So you wanna learn how to dance?

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Local woman, Ruth Adams is a lady with a lifetime passion for dance. A shining light on the Northern Ireland dance and performing arts scene, as a ballet tutor and choreographer Ruth has played a pivotal role in cultivating and promoting dance talent for more than two decades at the Crescent Arts Centre in Belfast.

The Centre re-opens next month with a week-long Festival of the Arts following a major £7.2 million upgrade.

"The Crescent Arts Centre has played a pivotal role in the development of local artistic and creative talent and my own career," Ruth told Weekender. "The return of the Crescent after 18 months of work marks another exciting phase in the continued development of Northern Ireland's arts infrastructure. The week-long Festival programme will give everyone from Newtownards to Belfast and beyond the chance to get their creative juices going!"

Comber based Ruth always had a keen interest in modern dance and ballet, although it wasn't until she was in her late twenties that she began to forge her career as a dance teacher. Her formative years were spent studying ballet in Belfast and Dublin before going on to perform with the Lurgan and Ulster Operatic Societies. Demonstrating her lifelong commitment to dance, Ruth now spends much of her retirement teaching 'Second Chance Ballet' to adults at the Crescent.

"Ballet is not just for the young but also the young at heart," she added. "Many of my students are of an older age and have either never had the opportunity to dance as a child or are simply reliving early ambitions. Throughout my classes, I work hard to ensure that everyone accomplishes a sound technical grounding, which often involves a return to basic skills, if my students begin to appreciate the beauty of dance and really learn to enjoy it, my job is done!"

Ruth has had the pleasure to work alongside highly respected Belfast-based tutor Maxine Graham as well as world-renowned international choreographer Royston Maldoom. Ruth has had many inspirations over the years keeping her going in what is perceived as a notoriously competitive profession. When asked what advice she would give someone hoping to make a career in the performing arts, she said: "As a career, it's not for the faint hearted. To achieve, you must have real drive and ambition. My advice to anyone interested in making a career out of the performing arts is to start training as early as possible and get a good dance teacher. Dancing and the performing arts are sometimes perceived as something enjoyed by 'somebody else', but with community arts centres like the Crescent offering dance, performing arts and theatre, classes to all age ranges and abilities - the arts are readily accessible to all."

The Crescent Arts Centre re-opens after a major £7.2 million upgrade. When asked what difference the upgraded facilities will make to her and her students, Ruth said: "New, state-of-the-art dance studios and performance spaces will make all the difference. Our new dance studio boasts a lightly-sprung dance floor, full-length floor- to-ceiling mirrors and a dedicated changing area. In terms of the other disciplines on offer at the Crescent, the new extension means that there is double the useable space so more performance space, more art and photography studios and flexible workspaces."

The Crescent's Festival of the Arts kicks-off on April 19. Visitors to the festival can take part in any of the 100 free 'taster' classes and workshops, or take a seat as a string of world-class artists perform a vibrant and entertaining series of lunch-time and evening concerts. Members of the public will also have the chance to tour the Centre's new state-of-the art facilities.

A full schedule of activities is available at www.crescentarts.org or by calling 028 9024 2338.