BA (Hons) Ballet Education

 

 

Overview

The BA (Hons) Ballet Education* is a modular programme providing an opportunity for you to gain a degree and prepare for a career in dance teaching.

Delivery

This three-year full-time programme is delivered across two semesters each year, and has a unique focus on both ballet and education, making it one of the only programmes of its kind within the UK which combines dance training with preparation for the professional world of teaching.

Whilst ballet remains a focus, the programme is designed to locate ballet within a broader concept of dance, providing a wider platform for a career in teaching. You will study five subject strands; ballet and contemporary technique and performance, dance histories and analysis, dance science, choreography and education studies.

At Level 4 you will spend most of your time in classes, repertoire and choreographic workshops, lectures, seminars and field trips. At Level 5 and 6 the amount of independent study increases, as does the number of hours spent on teaching placements.

*This programme will be under-going its statutory five year review in January 2024. Any changes to the programme will be effective from September 2024.

Entry Requirements

All three of these requirements must be met:

  • Three GCE A Level passes (Grades B, B, C) or equivalent.
  • RAD Intermediate or equivalent standard in ballet.
  • English Language Proficiency test required for applicants whose first language is not English.

Please note:

  1. Not all Universities subscribe to the UCAS points tariff system as it is discretionary.
  2. The University of Bath does not subscribe to the UCAS points tariff system. As they validate the BABE and BADE programmes, RAD Level 3 exams cannot be used as a substitute for the three A-Level passes (or equivalent).

Students who do not have English as a first language

If your first language is not English and you are applying for a programme where an English Language Proficiency test is required, you must achieve one of the following qualifications:

  • International English Language Testing System (IELTS): band 6.5 overall, with a minimum of 6.0 in each of the subtests. The IELTS test must have been taken no earlier than two years before the date of the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies is issued.
  • Some other school leaving or matriculation certificates contain a compulsory examination in English and these may be taken as equivalent.
  • If you have another recently achieved English language qualification, please check with our Registry department faculty@rad.org.uk to see if it is acceptable.

Students who live in countries where there is no recognised ballet examination system

Should you live in a country where there are no RAD schools or other recognised dance societies, you can still apply for a place on the BA (Hons) Ballet Education. You would follow the usual application and audition route and we would see at the audition, either in person or via the video submission, what your standard of ballet is.

If you are successful in gaining a place on the programme and your level of ballet at audition is of an appropriate standard, it may be possible for you to start the programme. You would then have to achieve RAD Intermediate (or the equivalent examination by another dance awarding organisation) by the end of your first year. In order to progress to your second year, you will need to have passed the ballet examination successfully.

Further study and career development

In the first years after graduating from the BA (Hons) Ballet Education, most graduates work full-time as self-employed dance and/or ballet teachers. They are contracted to teach dance classes in established private dance schools, community settings or primary and secondary schools. It is not unusual for a graduate to work for several schools over the course of a week or even to travel between locations during the day.

Quite a number of graduates set up their own dance school. Some of our graduates gain employment internationally in RAD schools and become part of the global network of RAD teachers across the world. All graduates have the option to gain Registered Teacher Status (RTS) with the Royal Academy of Dance and enter ballet pupils for RAD examinations.

If you are enrolled in the BA (Hons) Ballet Education, you may apply for a place on the Licentiate of the Royal Academy of Dance (LRAD) programme.

Following successful completion of the BA (Hons) Ballet Education, graduates may wish to apply for the Certificate in Dance Teaching (Ballet) or those with teaching experience may also apply for the Master of Arts in Education (Dance Teaching).

 

How to apply

Programme Content

Year 1

September-May

Level 4

In your first year, you will study modules that will allow you to expand your practice in both ballet and contemporary techniques. You will study dance histories practically through lectures and seminars and through independent research and explore dance science and somatic practices to understand both your body and the bodies of those you will teach. You will discover and perform dance repertoires; engage in various dance analysis skills; and learn dance education theory through observations, discussions and lectures.

Modules:

  • Ballet: Fundamentals of Ballet Technique
  • Introduction to Dance Science and Somatic Practice
  • Frameworks for Dance Analysis
  • Ballet Repertoire
  • Dance History: Repertoire, Techniques and Styles
  • Introduction to Dance Teaching

Year 2

September-May

Level 5

As a second year student you will increase the knowledge and understanding that you have gained, continue to work on your own dance skills, develop your choreographic skills and study dance from a historical, scientific and critical perspective.

You will undertake three professional placements (across two modules) in which you will teach different groups of students in three dynamically different contexts. Throughout your experience, you will be supported by qualified, experienced mentors from a variety of partnerships, as well as the wide professional expertise of RAD staff.

Modules:

  • Technique and Performance
  • Ballet: Genre and Style
  • Choreography, Craft and Form
  • Dance Science and Somatic Practice for Teaching
  • Dance Teaching: Theory and Practice
  • Teaching Placement 1
  • Teaching Placement 2

Year 3

September-May

Level 6

In the final year you will be able to choose whether to focus on performance, choreography, dance science or critical studies. You will undertake a dissertation which is individually tutored and draws on knowledge and skills gained at Level 4 & Level 5. Teaching skills are developed through a final professional placement supported by theoretical study of education policies and practices relevant to the dance teacher. The Professional Placement and Career Preparation modules prepare you for entry to the world of work and today’s professional dance environment.

Compulsory Modules:

  • Dissertation
  • Education Studies
  • Professional Placement (Part 1) and Career Preparation
  • Professional Placement (Part 2)
  • Plus one module option

Module options:

  • Performance Practice
  • The Creative Teacher/Choreographer
  • Ballet Practices: An International Perspective
  • Dance Science – Optimising Performance

Please note, not all option modules listed will be available each academic year, and students will be advised accordingly.

Assessment

Modules are assessed through a variety of practical examinations, written assignments and assessment of teaching.
Programme Specification

Award

Successful completion of the programme leads to the award of BA (Hons) Ballet Education validated by the University of Bath. Graduates are eligible for registration as dance teachers with the RAD.