13 April 2022 09:48
The RAD offers young people in Wandsworth the chance to dance for Darcey Bussell at an open audition
We are holding our first-ever open audition as part of a new bursary scheme designed to widen participation in dance for young people in Wandsworth.
The RAD Community Bursary will allow us to fund up to three students to take weekly dance classes for a year in our new state of the art facilities, as well as covering the cost of uniform. We are looking for young people aged 4-17 with no prior formal dance training to come forward to take part in an open class, watched by a panel of dance professionals.
Led by Dame Darcey Bussell, the panel will also include Joshua Tuifua, ex-dancer with The Royal Ballet and RAD Trustee, and Joanne Ward, RAD Dance School Principal. Together they will be looking for passionate young people without previous dance experience, who show promise and a keenness to learn.
The panel may select one promising dancer from each age range: 4-7, 8-12 and 13-17. Those chosen to receive the bursary will be enrolled and will be able to take a weekly dance class at the RAD in whichever style they choose, including ballet, contemporary, musical theatre, jazz, or street. By doing so, they will become a member of the RAD Dance School, located at our headquarters, which offers a variety of extra-curricular dance classes for young people and adults.
The open audition will be a part of our housewarming event on Sunday 8 May which will be one of the first opportunities for the community to experience everything we have to offer. A full programme of free activities for all the family will take place throughout the day, including dance-inspired arts and crafts for children, scavenger hunts, taster workshops for all ages and in a range of dance styles, as well as performances and screenings.
For more information on the event and to register for the open audition, visit www.homefordance.org.
RAD President Dame Darcey Bussell said: “ I am so looking forward to welcoming our local community into their new home for dance and to seeing the talent we have here in Wandsworth. I have experienced how dance can transform lives, making us happier and healthier and I cannot wait to share this with you. I look forward to meeting everyone at the Royal Academy of Dance in May - I will be looking for enthusiastic young dancers who are excited to learn and move more.”
RAD Artistic Director Gerard Charles said: “At the Royal Academy of Dance, we believe that every body can dance and it is our mission to ensure that as many people as possible have the opportunity to do so. I am so thrilled that we are launching this new bursary scheme, which will allow more students to be a member of our Dance School community at our incredible new building in Battersea.”