30 Nov – 19 Dec
11 Jan – 6 Mar
Contemporary Action Lab (18+), Mondays 7pm–8pm (registrations open at 6.15pm)
Abbotsford Convent Basketball Court
Street Dance (16+), Wednesdays 7pm–8pm (registrations open at 6.15pm)
Abbotsford Convent Basketball Court
Family Freedance (7+), Saturdays 10am–11am (registrations open at 9.15am)
Abbotsford Convent Heritage Gardens
Classes are free!
No advance bookings.
To attend a class, simply register on the day at our pop-up Box Office, located opposite Lentil As Anything. Registration will open from 45 minutes prior to the class start time.
All attendees must turn up to register, and class spots will be filled on a first-come-first-served basis.
30 Nov – 19 Dec
11 Jan – 6 Mar
Contemporary Action Lab (18+), Mondays 7pm–8pm (registrations open at 6.15pm)
Abbotsford Convent Basketball Court
Street Dance (16+), Wednesdays 7pm–8pm (registrations open at 6.15pm)
Abbotsford Convent Basketball Court
Family Freedance (7+), Saturdays 10am–11am (registrations open at 9.15am)
Abbotsford Convent Heritage Gardens
Classes are free!
No advance bookings.
To attend a class, simply register on the day at our pop-up Box Office, located opposite Lentil As Anything. Registration will open from 45 minutes prior to the class start time.
All attendees must turn up to register, and class spots will be filled on a first-come-first-served basis.
Put your dancing shoes on, grab a friend (or three), and head down to Abbotsford Convent for 10 weeks of energetic dance classes in the open air, led by local artists from Dancehouse.
There’s three class styles to choose from, including: an Action Lab for professional contemporary dancers; a Street Dance series for all levels; and a Family Freedance series for the whole family. So you can select what suits you the best!
To keep it COVID Safe, all classes will be held outside across the Convent’s outdoor spaces, gardens and basketball court.
And to top it off, the classes are FREE. Yes you read that right, FREE.
We’re excited to sweat it out together after such a long time apart. Let’s do this!
We take your safety seriously and have put in place the following COVID safety measures to ensure you are able to feel free and have fun whilst dancing.
Freedance is a Tier 3 COVIDSafe Event and has been registered with the Department of Jobs Precincts and Regions (DJPR). Read the full COVIDSafe Event Checklist here.
Family Freedance
Ages 5+
Family Freedance classes are specially designed for children aged 5+ and their accompanying adults to get bodies a-movin’ and those endorphins flowing! The classes are for everyone (pooches can sit on the sidelines) and no dance experience is necessary. Incorporating movement, rhythm, creative dance and body awareness—you’ll be led by Josh Lowe, founder of Drill Youth Dance Company and former Artistic Director of Yellow Wheel; and Shamita Sivabalan, one of Australia’s leading Bollywood educators. So get ready to shake, shuffle and sashay upon the Convent’s rolling hills!
Please note, all children must be accompanied by a parent, carer or guardian.
Street Dance
Ages 16+
Suited for beginner to intermediate street dancers, Wednesday night’s Street Dance series will be led by choreographer Trevor Santos and Sister Sessions co-founder and waacker, Marnie Newton. Join us as we bring the flavour and energy to get everybody moving again—from foundations, to grooves and choreography. You do not have to do that Tik Tok dance in your room anymore!
Contemporary Action Lab
Ages 18+
For the professional mover yearning to travel in space, Monday night’s Action Lab is for contemporary dancers. Classes will range from a movement to facilitating an ‘express’ choreographic exploration or action. Curated and led by Keir Choreographic Award 2018 winner Melanie Lane and Yellow Wheel Artistic Director Kyall Shanks, this sunset dance class will help you find the freedom in your body as we all liberate ourselves from dancing in our homes.
Freedance aims to work around a variety of access requirements. If you have access requirements (i.e. Auslan), please email development@dancehouse.com.au three business days before your class and it will be arranged. Please email directly so we can ensure all your access requirements are met.
The Basketball Court can be accessed via wheelchair or mobility device.
Please note the space for the Family Freedance series at the Heritage Gardens is on a slight slope of grass, therefore may be tricky for a wheelchair or a mobility device.
Please note, the Basketball Court surface is astroturf. Please wear tennis shoes or any sneakers with white soles.
Classes will be cancelled due to extreme weather including rain or extreme heat (over 35 degrees).
We will make a call 30-45 minutes before the class, depending on the severity of weather. Please keep an eye out on our social media channels for announcements.
While you’re waiting for your class to start, or for some post-class sustenance, grab a meal, pastry or coffee at one of the Convent’s eateries.
Freedance is supported by City of Yarra