Affiliate Programme
Be part of the movement revolutionising dance teaching
The Affiliate Programme at The Royal Ballet School is an innovative teacher training and assessment programme for private and recreational dance teachers. It equips teachers to deliver the School’s holistic, student-centred ballet curriculum within their own dance schools, and leads to recognition as an Affiliate Teacher of The Royal Ballet School. Affiliate Teacher training involves a five-day training course at the School, webinars, teaching evaluations and post-Affiliation online training sessions.
Teacher training to suit you
In 2026, we are excited to offer two pathways for you to experience our Affiliate Programme, designed to suit you and your teaching goals.
Enhance your teaching by attending our five-day Intensive training course, or take your teaching to the next level by applying for our full Affiliate Teacher training.
This pathway provides teachers with the skills, knowledge and understanding needed to successfully implement and teach the Affiliate Programme within their own dance schools, and to be recognised as an Affiliate Teacher of The Royal Ballet School with ongoing membership.
The Affiliate Programme consists of six levels, each with recommended age groups. Content is based on The Royal Ballet School’s Model for Optimal Dance Training, with each level containing both movement and contextual studies.
The Affiliate Teacher training includes:
- Introduction webinar
- Five-day in-person Intensive training course
- Training for Affiliate Programme Levels 1-3 (for children aged 5+)
- Pre-Affiliation trial implementation period which includes two online webinars
- Teaching evaluation
- Post-Affiliation online training sessions to support you through the student assessment process
- Option to learn Affiliate Programme Levels 4-6 Standard and Enhanced (for children aged 11-15+).
This pathway is a one-off cost to allow teachers to learn from The Royal Ballet School’s Teacher Training faculty, experience the Affiliate Programme’s content, values and methodology, and gain invaluable feedback on teaching practice without the long-term commitment of Affiliation.
The five-day in-person Intensive training course is based on the School’s Model for Optimal Dance Training, including:
- Ballet vocabulary, planning and delivery
- Creative practice and choreographic study
- Body awareness and conditioning
- Repertoire study.
Which path is right for me?
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| Affiliate Teacher training | Intensive training course | |
| Experience the Affiliate Programme content, values, methodology and student training philosophy first-hand | ✓ | ✓ |
| Learn from The Royal Ballet School’s expert Teacher Training faculty | ✓ | ✓ |
| Receive invaluable feedback on your teaching practice | ✓ | ✓ |
| Access ongoing professional development opportunities | ✓ | |
| Exclusive access to study Frederick Ashton repertoire provided by the Frederick Ashton Foundation | ✓ | |
| Become part of a supportive online community of fellow Affiliate Teachers | ✓ | |
| Option to later transfer to full Affiliate Teacher training | ✓ | |
| Eligible for full Affiliate Teacher status to deliver the programme to students in your own dance school as an Affiliate Teacher of The Royal Ballet School | ✓ | |
| Receive full access to a bespoke video on demand platform featuring over 300 videos | ✓ | |
| Ability to train and submit students for assessment and receive guidance with monitoring and moderation of assessment results | ✓ | |
| Be listed on the Affiliate Teachers directory | ✓ | |
| Access to enrichment activities, workshops and special events | ✓ | |
| Option to progress your Affiliate training and membership to include Levels 4-6 Standard and Enhanced | ✓ |
Eligibility
- Minimum three years’ teaching experience as a ballet teacher in a recreational setting or are a graduate of a Royal Ballet School teacher training programme
- A current Disclosure and Disbarring Service (DBS) check or equivalent in your home country
- Meet all requirements of the selection criteria listed here.
- Teachers from all backgrounds, from student to experienced teachers, aged 18+
- Places are filled on a first come, first served basis.
Training details
Participants of both Affiliate Programme pathways will have the unique opportunity to train at both Upper School and the historic White Lodge.
Applications and bookings
Applications and bookings will reopen early 2027.
Missed the application period but still interested in learning more about our Affiliate Programme? Contact the Teacher Training team below.
Fees
Current or former professional dancers can access funding for retraining from Dancer’s Career Development.
‘Charli has come out of class excited to come home and research and learn. It’s been a really positive experience allowing every child to be independent, creative, expressive individuals’.
– Parent of an Affiliate Programme student
‘The Affiliate Programme method has revolutionised my work. I feel much richer in stimuli, ideas, ways to go. Students are very involved, creative… And they improve faster!’
– Giulia, Affiliate Teacher
‘Teaching using the Affiliate Programme 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
News about the programme
Cultivating creativity in ballet education with ATAP Our Affiliate Training and Assessment Programme (ATAP) is a programme created to cultivate an appreciation for the journey of learning ballet, prioritising the process over the outcome. One of our ATAP teachers, Emma Manes, spoke to us about a contextual study she recently implemented for her students. Contextual […]
Programme ambassadors
This is such an important programme for the future of classical ballet, from the School which has shaped my life and career as an artist. The programme doesn’t just teach ballet steps and technique but allows young people to appreciate and fall in love with ballet as an art form. I’m delighted to be a part of it.
– Francesca Hayward, Principal of The Royal Ballet and Lead Ambassador of The Royal Ballet School’s Affiliate Programme
Not only will the programme ensure that we have a generation of young dancers and dance supporters who understand and value ballet and its history, but will support young students to be fearless in expressing themselves creatively, whether they eventually pursue a career in the arts or not.
– Kevin O’Hare, Director of The Royal Ballet
I am passionate about helping young people discover not only the joy of dance but also the value of learning and self-discovery. The Affiliate Programme offers an innovative and enriching experience that allows every child to engage in recreational ballet training while equipping teachers with the tools to deliver a fantastic and meaningful interaction with the art form.
– Iain Mackay, Artistic Director of The Royal Ballet School
Classical ballet enriches lives in so many ways, and recreational training is the start of that journey. I’m delighted to see the advent of this innovative programme, which will widen access to ballet training and foster an understanding and appreciation for ballet as an art form in young people across the world.
– Carlos Acosta, Director of Birmingham Royal Ballet
This programme is ground-breaking in the recreational dance world. Free from the traditional set syllabus, it takes a student-centred approach, nurturing confidence, creativity and self-expression in each individual child. The holistic experience is also incredibly enriching for children, whether they continue on into vocational training or not.
– Leanne Cope, Tony-nominated actress and former First Artist of The Royal Ballet
This programme opens up classical ballet training to children of all backgrounds, to those who learn differently or see ballet as something too structured or not relevant to them. I welcome a programme that places such emphasis on nurturing individuality alongside the required technical skills.
– Denzil Bailey, ballet teacher and choreographer
The Affiliate Programme allows young students to discover dance from the inside out. Students have the opportunity to express their thoughts, emotions and their curiosity for movement, as well as developing their appreciation for and connection to dance through learning about the repertoire.
– Sarah Wildor, actress and former Principal of The Royal Ballet
For me as a teacher of classical ballet, the most important thing is that the programme gives recreational dance teachers the tools of ‘how’ rather than ‘what’ to teach. The program will drive forward the standard of recreational training by allowing teachers to introduce students to a wider range of classical ballet vocabulary, not just a set syllabus.
– Ricardo Cervera, ballet teacher and former Ballet Master of The Royal Ballet
What we experience at a young age can build the foundations for a loving relationship with dance. Nurturing love and appreciation for this art form should be at the heart of any dance teaching programme, and I am so happy to support the Affiliate Programme and their holistic approach to dance training.
– Isabella Gasparini, First Soloist of The Royal Ballet
Learning ballet as a child should be an opportunity for joy, the start of a love affair that for many people sustains throughout their lifetime. Allowing our young students to fall in love with dance and understand that it’s within their power to make it whatever they want it to be is absolutely essential.
– Sophie Martin, former Principal Dancer at Scottish Ballet
Through my studies with The Royal Ballet School’s Diploma of Dance Teaching, I am very much aware of how important it is for teachers to understand pedagogical principles and be able to apply them in their work. The value of student-led learning, and of teachers as guide and facilitator rather than instructor, are now well-established in mainstream education. I am thrilled to see The Royal Ballet School bring these principles to recreational dance teaching, and I know that the programme will have an immensely positive impact both for students and their teachers.
– Mayara Magri, Principal of The Royal Ballet
Frequently asked questions
The Affiliate Programme is for private and recreational dance teachers with a minimum three years’ teaching experience and/or graduates of a Royal Ballet School teacher training programme.
The Affiliate Programme week-long intensive is open to teachers from all backgrounds, from student to experienced teachers, aged 18+.
Fees vary depending on training levels. Levels 1-3 are £1,760. Levels 4-6 are £1,250.
The intensive course week is £,1060.
The annual Affiliation fee of £550 maintains your Affiliate status with The Royal Ballet School, which includes access to video on demand materials, invitations to watch Royal Ballet School events and ongoing support.
Learn more on the Affiliate Programme training fees page.
The Affiliate Teacher training includes:
- Introduction webinar
- Five-day in-person Intensive training course
- Training for Affiliate Programme Levels 1-3 (for children aged 5+)
- Pre-Affiliation trial implementation period which includes two online webinars
- Teaching evaluation
- Post-Affiliation online training sessions to support you through the student assessment process
- Option to learn Affiliate Programme Levels 4-6 Standard and Enhanced (for children aged 11-15+).
Participants of both Affiliate Programme pathways will have the unique opportunity to train at both Upper School in Covent Garden and the historic White Lodge in Richmond Park.
Participants who wish to receive full Affiliation must have a minimum of three years’ teaching experience as a ballet teacher in a recreational setting or are graduates of a Royal Ballet School teacher training programme. A current Disclosure and Disbarring Service (DBS) check or equivalent in your home country is also required. Participants must also value pedagogical study as part of their training and prioritise the need for holistic dance training.
Participants in the week-long intensive training course can be teachers from all backgrounds, from student to experienced teachers, aged 18+. THe training course can be a taster for the full Affiliate Programme or be a standalone teacher training course.
Affiliate Teacher training provides teachers with the skills, knowledge and understanding needed to successfully implement and teach the Affiliate Programme within their own dance schools, and to be recognised as an Affiliate Teacher of The Royal Ballet School with ongoing membership. Affiliate Teachers also:
- Access ongoing professional development opportunities
- Have exclusive access to study Frederick Ashton repertoire provided by the Frederick Ashton Foundation
- Receive full access to a bespoke video on demand platform featuring over 300 videos
- Have the ability to train and submit students for assessment and receive guidance with monitoring and moderation of assessment results
- Are listed on the Affiliate Teachers directory
The intensive training course is a one-off cost to allow teachers to learn from The Royal Ballet School’s Teacher Training faculty, experience the Affiliate Programme’s content, values and methodology, and gain invaluable feedback on teaching practice without the long-term commitment of Affiliation.
In 2026, over 100 teachers have completed the Affiliate Programme, with more currently completing Affiliate Teacher training.
In 2024/25, there were 2200 registered Affiliate students worldwide training with teachers who completed the Affiliate Programme.