IMAGINE a place where schoolchildren could train and play alongside Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Joe Root or James Anderson.

A regional group is trying to create the dance equivalent with their project to bring a permanent hub to Brighton and Hove.

The plans for the centre in Circus Street, Brighton, have been bubbling under the surface for six years and over the last couple of years, fundraising for the project has kicked in.

The target is just shy of £4 million – and South East Dance has raised an incredible £3.2 million already.

The centre will cater for both amateur dancers and world-leading professionals, creating a place where budding ballet dancers can rub shoulders with the best choreographers and dancers around.

Kirsty Sulston, of South East Dance, said: “I compare it to the football or cricket ground. If you don’t have those home grounds, then you would have a load of cricketers and footballers with nowhere to go.

“One thing I’m excited about is that cross-over of world-class artists and local people who would not necessarily ever cross paths with this calibre of dancers.

“It’s a real behind-the-scenes look and when professionals are working, schoolchildren and locals are able to come in, share that space, meet everyone and really get under the skin of dance.

“At the moment there’s not a place that brings everything together in that way, so we’re hoping this will provide that.”

The hub is the brainchild of Jamie Watton, chief executive and artistic director of South East Dance, who is confident they will find the remaining £500,000 by November to open the space as planned in 2018.

He said: “We’re pretty much on track. We knew this last bit would be the hardest, but you have to keep hold of the positivity and say ‘we’re going to do it’.

“It’s my role to muck in and do as much as I can. We’ve got a fundraiser but everyone at SED is contributing in some way. I have been doing a lot of fundraising, and talking to people and convincing people, but it’s really important to stay in touch with the people who it’s geared towards. That is the dancers of the city and farther afield.

“I’m passionate about this space and I think it’s really important for the city.”

With big backers in Brighton and Hove City Council, Arts Council England and the University of Brighton, Mr Watton believes confidence is justified.

To raise more than £3 million usually comes with a fair amount of sacrifice, but Mr Watton said he does not see it that way.

He said: “Yes, it’s tough and it’s a difficult time to raise money, but we really believe in this project and the city really needs it.

“I used to get to do a regular dance class, but that’s by the wayside now, but that’s about it.”

Dance has helped sculpt the life of Mr Watton.

He said: “I first came across dance in my teens.

“I was a bit of a mischief-maker and I was a bit all over the place and my parents took me to see a contemporary dance show.

“I think they were at a loose end as to what to do with me in the holidays and I remember thinking: ‘I don’t really know what it is, but I really like it’.

“It gave me focus, a sense of discipline and kept me out of trouble.

“I was the one who was chatty and gobby and interrupting people in the classroom. I wasn’t going out and breaking into cars, but I was just hyperactive and that resulted in mischief in the classrooms.”

From there he danced professionally for years before getting into the management side, and in ten years he hopes to have left a legacy with this project.

He added: “We’ve been working on this project for six years, so it would be a tremendous shame if it didn’t happen – but it is – we’re going to do this.”

Mr Watton estimates the city misses out on £2 million a year spent by city dancers on rehearsal space elsewhere.

As well as giving the professionals the space to perform, it is hoped the hub will reach out to the wider community.

The group is already working with the elderly to incorporate dance into their routine in order to prevent falls by increasing stability and flexibility.

Also, the project has been working with Brighton Oasis Project since August 2014 – a charity helping women and children affected by drug and alcohol misuse.

Mrs Sulston said: “For that community, perhaps dance hasn’t been a part of their lives, so we want to work with people like that to open their minds to what dance can be to them physically, emotionally, creatively and all those things.

“We’ve got two dance artists in residence at Brighton Oasis right in the heart of where we’re hoping to have our building.

“It’s a case of going with a bit of what they want to do and a bit of what we want to show them to expand their horizons.

“We’ve had commitment to those sessions and they’re becoming advocates for dance in their social groups.

“They’re able to tell people about the benefit, so hopefully they will be able to spread the word.”

Mrs Sulston has been dancing since the age of four and, after studying dance at university, has worked in the field for 15 years.

She said: “Dance is very unique in that it’s a creative expression like many other art forms.

“But it brings together physicality, emotional literacy and creative outlets in a way that perhaps other art forms aren’t able to do.

“Everyone has their own take on what dance means – whether it’s watching Strictly on a Saturday night or having a career in dance.

“There’s a broad audience we need to meet.”