Venues around Cambridge

We hire various locations and teachers around town instead of owning a studio and fixed staff. Our cheap rates come from making block bookings for large groups of people but that also means we have to change venues sometimes due to rival events.

City centre map

The map shows the venues we use regularly for classes in the centre of Cambridge. See also the details of each venue listed below.

Map of Dance Class Venues in Cambridge

Downing Place URC (formerly St.Columba's URC)
Gibson Hall & Emmanuel Room

Downing Place United Reformed Church (Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3DS) is the rebuilt home of the amalgamated St.Columba's URC & Emmanuel URC congregations. Starting from the main high street (St.Andrew's Street to Regent Street), Downing Street is next to John Lewis on the corner of the new arcade. Go past the Revolution night club to reach the church and into Downing Place for the entrance(s). There are bike racks across the road but through the iron gates there is a small outer courtyard which needs to be kept clear. There's a keypad on the door to use for those who know the code or you can ring through to the relevant hall for attention. Once inside you're in the new central lobby area called The Hub. Turn right and go through The Hub to reach the renovated Gibson Hall (6.8m by 14.9m). Go left instead to get to the main church nave (10.8m by 17.8m plus extras). The front of the church can now be sectioned off to create the Emmanuel Room (10.8m by 4.5m).

Stoneyard Centre (St.Andrew's Church)
/ LivingStone's Cafe

Access to the Stoneyard Centre (43 St Andrew's Street, Cambridge CB2 3AR) is down a narrow alleyway between the Baptist Church and Tate Recruitment and through LivingStone's Cafe. If you don't see a door-duty person, ring the bell for the caretaker or volunteer to let you in. We typically use the upper hall (9.9m by 15.7m) at the back of the building (with fire escape onto Downing Place).

David Attenborough building (New Museums Site)

During the pandemic, the Cambridge University estates manager has been very kindly allowing us to use the well-paved and slightly sheltered outdoor space in front of the David Attenborough building. The location is immediately visible when entering through the archway entrance to the New Museums Site on the side facing the combination of Downing Street and Pembroke Street.

University Centre or Grad. Pad

This is where General Dancing (our free social session on Friday evening) is held. It is also the location for the club's AGM and sometimes even for Cuppers. The University Centre or grad.pad (Granta Place, Mill Lane, Cambridge CB2 1RU) is a large concrete building off Mill Lane, opposite the river. We use the Main Dining Hall / MDH (~11.6m by 13.4m) on the second floor.

Parkside School gym & hall

Parkside Community College (Parkside, Cambridge CB1 1EH) is on the opposite side of Parker's Piece from the main high street (closer to the end of Park Terrace than to East Road). It has quite a long entrance driveway and its own car park. Do not hang about after class or you will get locked in and/or annoy the site managers.

The gym (12.5m by 21.3m) is in a separate building down a slope to the right of the driveway - and is behind you if you are about to try the main building entrance by mistake.

The hall (11.0m by 14.1m) is in the main building. If you are using the entrance facing Parker's Piece, you go down the corridor to the right and then left around the inner courtyard and the Hall will be on your right.

Kelsey Kerridge Sports Centre

Kelsey Kerridge (Queen Anne Terrace, Gonville Place, Cambridge CB1 1NA) is the large sports complex, on the south-east side of Parker's Piece, beside the indoor swimming pool. There are many separate rooms inside - some of which are used for the Freshers' Fairs. The Tuesday DanceSport Latin practice is held in the Fitness Studio (with sprung floor & mirrors). The sports hall (36m x 31m) has a solid floor and Fenners Gallery (27m x 9m) has a rubber floor. If you are not already a KK member, you'll need to purchase a day pass to attend.

University Sports Centre

This is a new building complex out to the west of the city. Some public CDC DanceSport and closed CUDT or CURnR team practices are held out there. The full address is Cambridge University Sports Centre, Charles Babbage Road, Cambridge CB3 0FS. Older maps will not show this facility at all. We are mostly using the MultiPurpose room upstairs (31m x 16m), sometimes subdivided into Studios 1 and 2 (15.5m x 16m each). But the large main hall, used for competitions, can also be subdivided for practice sessions.

Cambridge Colleges

Some students can hire in-college spaces which are suitable for dance practice or events. The Students' Union has started to maintain their own list of bookable college venues.

St.John's College

The Palmerston Room at St.John's College is a largish multipurpose room (approx 8m by 15m) within the Fisher Building near Cripps and New Courts. It can be booked by members of the college but even the foyer/lobby area is usable as quick practice space.

Downing College

Downing College's Assembly Room in the Howard Building looks to have a wooden floor suitable for dancing (9m x 15m).

Homerton College

Homerton College's Auditorium is a large hall (about 12m by 19m) in the Mary Allen Building, just off Hills Road (CB2 8PH). It is positioned at the front, ie behind you and to your left, in the opposite corner from the porters lodge as you enter the lobby. There are also a couple of dance studios.

Wolfson College

Many of the CDC tea dances have been held in Lee Hall at Wolfson College, Barton Road, Cambridge CB3 9BB.

Emmanuel College

The CDC used to hold tea dances in Emmanuel College's Old Library. The Upper Hall would also have a suitable floor.

Murray Edwards College (New Hall)

Murray Edwards has several hirable rooms suitable for dancing, including the Long Room.

Newnham College

There are several rooms in Newnham College with wooden floors. CUDT members sometimes use the Jane Harrison Room.

Sidney Sussex College

The plausible hire spaces at Sidney Sussex are the William Mong Building and Junior Combination Room.

The Cambridge Union Society

The Union complex (9a Bridge Street, CB2 1UB) currently has a couple of spaces which could be used for dancing. The Blue Room is off the main 1815 bar room (size approx 6m by 14m). The old squash court room (size 6.4m by 9.7m) is sheduled for demolition but, while it survives, it's towards the back of the building, past the bar & kitchen. Eg starting from the bar: enter the toilet block, open the blank white door on your right, go down some steps to the semi-basement level corridor and the squash room is directly opposite.

Other venues

Hills Road Sixth Form College

Hills Road 6th has 2 large rooms in the main building suitable for dancing. The main hall (12m by 16.4m) has a sprung wooden floor, mirrors on one side and a barre. The recital room (12.4m by 18m) also has a wooden floor. The address is Hills Road Sixth Form College, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 8PE.

Romsey Mill Centre

Romsey Mill Centre (Hemingford Road, Cambridge CB1 3BZ) has a sports hall (10m x 16m).

Cambridge Unitarian Memorial Church

Cambridge Unitarian Memorial Church (5 Emmanuel Road, Cambridge CB1 1JW) has both the main church and the Unitarian Hall available for hire and with suitable floors for dancing.

Wesley Methodist Church

Wesley Methodist Church (Christ's Pieces, Cambridge CB1 1LG) has 2 rooms which might be suitable for dancing: The Refectory (12m x 10m at its largest) and The Octagon (9m x 9m minus corners).

Arbury Community Centre

Our medals tests (ie dance exams) are sometimes held out at Arbury Community Centre (Campkin Road, Cambridge CB4 2LD). There is a large hall (preferred) and a very small hall. There are also kitchen facilities - making it possible to hold tea dances.

William Collyn Community Centre

The new William Collyn Community Centre (Wellbrook Way, Girton, Cambridge CB3 0GP) includes a wooden-floored room suitable for dancing, The Gordon Hall (17.5m by 9.5m), with attached kitchen facilities.

Storey's Field Centre

Google Map Storey's Field Centre (Eddington Avenue, Cambridge CB3 1AA) has a couple of rooms with sprung wooden floors suitable for dancing: the main hall (18m x 10m) and the Studio (9m x 9m).

Fenners Indoor Cricket School

This (map) is a large space with good acoustics but a somewhat sticky floor. To access the building: go in the main entrance of Fenners Gym (on Gresham Rd), turn right at reception, past the changing rooms and out the door. Follow the path round to the left onto Fenners Cricket Ground and the entrance to the Indoor School.

YMCA

The YMCA (Queen Anne House, Gonville Place, Cambridge CB1 1ND) is another large building off Parker's Piece, right next to the Kelsey Kerridge. The dance studio (7.6m by 11.9m) is on the first floor and has mirrors on one wall. There is also a lower lounge (6.0m by 10.7m of usable floor with seating space to one side).

Ross Street Community Centre

RnR social practices are sometimes held out at Ross Street Community Centre (Ross Street, Cambridge CB1 3UZ). They have a hall (with wooden floor), a couple of other rooms and some kitchen facilities.

The Cambridge Guildhall

The Guildhall is off Market Square in the centre of Cambridge (CB2 3QJ). It has been the venue for a few balls and freshers' week demonstrations. The council's monthly tea dance is held there. The main hall (15.3m by 22.0m) is on the 1st floor and has connecting doorways through to a secondary hall (8.0m by 18.7m).

The Cambridge University Arms Hotel

The rebuild of this hotel supposedly includes a hirable ballroom (12.4m x 20.4m) but it has been fully carpeted and hence ruined for dancing.

Burgess Hall, St Ives

Many of the CDC balls are held in the Burgess Hall at One Leisure St Ives, Westwood Road, St Ives, Cambridgeshire, PE27 6WU.

The CDC lays on coaches for events held here but you might also want to consider using the Guided Busway - although you'd then have to leave a ball quite early for the last bus back to Cambridge.

The St.Ives Corn Exchange (The Pavement, St Ives PE27 5AD) has a floor suitable for dancing in the Charter Hall (10m x 19.5m).

Thrive Cafe

The Thrive Cafe (5-7 Norfolk St, Cambridge CB1 2LD) has reopened as a combined food and music / performance / fitness venue (Tel.01223 464899). They have upper and lower rooms to hire.

St.Matthew's School

St.Matthew's School now has 2 halls (following extensive building work). The original dining hall still contains the crash mats while the new gym has none. Contact St. Matthew's Primary School, 19 Norfolk Street, Cambridge CB1 2LD (Tel.01223 568838).

St.Matthew's Church

St.Matthew's church now has hirable spaces: a hall suitable for classes and an octagonal main church suitable for events. Contact St. Matthew's Church office, St Matthew's Street, Cambridge CB1 2LT (Tel.01223 363545).

St.Alban's School

We haven't used St.Alban's School recently. The hirable hall (6.4m x 12m) is in the OLEM parish centre (Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 1JR), not the school anymore.

St.Paul's School

We haven't used St.Paul's School hall/gym regularly of late. It remains a good space and now has a sound system but no crash mats. The full address is St.Paul's Church-of-England Primary School, Coronation Street, Cambridge CB2 1HJ.

St.Paul's Church

St.Paul's Church has been converted into a community centre with several halls in which dancing takes place. The main hall is the largest and occupies the main body of the church building but has internal pillars. The upper hall (8.1m by 10.3m) has rolling mirrors, stages at the ends and a couple of side-rooms. The address is The Centre at St Paul's, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 1JP.

St.Barnabas Church

St.Barnabas Church has been converted to have movable chairs rather than fixed pews on its wooden floor - making it a possible space for dancing despite the internal pillars. The address is St Barnabas Church, Mill Road, Cambridge CB1 2BD.

Mayfield Primary School

Mayfield Primary School (Warwick Road, Cambridge CB4 3HN) has a couple of halls suitable for dancing. The large hall (10.5m by 15.9m) has a sprung wooden floor. The small hall (7m by 14m) has more of a gym surface. Some P.E. mats are available.

North Cambridge Academy / Manor Community College

Formerly called the Manor Community College, the North Cambridge Academy is just off Arbury Road, Cambridge CB4 2JF. The CU Rock'n'Roll Team use the boxing studio gym there.

Chesterton Sports Centre

Google Map Chesterton Sports Centre (Gilbert Road, Cambridge CB4 3NY) has a large gym (12.2m x 21.6m) and sports hall (18.2m x 33.2m) and a smaller dance studio (approximately 6m x 13m).

Netherhall Sports Centre

Netherhall School & Sixth Form College has a sports centre (Queen Edith's Way, Cambridge CB1 8NN) with gym, sports hall, atrium hall and dance studio.

Trumpington Sport

Trumpington Sport (Trumpington Community College, Lime Ave, Trumpington, Cambridge CB2 9HB) has a sports hall (18m x 34m) and quite a large dance studio (14m x 16m).

Trumpington Meadows Primary School

Trumpington Meadows Primary School (Kestrel Rise, Trumpington, Cambridge CB2 9AY) has a couple of halls with wooden floors which might be suitable for dancing: the main hall (10.5m by 18.1m) and the activity studio (8.5m by 9.1m).

St.Faith's School

Google Map St.Faith's School (Trumpington Rd, Cambridge CB2 8AG) has a sports hall (32m by 17m) and a main hall (24m by 14m). The best entrance to the site is from the north, off Newton Road and directly into the sports hall block and reception area via the 2nd entrance. There's space for bikes outside the sports hall and some car parking in the road. You'll need the keypad code for the building.

Notes

  • While you may be able to collect lost property left behind at CDC events, we regret that not all venues we use offer to keep such items, and CDC cannot be held responsible for any losses. Please check carefully that you have taken all your possessions with you when you leave.
  • Please do not leave bikes in the courtyard outside St Columba's.
  • Cambridge City Council has information available on Parking in Cambridge.
  • Ladies with dancing shoes are asked to wear heel protectors to avoid damaging the floor. Please be aware that some venues insist on this, and we regret that you will not be able to participate without them. Heel protectors are available from all major dance shoe vendors and can be ordered online.