Ballet Improvers with Fukiko Takase
Autumn 2026
About Ballet Improvers with Fukiko Takase
Autumn Term Classes start on Tuesday 15 September and run until Tuesday 8 December 2026 (excluding Tuesday 27 October due to half term).
This is a light-hearted and enjoyable experience for dancers who have a foundation in classical ballet.
If you’re looking to build movement vocabulary while retaining longer and more complex sequences, this class offers options for both. The focus on the relationship between music and dance creates a unique and engaging experience that will leave you feeling accomplished and inspired.
Using rhythm and accent, the class aims to enhance muscle control and performance quality, all while being accompanied by pianist Graeme Thewlis.
Class details
- Enrol for the full 12-week term for £196 to secure your place and save or drop-in for £18 per class (concessions available).
- If you have any access requirements or specific medical needs, please contact us at classes@theplace.org.uk or 020 7121 1029 so we can support your participation. We can provide reasonable adjustments, including teaching assistant support, communication tools, and measures to reduce sensory overload. Find our access information here.
- Please arrive on time - unfortunately we are unable to accommodate participants who are more than 15 minutes late as the warm-up is an important part of the class.
- Unfortunately, we are unable to offer refunds or exchanges, unless there are extenuating circumstances. You can read our booking Terms & Conditions here.
- Our adult classes are for participants aged 18 and over, for classes for participants under 18, please find our Children and Youth classes here.
About your teacher
Fukiko Takase was born in New York and raised in Japan, trained by her mother Takako Takase and Katsuko Orita. She received the Cultural Affairs Fellowship from the Japanese government, and studied at Codarts Rotterdam Dance Academy and London Contemporary Dance School. She has worked with Henri Oguike Dance Company, Company Wayne McGregor, and Akram Khan Company.
Fukiko’s work includes 1001in collaboration with Dustin O’Halloran which premiered in Minneapolis USA, Don Juan Techno Club in collaboration with Daniel Brandt and Frieder Nagel, which premiered in Nuremberg Germany. She was featured in Thom Yorke’s Atoms for Peace music video Ingenue and TV commercials for UNIQLO, Toyota and Diner’s Club Card. She has choreographed music videos for Daniel Brandt and Hikaru Utada and she toured Japan with Utada for her 20th anniversary concert, performing for an estimated 140,000 people.
She became Honourable Professor at Shikoku University in 2022, and choreographed UMITOKAMI, collaborating with Japanese traditional musicians and puppet theatre Joruri, performed in 2022 and 2023. Fukiko works in all aspects of dance including as a performer, choreographer and teacher. She collaborates with multidisciplinary artists internationally, with a particular focus bridging cultures between the UK and Japan.