Robert Cohan recalls discovering The Place in 1969

"Forty years ago I was in New York working with the Martha Graham Company when I received a letter from Robin Howard saying, ‘I think I’ve found the right place for us. Come to see it as soon as you can.’

Robin and I had already been talking and planning for nearly two years what, how and why this idea of creating a centre for Contemporary Dance could and should be. At that time the school and company were crammed into a small studio and a half at Berners Place, just behind Oxford Street, where we all shared a toilet with the tailor just down the hall.

We knew what we wanted. At least two proper studios and proper changing rooms, space for offices, and most of all a safe house, a place of our own, where dancers could train and meet.

I was making it more difficult for Robin’s search by insisting that the building must include a theatre. At that time in London there were hardly any theatres where young choreographers and dancers could practice their art, so it had to be in central London. We had looked at and eliminated several places in the country and felt that we should be easily accessible but more importantly, as a contemporary art form, we wanted to be in the centre of the storm of new thinking about performance, music and art that was to be found in London in the 60s and 70s I flew to London at once and one wonderful day Robin, Janet (Mop) Eager and I walked through the heavy black doors on Duke’s Road that was the entrance to the 20th Middlesex Artists Rifles Volunteer Corps headquarters and drill hall. Some days providence just shines.

How fitting it seemed that the home of a volunteer group of artists like Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Edward Burnes-Jones, Ford Madox Brown, Noel Coward, John Everett Millais and William Morris and many more, could become the future home of many volunteer young dance artists.

The building was derelict but perfect. What was the gunnery range could easily become a studio, now the present cafe. We saw space for at least three more studios but best of all was the huge open space that was the drill hall itself which was just the right size for the first theatre in London dedicated to dance. Robin was afraid that there was too much space for us to fill properly. Knowing dancers and choreographers appetite for space to work in, I was not worried. Within a year we were bursting at the seams and have been ever since. All that remained was for Robin to sign the 14 year lease. He thought that 14 years was about right. Either we succeeded in that time or failed and would not need any more time. Well, we are definitely still here.

The Place has gone through many changes during our first 40 years. We bought the freehold and then acquired the building behind the back wall of the theatre, thereby doubling our studio space. Our recent renovations increased our studio space again and have left us with what is probably one of the best physical structures for dance in the world.

But of course a building, even if it is called The Place, is only as good as the dreams, the life and the people within it. From the beginning we have been unbelievably fortunate in having this building filled with the most dedicated and effective staff one could wish for, and overflowing with artists who are doing what they live for. Visitors coming into The Place are always affected by the buzz and by the energy filling the spaces. It is what, 40 years on, continues to make it so exciting."

Robert Cohan, Founding Artistic Director, The Place
September 2009