House of Jack is a Leith-based dance studio focussing on street dance styles, providing affordable classes and workshops for adults of all levels and kids from Preschool to Professional, as well as youth company training, performances, shows and events.
House of Jack was formed in 2017 to create a new, accessible dance institution in Edinburgh, focusing on street dance styles and welcoming to all ages and level of ability, providing a friendly and unintimidating environment in which to learn to dance.
After two years of growth, House of Jack was incorporated as a Community Interest Company (CIC) in 2019 and we were extremely happy to create our own studio within Ocean Terminal, which launched in February 2020 and is open every day - come join us for a dance!
House of Jack is a non-profit Social Enterprise with a main aim of making dance, and its many physical, social and mental health benefits, as accessible as possible to all!
House of Jack is run by Artistic Director, Ashley Jack, and Managing Director, Becky Enoch, who co-founded and co-own the studio. An award-winning hip hop dancer and choreographer, Ashley achieved an HND in Professional Stage Dance, as well as training with hip hop and house dance pioneers in New York, Paris and Holland, and has over a decade of experience in both teaching and performing. Becky has degrees in Business and Mathematics, with experience in large project management, and takes care of the administrative, financial, marketing and legal aspects of the studio, and well as social media, music production and videography.
The growing House of Jack team includes studio assistants Coral Scott, Natalie Bullions and Natalie Divine, principal teacher Ursula Manandhar (kids classes, beginners Hip hop, advanced Choreo class, AfriVibes), Chloe Kay (toddler, preschool and P1-2 dance), Yasmin Doak and Lorna Brown (Commercial, Heels), Gabriele Bruzzese (kids Breaking), Ilja Dubrovins (adults Breaking), Justyna Malinowska (House, beginners Hip Hop), Darren Hamilton (Popping), Oscar Ho (Locking), Emanuel Carlos (AfroHouse), and Kijean Dill (Dance Party class), as well as many talented dancers who teach workshops and rotational classes, and perform as House of Jack company dancers.
Children can join House of Jack with no previous experience and may progress to being performing members of youth companies, while those attending adults classes range from teenagers to those in their 60s and beyond, of all levels of ability, from beginners to qualified professional dancers. House of Jack increases the creative development available to early-stage dancers in Edinburgh, through active youth companies, teaching and performance opportunities, free weekly open training space, workshops with renowned visiting dancers, and events to build the street dance community, such as the annual Rock What You Got battle.
As well as dance classes, the studio is also available for dancers to hire as a fully kitted-out rehearsal space, and can also be hired for kids parties, hen parties and other events, offering a large studio space, foyer, changing rooms, sound system and disco lights!
House of Jack's talented youth are highly regarded and are regularly invited to perform hip hop theatre at prominent events around Scotland such as Breakin' Convention (Edinburgh tour date), Breakin' Rules, the Scottish Parliament's 20th anniversary celebrations, and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. In 2019, Ashley Jack choreographed a curtain-raiser piece for Rosie Kay Dance Company, performed by House of Jack youth of all abilities at the Festival Theatre in Edinburgh. Also in 2019, House of Jack provided the 'Sugar Army' dancers for Oona Doherty's 'Hard to be Soft: A Belfast Prayer', performed at The Lyceum to hugely positive reviews and named as The Guardian's top dance show of 2019 in the UK. All House of Jack's young dancers have the chance to take part in House of Jack's annual Christmas show, last year held at the Church Hill Theatre – a sold-out showcase of the students' talent!
House of Jack's adult dancers perform at shows and events, including at venues Three Sisters Bar and Edinburgh Street Food, events such as The List's Hot 100 Party, National Museum Lates, Leith Festival and the SugarHill Rooftop parties, and at theatre performances such as Hidden Door Festival, Breakin' Rules and more!