Hilary Kaplin

Faculty – Teachers, Vocational

Hilary Kaplan is an experienced dance educator and long-standing RAD examiner, recognised for her commitment to nurturing and supporting dancers at every stage of their training. Through her examining, teaching, and mentoring, she brings insight, encouragement, and expertise to help students and teachers achieve their personal best.

Hilary was born in South Africa. A child prodigy in various styles of dancing, she trained with the late Reina Berman (ballet) and with Mercedes Molina (Spanish dancing), Luisa Cortes and Enrique Segovia (Spanish dancing). For a number of years, she won most of the first prizes in Ballet, Spanish, Character and Classical Greek in all the major dance competitions in Johannesburg. 

Having done outstandingly well in all her Royal Academy of Dance examinations including achieving the Solo Seal, she was awarded the RAD Bursary, which enabled her to complete her training at the Royal Ballet School in London. She then returned to South Africa where she danced with PACT and CAPAB. 

She then married and settled down to open her own highly successful ballet school. While teaching she completed a BA at the University of Witwatersrand majoring in languages. 

Hilary was subsequently appointed a Dual Examiner and Tutor for the Royal Academy of Dance and a Dual Examiner for the Spanish Dance Society. She is a sought-after examiner and teacher travelling all over the world, appearing regularly on the faculties of international summer schools and seminars. In 1996 she moved to Australia with her husband and five daughters. While examining in Sydney that year, she met Archibald McKenzie, with whom she conducted a number of courses for the RAD. She went on, together with Archibald, to found Alegria in 1998. Since then she has qualified with a Licenciate Diploma in the Cecchetti method and has been recently awarded the Prestigious FRAD by the Royal Academy of Dance.