RAD United Kingdom | Senior Summer School

Booking Deadline:

Monday 29 June 2026

Event Date:

Monday 10 August 2026 – Saturday 15 August 2026

Country:

United Kingdom

Location:

London

Available Online?

Who’s it for?

Students aged 11 – 25, studying intermediate and above, or equivalent.

Fee:

Members £528 per week
Non-members £587 per week

Contact:

participate@rad.org.uk

Booking opens 17 December 2025

Step into a world of dance this summer!

Come and enjoy a fun-filled week of dancing with us this summer. This programme is designed for young aspiring dancers. It provides an opportunity for students to immerse themselves in dance, learning within a creative environment, from top professional teachers in the industry whilst making friends with like-minded students from the UK and abroad. The week will enhance students’ dance technique and artistry and culminates in a sharing of work on the final day of the course—all taking place within the Academy’s world-class purpose-built studios and facilities.

With great National and International travel connections, RAD London welcomes you to immerse yourself in a full-programme of dance each summer.

Highlights of the programme include:

A trip to see a performance at one of London’s top dance theatres
Experience a range of classes with a strong focus on ballet technique, building into classical repertoire, contemporary technique, and choreography
Develop your skills in the performing arts
The chance to be taught by professional teachers with years of experience within the industry
The opportunity to perform to friends and family in the Aud Jebsen Studio Theatre at our purpose-built headquarters

Classes

All students will participate in classical ballet technique and contemporary technique classes in the morning, followed by repertoire and choreography/creative sessions in the afternoon. Each class will be approximately 1.5 hours in duration.

To get a feel for what a day at the Senior Summer School looks like, see our example timetable.

Please note, this course does not include pointe work.

Who can attend?

Senior Summer School students should currently be studying the Vocational Graded ballet syllabus Intermediate up to Advanced 2, or the equivalent, and therefore be familiar with the ballet terminology and phrases at Intermediate level or above. There is no audition, selection, or elimination process. Students will be grouped by the Artistic Team according to their age and the information provided on their application relating to their Grade in ballet and other dance experience. Please ensure your application is accurate.

Students can be studying the RAD ballet syllabus or another ballet syllabus, and are not required to have RAD Membership to be eligible to attend the London Summer School. Please review our syllabus vocabulary if you are unsure what level they are currently studying.

Are you studying Grade 2 – Inter-Foundation ballet, or equivalent? See our Junior Summer School.

Times

Monday-Friday: 9.45am – 5pm
Saturday: Hours vary

A full timetable will be included in the final Information Pack sent to all attendees following the closing date.

Students will have a short morning and afternoon break with a longer lunch break in the middle of the day.

On the day of the theatre trip, there will be a later finish and on the Saturday, hours will vary for the open day.

Faculty

To be announced shortly.

Lunch

Students must bring a packed lunch each day as this will not be provided. Snacks and drinks will be available for students during the breaks. All dietary requirements should be submitted at the time of applying.

Venue

The Summer School will be held at our purpose-built studios in London.

Royal Academy of Dance
188 York Road
London
SW11 3JZ

See helpful information on how to find us here.

Theatre Trip

As part of the Senior Summer School students will attend an evening performance at one of London’s top dance theatres with pizza provided at the RAD beforehand. Please note, coaches will be provided to escort all students to the theatre and parents must collect students under 18 from the theatre after the show.

Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures – The Car Man

Thursday 13 August 2026, 7.30pm

Sadler’s Wells Theatre, Rosebery Avenue, London, EC1R 4TN

Matthew Bourne’s award-winning The Car Man is back! Loosely based on Bizet’s ever-popular opera, The Car Man has one of the most thrilling and instantly recognisable scores in New Adventures’ repertoire.

The familiar 19th Century Spanish cigarette factory becomes a greasy 1950s garage-diner in the American Mid-West where the dreams and passions of a small-town are shattered by the arrival of a handsome and enigmatic stranger. Fuelled by heat and desire, the inhabitants are driven into an unstoppable spiral of greed, lust, betrayal and revenge.

Matthew Bourne’s vivid storytelling combines with one of the most passionately dramatic scores ever written, with music by Terry Davies featuring Rodion Shchedrin’s Carmen Suite (after Bizet’s Carmen), to create a dance thriller like no other.

The Car Man will ignite your senses and leave you breathless.

Booking opens 17 December 2025 →

The Fonteyn 2024 © Royal Academy of Dance Photo by Martin Bell | Royal Academy of Dance — DSC00120

IMG0523 | Royal Academy of Dance — DSC00120

Further information

Accommodation

The RAD does not organise accommodation for students, however, if you are looking for somewhere close by to stay, you may find our List of Accommodation below, helpful.

Tuition Award

One tuition award will be presented to a student (at any level) who has shown significant improvement at the RAD Junior Summer School. The award is one week’s tuition at an RAD Summer School in 2027 or 2028.

Discounts

RAD members discount: students who are members of the RAD will receive a discounted price. Please enter your RAD ID when prompted to do so during the booking process to receive this discount.
Sibling discounts: Two sibling students: 10% off total cost of tuition fee, and three or more sibling students: 20% off total cost of tuition fees. Please contact the Learning and Participation Team by emailing participate@rad.org.uk to retrieve the discount code prior to booking.
Group discounts: A 10% discount will be applied to the tuition fee for groups of 10-15 students. Please contact the Learning and Participation Team by emailing participate@rad.org.uk to secure places. Please note, group bookings are subject to availability.

Discounts cannot be combined; only one discount option is allowed per booking.

Frequently Asked Questions

For further questions, please see our FAQs here or contact participate@rad.org.uk.

Booking Process

Places are limited in each class and secured on a first-come, first-served basis.
Payment is required at the time of booking.
An automatic email will be sent via the booking platform CVENT to confirm your registration and payment were successful.
Please quote the CVENT order no/ticket reference when contacting the RAD with any queries related to your booking.
Please ensure you have read the Terms and Conditions, which includes the RAD’s cancellation policy.
When a class is fully-booked, a waiting list will be activated. The Learning and Participation Team will contact you via email should a suitable place become available.
After the closing date, you will receive an additional confirmation by email, detailing registration times, suggested dress, and all other relevant information for the course and venue.
For all queries, please email participate@rad.org.uk.

Please ensure you check the ticket details carefully. If the ticket you wish to book appears sold out, please apply online for the ‘Waiting List’ ticket. The will contact you should a suitable place become available.

Please ensure you have read our Courses and Workshops Terms & Conditions carefully before you apply. You will need to confirm your acceptance of these terms when you register your place.

The RAD uses Cvent for ticketing and registration for events (including workshops, masterclasses, CPD, and a range of free activities). We only store your personal information in order to facilitate your attendance and to request feedback. We will not use your information to contact you unless you have opted to receive marketing materials or have signed up for our e-newsletter. For further details on how your information is processed, please see the Student Activities Privacy Notice.

Please note, in the event of injury or medical emergency during the activity a qualified First Aider from Royal Academy of Dance will provide necessary treatment and assistance to the participant. Please see our Terms & Conditions for further information on this.