The Royal Ballet School and The Australian Ballet School announce collaboration on special project

The Royal Ballet School has announced a new collaboration with The Australian Ballet School – bringing together two of the world’s leading classical ballet schools.

The project, aiming to elevate the development of dance educators across the sector, will bring The Royal Ballet School’s renowned dance teacher training to Australia later this year.

From 29 September to 3 October 2024, The Royal Ballet School will deliver Inspire, a comprehensive teacher training programme designed to empower all teachers to deliver exceptional training, whether in the vocational or recreational sector.

Hosted by The Australian Ballet School in Melbourne, the five-day Intensive will allow dance teachers to explore new ideas, techniques, and skills for teaching classical ballet. As part of a bespoke programme for Australian dance teachers, the programme will include four days of seminars, a roundtable discussion with expert dance educators and a health and wellbeing workshop led by The Australian Ballet School with Artistic Director and Head of School Megan Connelly, Head of Teaching & Learning Lynette Wills, Health & Wellbeing Manager Teagan Lowe, and Artistic Teacher Andrew Murphy.

The roundtable discussion will cover appropriate communication in and out of the dance studio, exploring topics such as effective feedback, the use of language in the studio and the impact of the dance teacher on students.

Both The Royal Ballet School and The Australian Ballet School have a rich history of promoting excellence in classical ballet and are continually working to remain at the forefront of dance education and training. This collaboration will ensure all dance students can access holistic training that centres them as learners, helping to foster a love for learning and the art form, while developing skill, technique and artistry.

The Australian Ballet School’s Artistic Director & Head of School, Megan Connelly said:

‘At The Australian Ballet School, we embrace the responsibility to deliver a School for Life so our emerging artists are fully prepared for careers in the creative industries post-graduation. As part of this responsibility, we are committed to the ongoing development of dance educators across the sector as we recognise the critical role these teachers play in supporting the development of young dancers in the formative years of their engagement with dance.

We are delighted to welcome The Royal Ballet School to our School in September.’

The Royal Ballet School’s Director of Training & Access, Mark Annear said:

‘The Australian Ballet School is a world-class organisation, and we are very excited to initiate this collaboration. We share similar values in educating dance teachers and empowering all teachers to deliver exceptional training. The Australian Ballet School’s support will ensure we can continue to bring our renowned teaching training to as many dance teachers as possible, advancing the standards of dance training worldwide.’

This is an exciting opportunity for dance teachers to reflect on their practice and develop their skills with fellow passionate educators, and I look forward to returning to Australia in September.’

The Inspire seminars will be delivered by The Royal Ballet School’s dance training and education specialists, Director of Training and Access Mark Annear and Senior Teacher Training Manager Karen Berry.

Bookings for the Inspire Intensive will open on 29 July. The seminars will cover the foundations of classical ballet, barre work, centre work, allegro, pointe work, and good teaching practice. Dance teachers of all experience levels can book individual days (£220) or the full five-day Intensive (£1050).

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