The forefront of dance teacher training with The Royal Ballet School

The Royal Ballet School has a rich heritage of promoting excellence in both classical ballet training and teaching, as one of the world’s most celebrated centres for classical ballet. We actively work to champion and implement progress in dance teacher training, empowering teachers with the skills to teach in recreational, educational and vocational settings.

A teacher’s knowledge, skills, and professional characteristics play a pivotal role in student learning processes and outcomes. We understand the importance of having well-informed teachers, who eagerly embrace change, prioritise the holistic needs of their students, and continually seek opportunities to develop and hone their practice.

The School’s teacher training programmes embed our innovative methodology and ethos, underpinned by the philosophy that effective teaching and learning rely on balancing content and pedagogical knowledge. Students are placed at the heart of everything we do, and our mission is to widen access to holistic training and positive learning environments for all dance students.

We offer courses for dance professionals of all experience levels and backgrounds, from one-hour online webinars to our two-year vocational Diploma of Dance Teaching.

Inspire seminars

Inspire is a professional development programme for classical ballet teachers of all levels in the UK and internationally. Our one-day Inspire seminars support the development of teachers of all backgrounds, from student teachers to experienced teachers. All seminars are non-syllabus based, with each day including theoretical elements, class observation, discussion and reflection, covering a range of topics relevant to the dance teacher of today.

I thoroughly enjoyed the seminars that I attended. They were informative, interesting and gave me lots to think about with regard to my own practice. The tutors were excellent and made the whole experience an extremely positive one. – Inspire seminar participant

Enlighten webinars

Enlighten webinars are the perfect supplement to our Inspire seminars and are delivered by expert tutors at various times to suit teachers worldwide. These one-hour webinars are open to all dance teachers and are designed to develop their CPD portfolio. The webinars provide teachers with invaluable insights, advice, and inspiration, covering a wide range of topics that may not be explored in typical teacher training courses.

I highly value and truly appreciate all opportunities to learn from The Royal Ballet School. All topics covered are relevant and build a holistic approach toward the student’s learning so that this knowledge can be passed on to the dancer of 2023 and beyond. It is truly inspiring to learn from such wisdom and to be at the cutting edge of research. I will continue to attend these super and easily accessible courses as they become available. – Enlighten webinar participant

The forefront of dance teacher training with the royal ballet school

Diploma of Dance Teaching

The Royal Ballet School’s Diploma of Dance Teaching is a two-year part-time course that trains professional dancers and teachers to teach classical ballet at a vocational and pre-vocational level. The course is based at Upper School, Covent Garden, and equips teachers with world-class skills and knowledge using The Royal Ballet School’s vocational vocabulary and methodology. The course takes place over six academic terms, with classes held one day per week during term time.

This course is particularly special because it not only offers flexibility in learning, but also gives teachers a broad body of knowledge on which to build a successful career in dance. – Mark Annear, Head of Training and Access, The Royal Ballet School

Affiliate Training and Assessment Programme

The School’s Affiliate Training and Assessment Programme (ATAP) extends The Royal Ballet School’s ethos to dance teachers, leading the way to a new era for recreational dance. The programme provides teachers with the autonomy and responsibility for guiding and assessing their own students’ learning, providing them with a System of Training and assessment scheme suitable for a broad range of students. The programme is designed for recreational ballet teachers with at least three years’ experience or graduates of The Royal Ballet School’s teacher training programmes.

Teaching using the ATAP philosophy has honestly transformed the way I teach. It has given me new creative ideas, more confidence and more than anything else the dancers love the structure of the classes… It really works! – Linda, Affiliate Teacher

Teacher Observation Programme

The Teacher Observation Programme allows dance teachers to see The Royal Ballet School’s distinction System of Training in action. Participants have the opportunity to observe The Royal Ballet School’s Artistic staff teaching classes including classical ballet technique, repertoire, solos, character, pas de deux and contemporary.

It was a lovely privilege to be able to watch these classes. I always learn so much from watching other teachers, seeing the nuances they bring to their classes, and learning new ways of sharing the information we all aspire to bring to our students. – Teacher Observation Programme participant