| Established | 1920 |
|---|---|
| Type | Dance Education & Training |
| President | Antoinette Sibley, DBE |
| Chief Executive | Luke Rittner |
| Artistic Director | Lynn Wallis |
| Director of Education | Dr Anne Hogan |
| Chairman | Kerry Rubie |
| Founders | Philip Richardson Adeline Genée Tamara Karsavina Lucia Cormani Edouard Espinosa Phyllis Bedells |
| Specialism | Ballet |
| Location | 36 Battersea Square London SW11 3RA United Kingdom |
| Publication | Dance Gazette |
| Qualifications | Graded Syllabus Vocational Graded Syllabus BA (Hons) Degree PGCE Master of Arts Degree |
| Charity Number | 312826 |
| Website | www.rad.org.uk |
The Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) is an international dance education and training organization, and examination board that specialises in the teaching and technique of Ballet.[1] The RAD was established in London, England in 1920 as the Association of Operatic Dancing of Great Britain, and received its Royal Charter in 1936. HM Queen Elizabeth II is currently the patron of the RAD and Dame Antoinette Sibley has served as President since 1991.
The RAD was created with the objective to improve the standard of ballet training in the UK and, in pursuit of that goal, a new teaching method and dance technique was devised for the Academy by a group of eminent European dancers. The RAD is one of the largest dance organisations in the world with over 13,000 members in 79 countries,[2] including over 7000 who hold Registered Teacher Status.[3][4] There are currently over 1,000. R.A.D students in full-time or part-time RAD teacher training programmes and each year the examinations syllabi are taught to over 250,000 students.[5].
The RAD's Examinations Board is accredited by Ofqual and is validated by the Council for Dance Education and Training. The RAD also works in partnership with the International Dance Teachers' Association. The RAD consists of both a registered charity and a commercial division known as Royal Academy of Dance Enterprises.
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This is the chronology of the R.A.D.[6]
On 18 July 1920, Philip Richardson, then Editor of Dancing Times magazine, organised a dinner for eminent dance professionals at the former Trocadero Restaurant in Piccadilly. The diners included five special guests representing what are recognised as the leading methods of Classical Ballet training.
Other guests included Ninette de Valois, the founder of England's Royal Ballet company, and Anton Dolin, the co-founder of English National Ballet. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the poor quality of dance training in Britain at that time and following further meetings, the Association of Teachers of Operatic Dancing of Great Britain was formed, with Adeline Genee as its first President. The Association would be the predecessor of the Royal Academy of Dance.
In 1921, the Association established headquarters at the offices of Dancing Times magazine in London and the first Elementary, Intermediate and Advanced level examinations were held in the years that followed, with the first Children's syllabus being published and then examined in 1923 and 1924. In 1927 a scholarship scheme was introduced for students studying dance with an Association member and in 1928, HM Queen Mary consented to become Patron of the 'Association of Operatic Dancing of Great Britain'.
In November 1930, the first issue of Dance Gazette was published containing a historical review of the Association's first ten years. 'Dance Gazette' is still the official magazine of the RAD, being distributed bi-monthly to all fully paid members. In 1931, the first Genee International Ballet Competition for female dancers was held in London, with awards for male dancers being introduced later in 1939. The competition is now one of the most prestigious dance competitions in the world. In 1934, the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden agreed to an alliance with the Association and a Grand Council of prestigious men & women was formed to act as a governing body to advise the executive committee.
In 1935, HM King George V approved a Royal Charter for the Association of Operatic Dancing. The charter was eventually stamped with the Royal Seal in 1936, and the Association of Operatic Dancing officially became the 'Royal Academy of Dancing' (RAD). The following year in 1937, a coat of arms was granted by the College of Arms in London.
In 1950, founder President of the RAD Adeline Genée received a Royal Honour, being appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire. Further honours were awarded to members of the Academy in 1951, with Ninette de Valois being appointed a Dame, Philip Richardson being awarded the Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) and Margot Fonteyn being appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE). Following the death of Queen Mary in 1953, HM Queen Elizabeth II consented to become the Royal Patron of the Royal Academy of Dancing and Dame Adeline Genée instituted the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Award to mark the occasion. The award is presented annually to an individual, for outstanding services to ballet and the first recipient was Dame Ninette de Valois, founder of England's Royal Ballet Company. There have been many notable winners of the award:
Dame Adeline Genée retired as President of the Royal Academy in 1954 and Dame Margot Fonteyn was appointed as her successor. The leading Principal dancer of the Royal Ballet at that time and considered the greatest Ballerina of her generation, Fonteyn was later appointed as Britain's Prima Ballerina Assoluta by HM Queen Elizabeth II.
In 1963, the Academy was granted charitable status. In 1965, the first RAD summer school was held at the Elmhurst Ballet School in Camberley, Surrey. Teachers and dancers attended the summer school from the USA, Canada, New Zealand as well as the UK. In 1968, Dame Margot Fonteyn devised a new children’s syllabus.
On 23 April 1970, Founder President of the Academy, Dame Adeline Genée died at the age of 92 and in 1972, the RAD moved into its current headquarters in Battersea Square, London. The building was fully refurbished to provide high quality dance facilities and was officially opened by the Queen in 1974. The following year in 1975, the Academy established the Professional Dancer's Teaching Diploma, an intensive course for professional ballet dancers and other dance professionals to gain registered teacher status with the Academy and in 1976, the Academy's teacher training schemes were organised into what is now officially the Faculty of Education of the Royal Academy of Dance.
In 1979, a new bursary was founded and named after Phyllis Bedells, a founder member and former vice-president of the Academy. The bursary of £1000 is for further training in the Academy’s method and is awarded to a student that the judges feel would be likely to succeed in a career in professional dance. Competitors for the bursary take class with a renowned teacher at RAD headquarters in London, learning various repertoire and variations. They then perform for a judging panel and audience before the prizes are awarded.
In 1983, the RAD opened its first International headquarters in Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia. Since that time, the RAD has opened offices worldwide, including Brazil, China, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, United Arab Emirates and the United States of America,
In 1990, a new studio complex was opened at RAD headquarters in London. Titled the 'Fonteyn Centre', it was opened by HM Queen Elizabeth II. The following year in 1991, Dame Margot Fonteyn died on the 21st February in Panama City and Dame Antoinette Sibley was elected as the RAD's third President. Also in 1991, the current 'Graded Examination Syllabus' was introduced, with Grades 6, 7 and 8 being introduced later in 1992. The three year teacher training course was also amended in 1992, being replaced by the RAD's first full time Degree qualification, the BA (Hons) Art & Teaching of Ballet (now the BA in Ballet Education).
The RAD celebrated its 75th Anniversary in 1995, the event being marked by events throughout the world. In 1996, RAD President Antoinette Sibley was appointed a Dame in the Queen's New Year Honours List and the Academy's first 12 degree students attended their graduation at Durham Castle. In 1997, the Benesh Institute was incorporated into the RAD and in 1999, The 'Faculty of Education' was established with further teaching qualifications being launched, validated by the University of Durham.
On 20 December 2000, the RAD officially adopted its current title, "Royal Academy of Dance" and in the same year, qualifications were established for students studying 'Benesh Movement Notation'.
In 2010 the RAD became an Accredited Institute of the University of Surrey.
The Royal Academy of Dance offers two examination syllabi, which are suitable for both male and female students and form the basis of the RAD's work in the UK and overseas. Each programme consists of a series of progressively more difficult practical examinations.
Grades 1-8 and the first five levels of the Vocational Grades are accredited by the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) in England, the Department for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills (DCELLS) in Wales and the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations & Assessment (CCEA) in Northern Ireland. These organisations are the Government approved qualifications regulators for their respective countries. Candidates who successfully pass an RAD examination are awarded credit on the Qualifications and Credit Framework.
In 2009, the RAD launched a new syllabus at Pre-Primary and Primary level in dance. These two new grades replace the existing Pre-Primary and Primary grades in ballet. The Academy is also in the process of piloting a new syllabus for Grades 1, 2 and 3.
The Graded Examination Syllabus consists of Pre-Primary, Primary, and numbered Grades 1-8. Each grade incorporates classical ballet, free movement and character dance.[7] The syllabus is devised to progress in difficulty from one grade to the next and a student studying the grades in sequence would be expected to develop a greater degree of dance technique at each level.
Students who have studied a complete grade from the syllabus will normally take an examination organised by their dance teacher and held at the teachers studio or a suitable venue hired for the occasion. In the examination, the students perform the relevant grade work for an RAD examiner, who assesses the artistic and technical execution of the grade. A successful candidate receives a certificate printed with their name and the grade passed. They also receive a report detailing what marks were awarded and highlighting which aspects of their performance need further improvement. Unsuccessful candidates receive a report and a certificate of participation. The Pre-Primary grade is devised for younger students who are not old enough to enter the Primary examination. There is no examination offered at this level, however students can take part in a Presentation Class.
Presentation Classes were introduced for students who a dance teacher feels may not benefit from, or be suitable for taking the series of examinations. In a Presentation Class, in contrast to an examination, the teacher and a small audience of spectators are present in the room. The students perform for an examiner but are not assessed. They dance a condensed selection of exercises from the appropriate grade and receive a certificate of participation, which is normally presented by the examiner at the end of the class.
As a syllabus devised specifically with children in mind, examinations are not compulsory. The entry level of a new student is decided by the dance teacher based upon the child’s age, natural ability for dance or previous examination passes with another dance school or examination board, such as the IDTA or ISTD.
The Grades are:
The Vocational Graded Syllabus is designed primarily for older children or young adults who are considering a career in professional dance, as a performer, teacher or in another capacity. The vocational syllabus is technically demanding and comprises only Classical Ballet and Pointe Work. Students choosing to study this series of awards are required to be competent in the fundamentals of ballet technique and movement vocabulary.
Unlike the Graded Examination Syllabus, the vocational grades have to be studied in sequence and the student must successfully pass an examination at each level before progressing onto the next. All vocational examinations are organised by RAD headquarters and instead of being held at a dance teachers own venue, they are held in major cities worldwide. In this situation, the session organiser is responsible for timetabling the examinations, and it is normal for students to dance alongside the students of other dance schools in the examination room. As with the graded syllabus, successful candidates receive a certificate personalised with their name and the level passed. They also receive a report, however for this series of examinations, there is a different marking system and assessment criteria.
Students studying the vocational syllabus are expected to achieve a high level of technical and artistic ability in ballet and it can take a great deal of time and commitment to reach the standard required to pass these examinations. Normally, a student will begin studying the Vocational Graded Syllabus after completing Grade 5 in the Graded Examination Syllabus, however some students will continue to study the graded syllabus at the same time. The Intermediate Foundation and Advanced Foundation examinations are the only optional exams in this series of awards. They are devised for students who the teacher feels may need more preparation before studying at the higher level, however they are assessed in the same way, certificates awarded in the same way and credits awarded on the National Qualifications Framework.
The Vocational Grades are:
The RAD method, is a ballet technique and training system, specially devised by the founders of the RAD, who merged their respective dance methods (Italian, French, Danish and Russian) to create a new style of ballet that is unique to the organisation. The RAD method produces a style of ballet that has become recognised internationally as the English style of ballet.
The most identifiable aspect of the RAD method is the attention to detail when learning the basic steps, and the progression in difficulty is often very slow. While the difficulty of an exercise may only increase slightly from grade to grade, more importance is placed on whether the student is performing the step with improved technique. For example, plie exercises are employed consistently throughout the lower grades to enable the student to progressively deepen the plie and improve turnout. The principle behind this is that if enough time is spent achieving optimal technique before introducing new vocabulary, the easier it is for the student to learn the harder steps, while exercising basic technique to the maximum at all times.
From 1 October 2006, the RAD began a new association with the International Dance Teachers Association, a dance organisation based in Brighton, England. A press release issued to members of each organisation stated that "the two organisations would embark on a process of working together for the future of dance and to the mutual benefit of their members in both teacher education and training and examinations".
As a result of this association, registered teachers of the RAD are admitted to membership of the theatre branch of the IDTA and vice versa, teachers of the IDTA theatre branch are admitted to membership of the RAD in the capacity of 'Mutually Recognised Teacher'. Whilst the new association is not a merger, it is intended that it will develop co-operation between the two organisations and mutual recognition of the training and qualifications that they both provide. It is also expected that in the future, both the IDTA and RAD will begin to work together, providing new training and development opportunities for members and students of both organisations.
The following is a list of countries in which the Royal Academy of Dance operates or has a dedicated administrative office:[8]
Ballet Schools & Companies - A number of international ballet schools offer their students the opportunity to take vocational examinations with the RAD. As a result of this, dancers from many of the world's leading ballet companies are also alumni of the RAD. Examples include:
It should be noted that the Royal Academy of Dance is not affiliated to any of these schools.
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