Summer intensive at white lodge 2019

Royal Ballet School announces online Summer Intensive course

We are excited to announce that for the first time, The Royal Ballet School will be offering an online Summer Intensive course this July.

While we are disappointed not to be able to deliver our signature residential summer programmes at White Lodge and Covent Garden, our live virtual classes will be taught by The Royal Ballet School Artistic team from our beautiful White Lodge studios.

We will also be offering classes with Iain Mackay, Artistic Director of the Yorkshire Ballet Seminars (YBS), a former student of the School and Principal dancer with Birmingham Royal Ballet. The first YBS residential summer school was opened 45 years ago by Dame Ninette De Valois, and YBS has maintained a strong link with the School ever since. As it has been forced to cancel its programme this year, we are particularly delighted to welcome Iain to our course, hosting classes from studios in the north of England.

As well as masterclasses, the timetable will include a programme of interviews and talks by guests including alumni, dancers past and present from The Royal Ballet and Birmingham Royal Ballet, and other experts in their field, covering a wide range of topics exploring ‘all things dance’ to help you expand your knowledge.

We are extremely grateful to Kevin O’Hare, Director of The Royal Ballet, who has agreed to lead a line-up of high-profile guest interviewees, and we look forward to announcing our roster of speakers. There will also be a series of talks aimed specifically at teachers.

Christopher Powney, Artistic Director of The Royal Ballet School, said:

‘We are thrilled to be able to offer the School’s first online Summer Intensive, opening up this exciting programme to more students than ever before.

‘It has been hugely rewarding to see our technical and creative teams, led by our Head of Intensive Courses & International Relations Samira Saidi, work together to produce not only a first, but a programme that can be accessed by students from all corners of the world.

‘I am also pleased to be working closely with Iain Mackay so that Yorkshire Ballet Seminars can join forces with us to help students maintain their creativity and motivation during the summer break in such challenging times.

‘I, like so many, found the YBS programme to be hugely inspirational as a young dancer and I am delighted we can maintain the long and valuable connection with the School.’

Iain Mackay said:

‘Having attended The Royal Ballet School Summer Intensive and Yorkshire Ballet Seminars as a young dancer, before going on to train full-time at The Royal Ballet School, I know first-hand the enormous impact both organisations had on my career path.

‘At a difficult time, in a new era of online training, I’m excited that The Royal Ballet School has invited me to be involved in their first online Summer Intensive, so that together we can continue to support, inspire and motivate students all over the world’.

Dates and session details for the Summer Intensive 2020 programme are available on the Summer Intensive webpage. Timetables and pricing will be published on Monday 6 July, with booking opening on Tuesday 7 July.

We look forward to welcoming you virtually!