The Work Room and Barrowland Ballet co-run weekly, morning contemporary class for the professional dance community in Glasgow on Thursdays and Fridays. The classes began in 2018 in response to the lack of professional-level contemporary dance classes in the city, providing a space for independent dance artists to come together to train and sustain practice.
PAY-AFTER-CLASS link here.
ABOUT
Class is led by Aya Kobayashi and guest artists. Aya takes a different teaching approach to the classes on Thursdays and Fridays, with guest teachers taking a similar approach. Guest teachers in this term include: Kirstie Simson & Charlie Brittain, Jack Anderson, and Saffy Setohy. More details for each guest and more guest artists to follow.
Our aim is for these classes to be accessible to a wide range of physicalities. If you have any access requirements that you would like to make us aware of in advance or you would like to chat this through, please contact hello@theworkroom.org.uk
Thursdays, 9.30-10.45am
The class includes both set materials and improvisations to train the clarity and embodiment through release based technique. We start with gentle way-in to our moving body, often focus on breath and energy paths to find attentiveness. With a few simple repetitive exercises we will try to find a deeper understanding of gravity, alignments and skeletal connections. The class is designed to develop your stamina and strength as we will move through with full bodied engagement and articulation. Some phrases are repeated over a few weeks to explore familiar and unfamiliar coordination of movement vocabulary.
Fridays, 9.30am-10.45am
The class starts with giving space to breathe, land or ponder then offering some images or small questions to navigate an explorative journey. Using various imageries, somatic exercises, or looking at other species or other art forms as hints or metaphors, we explore the anatomical potential and find the connections in things we live with. We will enrich our embodiment and feed into your practice. The class welcomes all movers. Aya cares about the journey of each class and within the inclusive facilitation, will move with openness and playfulness to cultivate the moving body together.
Venue
Professional Contemporary Class takes place at: Queens Park Govanhill Parish Church, 170 Queen's Drive, Glasgow, G42 8QZ. QPGPC has yellow doors. The internal venue used is the Sanctuary, which is accessed via lift or stairs.
Occasionally, the location of class may need to change at short notice if the hall is required by the community for a funeral service. Ticket holders will be emailed about any change of location ASAP, and we will announce this on our website and socials.
Cost & Booking
Classes are subsidised by Barrowland Ballet and The Work Room.
The class fee is £7 with the option of discounted rates (£5 & £3) for Work Room members / out-of-work artists.
While we remain keen for these classes to be an accessible resource supporting the professional dance community in Glasgow, the long-term sustainability of this programme is not possible without generating income towards the costs. We encourage you to consider what you are able to contribute financially to make these classes possible. If the discounted rates are still a barrier to you attending, please do contact us to discuss – hello@theworkroom.org.uk. Book tickets in advance via Oursavvy.
Pay After Class
The ticket link expires at 10:40am.
If you want to attend class but haven’t booked a ticket in time, you can now use the Pay After Class ticket option, here.
SCHEDULE
Thur 3 September - Friday 4 September | Guest Artists: Kirstie Simson & Charlie Brittain
Thur 10 September - Friday 11 September | Aya Kobayashi
Thur 17 September - Friday 18 September | Aya Kobayashi
Thur 24 September - Friday 25 September | Aya Kobayashi
Thur 1 October - Friday 2 October | Guest Artist: Bethany Edwards
Thur 8 October - Friday 9 October | Guest Artist: Penny Chivas
Thur 15 October - Friday 16 October | Guest Artist: Amy Hollinshead
Thur 22 October - Friday 23 October | Aya Kobayashi
Thur 29 October - Friday 30 October | Aya Kobayashi
Thur 5 November - Friday 6 November | Aya Kobayashi
Thur 12 November - Friday 13 November | Guest Artist: Penny Chivas
Thur 20 November - Friday 21 November | Guest Artist: Saffy Setohy
Thur 27 November - Friday 28 November | Guest Artist: Jack Anderson
Thur 3 December - Friday 4 December | Aya Kobayashi
Thur 10 December - Friday 11 December | Aya Kobayashi
Thur 17 December - Friday 18 December | Aya Kobayashi
Food Bank
QPGC are asked for tinned items for their foodbank. While all donations are gratefully received, below is their list of items offered to visitors. This is an ongoing appeal. A crate labelled for donations is at the entrance. Items: Soup, Sweetcorn, Tuna, Spaghetti Bolognese, Beans, Potatoes, Sardines, Chilli con carne, Macaroni, Hot Dogs, Beans & Sausage, Peas Vegetable Curry, Ravioli, Carrots, Plant Based Chilli Meatballs, Chicken Curry, Custard, Rice pudding, Mandarins, Peaches, and Pineapples.
Image by Brian Hartley, Pro Class Winter Term, 2026.