YOUNG DANCERS from around the world enjoy the opportunity of a lifetime when The Royal Ballet School offers them places on its highly sought-after full-time classical ballet training programme. But these students aren’t the only young people to enjoy an exceptional ballet education. The School also brings ballet to those beyond its studios and classrooms to make dance training accessible to children and young people across the UK.
Since 2005, The Royal Ballet School has been reaching younger children through its Primary Steps Programme, which delivers in-person dance workshops, after-school classes, and other dance opportunities to primary school students. Hoping to inspire a passion for ballet in even more children, the School has now launched Primary Steps on Demand, a new online programme that offers high-quality ballet-based learning to children aged 7-11.
The on-demand programme has its roots in the existing Primary Steps Programme, which emphasises nurturing children’s creativity and learning through movement. The programme, delivered by The Royal Ballet School via an online platform, offers greater flexibility for schools and teachers to choose when and how to deliver content and prioritises inclusivity for students of all learning abilities.
The Royal Ballet School has designed the programme for children currently aged 7-11.. Content is divided across two levels within this group: ages 7-9 and ages 9-11. The School provides all the tools and materials schools need to deliver a comprehensive ballet education through its online Video on Demand (VOD) platform. These include:
- A video library of classes, covering cross-curricular themes and core concepts of ballet and movement
- Accompanying lesson plans and resources for pupils
- Notes, tutorials, and advice for teaching staff
- Additional footage of dancers from The Royal Ballet School and Primary Steps students to inspire pupils
- Continuous Professional Development (CPD) webinars
- Live virtual workshops.
Primary Steps on Demand offers content that covers a wide range of topics, complements primary school curriculums, and introduces key components of ballet to younger pupils. There are 20-minute classes on subjects such as science, maths, history, and art and lessons encouraging students to explore how concepts of physics and ballet go hand in hand.
The video library also includes five-minute movement guides with segments such as Warm-up, Cool-down, and Stretch and balance, and ballet-specific movements, such as Plié (to bend), Tourné (to turn), and Relevé (to rise). These guides encourage young children to get active and move their bodies, all while discovering new ideas.
An Emphasis on Creativity and Inclusivity
Unlike some other online programmes, Primary Steps on Demand has a strong emphasis on developing pupils’ creativity, rather than passively consuming the material provided. Each class takes an interactive approach to learning, encouraging pupils to use physical movement to explore the ideas they are studying in the classroom. The aim is to help children see dance as a tool they can use to learn and express themselves and apply alongside more traditional learning methods.
In line with The Royal Ballet School’s ethos of inclusivity, the School has carefully developed the programme to be accessible to all. It uses inclusive language, and teachers can adapt the content to meet the needs of all students, including those who have special educational needs (SEN) and physical disabilities. The programme also takes a gender-neutral approach, with particular care taken to ensure no child feels alienated or misrepresented during the class experience.
The programme offers a flexible delivery style to schools, with educators deciding when, where, and how they would like to use the content. As the video classes are not pre-scheduled, teachers can access them at any time, working them into the curriculum in a way that best suits their school’s timetable, facilities, and student needs.
As well as providing a range of stimulating material with strong cross-curricular links, the programme offers ongoing support for schools as and when they need it. Schools can sign up for a 12-month programme, renewable each year, with content available from July 1 to June 30. The Royal Ballet School offers the programme on a three-tier pricing structure, based on school size:
- Small school (1 form entry) — £500+VAT per year for all content
- Medium school (2 form entry) — £750+VAT per year for all content
- Large school (3 or more form entry) — £1,000+VAT per year for all content.
The Royal Ballet School: Making Dance Accessible to All
Classical ballet training helps dancers develop creative and social skills, independent thinking skills, and mental health and well-being. By launching Primary Steps on Demand, The Royal Ballet School makes high-quality dance education accessible to all primary school children, regardless of background, ability, and geographical location. By showcasing the exceptional standards of its training programmes and its ethos of inclusivity, the School hopes to help a wider audience of children pursue their passion for dance.
Applications are now open for schools to sign up for the programme.
Find out more about Primary Steps on Demand.
Primary Steps in England and Wales
The Primary Steps Programme currently offers ballet training for thousands of children in school Years 3-6 in England. The national programme is part-funded by the Department for Education and involves a combination of autumn-term creative workshops and weekly after-school classes run by classical ballet teachers, which take place in a range of locations. The programme also arranges trips to local and regional dance companies and provides opportunities for primary school children to see Royal Ballet School students in training.
As well as operating in 28 schools throughout England, the in-person Primary Steps Programme is also coming to Wales in September 2022. Six schools will offer ballet workshops over five weeks to Year 3 children. A new centre is also set to launch in the capital city of Cardiff.
Learn more about the Primary Steps Programme.
The Royal Ballet School has a reputation for helping its students achieve excellence in ballet, nurturing and training dancers and choreographers of the future. The School accepts new students through an audition process that identifies young talent and potential. Academic ability or personal circumstances do not factor into admissions, and 84% of students currently rely on financial support to attend the School.
The Royal Ballet School offers students a meticulously designed eight-year course that combines classical ballet with English folk, contemporary, and other dance styles, alongside an extensive academic curriculum and excellent pastoral programme. Students also receive thorough healthcare support through the School’s Healthy Dancer Programme.
Many students go on to perform with The Royal Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet, and other leading UK and international dance companies. Famous alumni include Margot Fonteyn, Darcey Bussell, and Anthony Dowell.
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