Coastal Dance Centre | Royal Academy of Dance

Brief History

The Royal Academy of Dance was established in 1920 in London by a small group of eminent dance professionals.

The group included five European greats: Adeline Genêe from Denmark, Tamara Karsavina of Russia, Italy's Lucia Cormani, France's Edouard Espinosa and Phyliss Bedells of England.

They represented the principal dance training methods of the time. It was their concern for the poor quality and badly organized state of dance training in Britain at the time that led to the
emergence of the Association of Operatic Dancing of Great Britain.

Over the next decade, the Association grew in size and influence. At the last Privy Council Meeting of King George V in 1935, the Association was granted a Royal Charter and became the Royal
Academy of Dancing.

On December 20, 1999, the Privy Council granted an amendment to the Charter and the Academy changed its name to the Royal Academy of Dance.

Overview of the RAD Syllabi, Examinations and Entry Requirements

The Royal Academy of Dance offers examinations in classical ballet suitable for everyone from young children starting out in dance classes to students aspiring to become professional dancers.
There are no upwards age limits on any examinations or presentation classes and a syllabus has been designed for both male and female candidates at all levels.

It stresses the importance of every student having an achievable goal. This is measured either by an Examination for students studying the Graded or Vocational Graded syllabus or the option of
a presentation class for Graded students.

The Graded Syllabus

The Graded syllabus consists of three different components; classical, free movement and character dance.

Classical
The Classical work is the foundation and the most important part of the Graded Syllabi.

Free Movement
The free movement section incorporates movements in common with other dance styles such as natural movement, contemporary based dance and Greek dance.

Character Dance
Character dance is the theatrical presentation of national dance using original ethnic dance and music which has been freely adapted for the theatre. There are three styles - Hungarian, Russian,
and Polish - and these were selected because of their historic importance in the development of the traditional full-length classical ballets.

Entry Requirements
Candidates are eligible to take a Graded Examination or participate in a Presentation Class as long as their age meets the minimum are requirement below. There are no upwards age limits on
any Examinations or Presentation Classes.

The Vocational Graded Syllabus

Students wishing to study for the Vocational Graded syllabus should have the type of body that can respond to demanding study. Students must also be able to concentrate for long periods of
time and be able to accept and welcome constructive comments and correction.

Entry Requirements
Candidates are eligible to take a Vocational Graded Examination as long as their age meets the minimum age requirement. There are no upwards age limits on any Vocational Examinations.

If candidates have achieved a distinction in Intermediate or any of the Advanced examinations, they may enter for the next examination one year younger than the minimum ages stated below:

With over 13,000 members' spread across 79 countries, The Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) is one of the largest and most influential dance
education and training organizations in the world.

RAD Membership supports the advancement of dance and includes professional dancers, students, teachers, benefactors and friends.

Established in 1920, to improve standards and re-invigorate dance training initially within the United Kingdom, the Academy helps and
encourages its teachers to perfect their teaching skills and pass on this knowledge to their students.

There are currently over 1,000 students in full-time or part-time teacher training programs with the Academy and each year, the examination
syllabus is taught to more than a quarter of a million students worldwide.