Motto | "Strength and Grace" |
---|---|
Established | 1926 |
Type | Independent school |
Artistic Director | Mr Christopher Powney |
Headmaster | Ms Karen Davies |
Chairman | Duchess of Wellington |
Governor Emeritus | Lady Sainsbury CBE |
Founder | Dame Ninette de Valois |
Location |
Floral Street, Covent Garden/ White Lodge, Richmond Park London England |
DfE number | 318/6074 |
DfE URN | 102947 Tables |
Students | 217 as of November 2015[update] |
Gender | Mixed |
Ages | 11–19 |
Publication | Encore |
Affiliations | The Royal Ballet and Birmingham Royal Ballet |
Advisory Council |
David Bintley CBE Darcey Bussell CBE Felicity Clark Sir Anthony Dowell CBE Dame Antoinette Sibley DBE Sir Peter Wright CBE |
Website | School website |
The Royal Ballet School is one of the world's greatest centres of classical ballet training. The School's aim is to train and educate outstanding classical ballet dancers for The Royal Ballet (based at the Royal Opera House in London) and Birmingham Royal Ballet. Admission to the School is based purely on talent and potential, regardless of academic ability or personal circumstances, and more than 90% of current students rely on financial support to attend the School. The school is based over two sites, White Lodge, Richmond Park (for students aged 11–16) and Covent Garden (for students from 16–19 years old) based in purpose-built studios on Floral Street, adjacent to the Royal Opera House. The Royal Ballet School has, for generations, produced dancers and choreographers of international renown, including Dame Margot Fonteyn, Dame Beryl Grey, Sir Kenneth MacMillan, Darcey Bussell, Alessandra Ferri and Viviana Durante, as well as current Director of The Royal Ballet Kevin O'Hare. Graduates of the school have also achieved employment in musical theatre, contemporary and jazz dance, television and film.
In 1926, the Irish-born dancer Ninette de Valois founded the Academy of Choreographic Art, a dance school for girls and the predecessor of today's Royal Ballet School. Her intention was to form a repertory ballet company and school, leading her to collaborate with the Inglisch theatrical producer and theatre owner Lilian Baylis.