance fee is separate from the programme fees. It is a one-time, non-refundable fee that is not applied toward the cost of the programme.

For both the Summer and Advanced & Summer Hub Programmes, all female-identifying dancers are required to have a minimum of two years of pointe work experience.

Objectives:

  • Deepen classical ballet foundations achieving greater technical precision while training through Carlos Acosta’s curriculum, rooted in the Cuban Ballet School.
  • Experience a unique combination of ballet, Técnica Cubana Contemporánea, and Afro-Cuban dance
  • Build stage confidence and develop technical and artistic skills.
  • Encourage teamwork, discipline, and resilience in a supportive environment

Acosta Dance Foundation Summer HUB

Ages: 17-21
Dates: August 3-14
Time: 9:30am – 4:00pm
Monday/Friday
Fees:
Two-week programme: £1300 (non-refundable)
One-week only: £800 (students registered for the first week only do not have access to the performance; non-refundable)
Acceptance fee: £100 The acceptance fee is separate from the programme fees. It is a one-time, non-refundable fee that is not applied toward the cost of the programme.

For both the Summer and Advanced & Summer Hub Programmes, all female-identifying dancers are required to have a minimum of two years of pointe work experience.

Objectives:

  • Consolidate advanced technique through the Carlos Acosta curriculum rooted in the Cuban ballet School.
  • Train intensively with international faculty and guest artists
  • Deepen your practice through diverse movement traditions, including Cuban contemporary technique and Afro-Cuban forms.
  • Expand artistic horizons and prepare for professional or vocational pathways in dance

The Acosta Dance Foundation Summer Programmes brings together talented young dancers from London and across the globe who are eager to deepen their training through the Carlos Acosta curriculum, rooted in the traditions of the Cuban Ballet School, Técnica Cubana Contemporánea and Afro-Cuban Folklore.

Home-schooled students may also be considered for the Acosta Advanced Training Hub, a full-time two-year programme for students ages 16–17, based at the Acosta Dance Centre in London.

Elegibility
Students aged 14-21 on 31 August 2026

Requirements
All applicants joining the Summer Hub and the Summer Advanced must submit photographs as part of their application.

Application deadlines
Applications open: 15 September 2025 Applications close: Friday 8 May 2026 at 23.59 GMT.

Location
Acosta Dance Centre - Artillery Square, Royal Arsenal, Woolwich. London SE18 (Just a 1-minute walk from Woolwich Station on the Elizabeth Line)

Yaday Ponce

Teacher Técnica Cubana

She began her dance studies in 1990 at the Alfonso Pérez Isaac Vocational Art School in Matanzas, her hometown, where she trained in classical ballet and contemporary dance.
In 1998, after three years of study at the National Dance School in Havana, she graduated as a Dancer and Teacher specializing in Modern and Folkloric Dance. That same year, she joined the company Danza Contemporánea de Cuba under the direction of Maestro Miguel Iglesias, where she achieved the rank of principal dancer and attained the highest level as a teacher and rehearsal director. Throughout her career as a dancer and instructor, she has trained with renowned teachers such as Isidro Rolando, Manolo Vázquez, Mats Ek, Ana Laguna, Kenneth Kvamström, Juan Kruz, Itzik Galili, and Pedro Ruiz. Her professional repertoire includes Génesis para un carnaval by Narciso Medina; Yerma by Roberto Blanco; Folía y Compás by Jan Linkens; La cueva de cristal by Lídice Núñez; Casi by Juan Kruz Díaz de Garaio; Horizontes by Pedro Ruiz; Tocororo, fábula cubana by Carlos Acosta; Nayara. Mira, pero no toques by Samir Akika; Mambo 3XXI by George Céspedes; Casi Casa by Mats Ek; and Demo-N/Crazy by Rafael Bonachela, among other choreographies. She has performed on stages in England, Portugal, Austria, Venezuela, Spain, Australia, the United States, Italy, and China. Additionally, she has participated as a dancer in films, television series, and commercials. In 2011, she was awarded the Ramiro Guerra Prize for Female Performance by the Hermanos Saíz Association, which had also recognized her in 2010 for her invaluable contribution to Danza Contemporánea de Cuba and her dedication to the art of dance. She has served as a judge for level evaluations at the country’s National Dance Schools. In 2014, she graduated with a Gold Degree in Dance Arts, specializing in Contemporary Dance, from the University of the Arts (ISA). She is a member of the National Career Commission of the University of the Arts and was a professor at the National School of Art. Since 2016, she has been Maître at Acosta Danza under the direction of Carlos Acosta. That same year, she assisted in staging Acosta's version of Carmen for Texas Ballet Theater in the United States and taught a Cuban technique class at the company’s school. In 2018, she restaged Carmen at Queensland Ballet in Australia. In 2019, she was invited as a guest teacher at the National School of Arts of Cuba, serving as a judge for the contemporary dance evaluations. That same year, she assumed the artistic direction of Acosta Danza. She has worked alongside choreographers such as Carlos Acosta, Pontus Lidberg, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, María Rovira, Jorge Crecis, Alexis Fernández (Maca), Miguel Altunaga, Mickael Marso Riviere, Juanjo Arqués, and Goyo Montero. Since 2020, she has been a member of the Advisory Council of the Havana Dance Center. In 2021, she earned a Master’s degree in Theoretical Dance Studies from the University of the Arts.

Javier de Frutos

Choreography workshop

is a director, choreographer, designer, filmmaker, and one of the most influential and prolific Hispanic artists working today. His accolades include the 2007 Olivier Award for Best Theatre
Choreography, the 2011 Evening Standard Award, 2005 Critics Circle Awards, the 2004 Time Out Award, the 1997 South Bank Show Award, the Prix de Auteur in the 1996 Concours de Seine-Saint Denis in Paris, and the 2017 Chita Rivera Award for Best Choreography in a Feature Film for the screen adaptation of London Road. Additionally, he received the 2024 Outstanding Career Achievement Award at the Dance Camera West Film Festival in Los Angeles and the 2024 Best Short Dance Film at the National Dance Awards. In 2000, the South Bank Show dedicated a full feature to his work, which was nominated at the Royal Television Society Awards for Best Arts Documentary. De Frutos also became the first recipient of The Arts Council of England Fellowship, through which he studied extensively the works of Tennessee Williams. In recent years, three of his films – The Burning Building (for Birmingham Royal Ballet), Whoever You Are, and The Sequestered Disc – have been celebrated in film festivals around the world. More recently, he oversaw the 10th anniversary of Thresh/Hold for Pilobolus Dance Company and the long-awaited revival of the musical London Road at the National Theatre.

Ariel Serrano

Masterclass

Born in Oriente, Cuba, trained in his country’s National Ballet School system before completing his studies in Italy in 1990. He danced with Ballet Camagüey the National Ballet of Cuba, and later
became a principal with Ballet de Monterrey in Mexico. After defecting from Cuba in 1993, he and his wife Wilmian Hernández joined The Sarasota Ballet, where they performed principal roles until 2000. In 2011, they co-founded the Sarasota Cuban Ballet School (SCBS), the first in the US dedicated to teaching the Cuban ballet method to all levels. Under Serrano’s direction, SCBS has gained national and international recognition, with students winning top awards and joining leading companies such as The Royal Ballet, Hamburg Ballet, Miami City Ballet, and San Francisco Ballet. He has also taught widely across the US, UK, South America, and the Caribbean, and served as a judge in international competitions.

Loipa Araújo

Masterclass

Loipa Araújo is a Cuban ballet dancer, ballet master, and teacher of ballet. Along with Aurora Bosch, Josefina Méndez, and Mirta Plá, she is regarded as one of the "four jewels of Cuban ballet".
Nicknamed the "Cuban muse of Marseille", Araújo is considered to be "one of the best ballet teachers in the world today”

International Students

International Auditions

International students will also have the opportunity to audition in person, as the Acosta Advanced Training Hub (AATH) and the Acosta Dance Foundation will be holding auditions abroad. Our international auditions for the Summer Programme are scheduled as follows – please visit our International Auditions page for full details.

Japan - February 2026

Mexico - April 2026

USA - January 2026

For more information, please visit our International Auditions page.

Housing Information

While the Acosta Dance Foundation Summer Programme does not provide on-site accommodation, we are happy to guide students in finding suitable housing options. Dancers may consider:

  • Homestays: Local families offering short-term stays for students.
  • Student Housing / Shared Apartments: Short-term rentals or shared apartments near the Acosta Dance
    Centre.
  • Hotels: Convenient for students attending only the two-week programme.

(We encourage early booking, as options near the Centre can fill quickly)

Beyond refining technique, the Acosta Dance Foundation Summer Intensives challenge young dancers to grow as versatile, confident artists ready for the global stage. Training is rooted in the Acosta curriculum, rooted in the Cuban School of Ballet and enriched by Técnica Cubana Contemporánea and Afro-Cuban traditions, offering a unique blend of precision, strength, and expressive freedom. Under the guidance of an international faculty and guest artists, students expand their artistic vocabulary, explore diverse movement traditions, and develop the stage presence and resilience required for a professional path. More than a course, this is an opportunity to deepen your practice, broaden your horizons, and connect with a community of peers who share the same dedication and ambition.

Born from the fusion of classical ballet discipline, modern dance innovation, and the rich movement traditions of Cuba, Técnica Cubana Contemporánea is one of the most distinctive contemporary dance methods in the world. It combines the precision and strength of ballet with the fluidity, grounded power, and rhythmic vitality of Afro-Cuban dance. The result is a technique that challenges dancers physically, expands their expressive range, and develops true versatility. For young artists, training in this method means gaining not only technical excellence but also a unique voice and presence on stage, qualities that set Cuban-trained dancers apart on the global scene.

Students are expected to wear a simple, comfortable ballet/dance uniform. We recommend:

For female students:

  • Leotard in any solid colour
  • Ballet tights in pink or skin tone
  • Ballet slippers in pink or skin tone

For male students:

  • Black tights or bike pants
  • Fitted white t-shirt
  • Black ballet slippers.

For assistance and recommendations, please contact info@acostadancefoundation.org.uk

Transform your dance journey - Register Now

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Name
Please provide your DOB on the following format: MM/DD/YYYY
Gender Identity
Please provide your stage/prefered name
If you would like to share your pronouns, please list them. If you do not wish to share your pronouns, please leave the text blank.
Will you be over 16 years old at the time the course starts?
Please share with us your current dance level/studies.
Please share with us if you have any medical conditions and or allergies we need to be aware of.
Please share with us if you have any previous injuries, big or small we should be aware of.
Images

All images must be uploaded directly onto this application form. Emailed photographs will not be accepted.
Professional photography is not required for these images.
We kindly ask you to use recent images.
The images only serve as visual guidelines.

NOTE: Male-identifying dancers please ignore the fourth position en pointe image.

Ensure the photographs are appropriately sized and correctly oriented and the dancer fully occupies the frame.
In the file name of each photograph, include the applicant's full name.
Accepted files: jpg, jpeg, or png file formats.
Size accepted: 10MB max.

Fourth position en pointe.
Arms: Fifth position
Click or drag a file to this area to upload.
First Arabesque
(facing side).
Click or drag a file to this area to upload.
A la seconde.
Arms: Second Position
Click or drag a file to this area to upload.
Tendu Devant
Arms: Fourth Position
Click or drag a file to this area to upload.
Price: £25.00
Terms and Conditions Acosta Dance Foundation Summer Programme (ADFSP) 1. Eligibility a. The Acosta Dance Foundation Summer Programme is open to dancers aged 3–21. b. Students enrolling in the Summer Hub or Summer Advanced Programme must acknowledge that they have successfully, partly or fully, completed at least two years of ballet training. c. The programme will run from 3–14 August 2026. d. Applicants must demonstrate a genuine passion for ballet and contemporary dance, alongside an interest in the Cuban elements embedded within the Acosta curriculum. 2. Application Process a. Entry into the ADFSP is subject to registration and acceptance; no audition is required. b. All applications must be submitted within the specified deadline. c. The Acosta Dance Foundation and the Acosta Dance Centre reserve the right to accept or reject any application at their discretion, without the obligation to provide a reason. 3. Venue and Facilities a. The ADFSP will take place at the Acosta Dance Centre, Woolwich Works, Royal Arsenal, London. b. The Centre provides state-of-the-art dance studios and facilities, ensuring an inspiring and professional learning environment. 4. Fees and Expenses a. The ADFSP is a fee-paying programme offered as part of the Acosta Dance Foundation’s training opportunities. b. By submitting this form, applicants agree to pay a £25 registration and administration fee. This fee is non-refundable under all circumstances. c. Participants are solely responsible for their own accommodation, travel, meals, visas (if required), and personal expenses. 5. Commitment and Attendance a. Students accepted into the ADFSP are expected to commit fully to the programme. b. Regular attendance and active participation in all classes, workshops, and performances are mandatory. 6. Code of Conduct a. Students must adhere to a professional code of conduct at all times. This includes: Punctuality for all scheduled activities. Respectful behaviour toward faculty, staff, and fellow participants. A commitment to fostering a positive and supportive learning environment. 7. Media Release a. By completing and submitting this registration form, parents, guardians, and participants consent to the Acosta Dance Foundation and the Acosta Dance Centre capturing and using photographs, video recordings, and other media materials of participants for educational, promotional, and marketing purposes, in print and digital formats. b. This consent applies to all programme strands, including the Advanced, Children, and Junior programmes. 8. Changes and Cancellations a. The Acosta Dance Foundation and the Acosta Dance Centre reserve the right to make changes to the programme schedule, curriculum, or teaching staff if necessary. b. In the event of unforeseen circumstances or insufficient enrolment, the Acosta Dance Foundation and/or Acosta Dance Centre reserve the right to cancel or postpone the ADFSP. Appropriate notice will be provided to participants. c. International students are responsible for obtaining all required visas, permits, and legal documentation necessary to attend the programme. 9. Legal Binding Agreement By submitting this form and completing registration, applicants (and/or their parents/guardians, if under 18) acknowledge that they have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by these Terms and Conditions in full. For any questions or additional information, please contact us at: 📧 info@acostadancefoundation.org.uk

Keep in touch

For inquiries, contact:
info@acostadancefoundation.org.uk

0330 500 2186
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