London Contemporary Dance School 4.69

London Contemporary Dance School is a contemporary dance school located in London, United Kingdom and a part of the Conservatoire for Dance and Drama. It was founded by Robin Howard in 1966 to train new dancers for his company, London Contemporary Dance Theatre.LCDS is based at The Place in the Bloomsbury area of Central London, close to the Senate House complex of the University of London, RADA and University College London.HistoryLondon Contemporary Dance School and its partner company, London Contemporary Dance Theatre, were founded in 1966 under the governance of the Contemporary Dance Trust. After receiving support from its founder, Robin Howard, the Contemporary Dance Trust moved to 17 Duke's Road in 1969, which it renamed The Place. In 1978, with assistance from the Arts Council and Linbury Trust, The Place underwent a major redevelopment, with new studios created for the School on Flaxman Terrace. In 1982, LCDS began offering a BA Honours degree in Contemporary Dance, validated by the University of Kent. In 1994, London Contemporary Dance Theatre was closed and the Richard Alston Dance Company formed. In October 2001 a £7.5 million redevelopment of The Place, including the construction of six new dance studios, was completed. In the same year LCDS and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA) formed the Conservatoire for Dance and Drama. In 2008 a £1.1 million development at The Place added two new further studios.