The Rivoli Ballroom is one of the few remaining ballroom

Ballroom

A ballroom is a large room inside a building, the designated purpose of which is holding formal dances called balls. Traditionally, most balls were held in private residences; many mansions contain one or more ballrooms...

s in London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

, England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

. It is at 350 Brockley Road London SE4 2BY, opposite Crofton Park

Crofton Park

Crofton Park is a vibrant, mainly residential suburb and electoral ward in the London Borough of Lewisham. It is the original site of the former agricultural hamlet of Brockley. It is located 5.3 miles south east of Charing Cross, and is south of Brockley and north of Honor Oak...

 overground rail station. It started life as the Crofton Park Picture Palace in July 1913 and was converted into a ballroom in 1957, reopening in 1959 with a large sprung maple dance floor. It is currently in private hands. Famous for its original decor and interior fittings (red velvet, flock wallpaper, chandeliers, glitter balls and over-sized Chinese lanterns), it is often used as a film location and plays host to many dance and musical events. It has found favour with pop video producers and style shoots - Tina Turner's "Private Dancer

Private Dancer

Private Dancer is the fifth solo album by Tina Turner, released on Capitol Records in 1984, which became her breakthrough solo album. Turner's success with the album came after several challenging years of going solo after a public divorce from husband and performing partner Ike Turner. It is her...

" video was shot there and rock band Oasis

Oasis (band)

Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...

, pop group S Club 7

S Club 7

S Club, formerly known as S Club 7, were a pop group created by former Spice Girls manager Simon Fuller, consisting of members Tina Barrett, Paul Cattermole, Jon Lee, Bradley McIntosh, de facto lead singer Jo O'Meara, Hannah Spearritt and Rachel Stevens. The group rose to fame by starring in their...

, singer Charlotte Church

Charlotte Church

Charlotte Maria Church is a Welsh singer-songwriter, actress and television presenter. She rose to fame in childhood as a classical singer before branching into pop music in 2005. By 2007, she had sold more than 10 million records worldwide including over 5 million in the United States...

, fashion model Kate Moss

Kate Moss

Kate Moss is an English model. Moss is known for her waifish figure and popularising the heroin chic look in the 1990s. She is also known for her controversial private life, high profile relationships, party lifestyle, and drug use. Moss changed the look of modelling and started a global debate on...

 are some glitterati to make use of the venue for shoots. It is probably most famously remembered for its use in the 1983 Elton John

Elton John

Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...

 video for the song "I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues

I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues

"I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues" is a song by British singer Elton John featuring Stevie Wonder on harmonica...

". Live music plays a part at the Rivoli regularly. Indie rock band The White Stripes

The White Stripes

The White Stripes was an American rock band, formed in 1997 in Detroit, Michigan. The group consisted of the songwriter Jack White and drummer Meg White . Jack and Meg White were previously married to each other, but are now divorced...

 played a gig there on 12 June 2007. Florence + The Machine played a live show there also, which appears on the DVD packaged with the special edition box set of Lungs

Lungs (album)

Lungs is the debut album by English indie pop band Florence and the Machine, released 6 July 2009 by Island Records. The album debuted at number two on the UK Albums Chart for five weeks after its release, behind The Essential Michael Jackson compilation. On 10 January 2010 the album returned to...

, although it is more usual to find jive, rock and roll and swing bands making use of the ballroom.
Television host Justin Lee Collins also filmed his chat-show series Good Times there in March 2010.
On 27 October 2010, The Kings Of Leon performed a set for BBC Radio 1

BBC Radio 1

BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...

, with guest warm-up DJ Zane Lowe.

The building has been granted grade two Listed building by English Heritage

English Heritage

English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...

 in response to items in the press concerning its possible sale, which might have led to its closure and demolition.

Transport Connections

London Buses	Stop CV	Hazeldon Road 122, 171 London Buses route 171 London Buses route 171 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Go-Ahead London.-1952-1972:... , 172, N171
		Crofton Park Station 122, 171 London Buses route 171 London Buses route 171 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Go-Ahead London.-1952-1972:... , 172, N171
National Rail	Crofton Park Crofton Park railway station Crofton Park railway station is in Crofton Park, near Brockley, in the London Borough of Lewisham 10 km south east of London Blackfriars....

External links

• Jive Party a monthly dance event held there
• Rivoli official website