Dancehouse Theatre

The Dancehouse is a dance centre on Oxford Road in Manchester. It occupies a former Regal Cinema built in 1929–30 by Pendleton and Dickson for developer Emmanuel Nove. The building originally housed two meeting halls that became Britain’s first multiplex, the Regal Twins, with 1930 Art Deco interiors. In 1972 Star Group turned it into a five-screen cinema before it closed in the 1980s. Northern Ballet School, founded in 1977 by Patricia McDonald, leased the derelict site in 1990 and restored the building. The Dancehouse Theatre opened in 1994 after Princess Margaret performed the opening. The 430-seat theatre was created from one derelict cinema while the rest became five dance studios for Performers College Manchester and Northern Ballet School. The complex covers 3,300 square metres and includes three medium and two large studios, a green room, café bar, theatre bar and coffee shop. Funding came from the Foundation for Sport and the Arts, the Arts Council of England and many subscribers. Visitors find a restored Art Deco interior with a 430-seat theatre and five dance studios. The green room, café bar, theatre bar and coffee shop provide places to relax. The building’s history is visible in its original cinematic features and later adaptations. Local band Elbow filmed the video for ‘Newborn’ here, adding a cultural footnote. The complex stands as a working dance school and performance venue in the heart of Manchester.