BA Modern Ballet
Launched in 2009, our Modern Ballet programme has been developed in collaboration with
Scottish Ballet. We will help you build a robust
classical technique and prepare you to enter the profession as a confident, intelligent,
individual, versatile and technically strong dancer. You’ll graduate with the skills required by
ballet companies, able to engage with audiences through the performance of a wide variety of
classical and contemporary choreography.
This programme is offered to young people, from the age of 16, as dance is a profession rooted in physicality and an early uptake of training is crucial. Though not mandatory to enter at this age, all applicants will have experience of ballet training and will have real ambitions of dancing professionally upon graduation.
Our Modern Ballet training is unique in that our partnership with Scottish Ballet provides numerous opportunities, allowing you to gain invaluable insight into professional life. You’ll have the opportunity to work regularly with Scottish Ballet staff and dancers, and visiting international teachers and choreographers. The programme’s Artistic Director Paul Tyers is also Deputy Artistic Director of Scottish Ballet.
Our environment is amongst the best in Europe, with state of the art dance studios and professional venues. You will also reap the benefits of very small class sizes and an excellent staff-student ratio.
Because we are the only UK conservatoire offering training in all of the performance art disciplines, we’re encourage you to expand your artistic horizons. So you may find yourself performing on film for our Screen students, choreographing a piece with our composers, or on stage in an opera in a major theatre through our partnership with Scottish Opera.
You’ll experience many performance opportunities, within diverse environments and contexts, broadening your learning and ultimately enhancing your employability. You’ll undertake work-based placements and secondments; recently these have included Scottish Ballet, Northern Ballet, and Scottish Dance Theatre. We’re expanding these opportunities to include other renowned national and international organisations. The Modern Ballet programme aims to train you to be highly versatile so that you’ll be well placed to work in a variety of international contexts. Our first cohort of students is about to graduate, with several going straight into the profession with contracts from the likes of the Vienna Festival Ballet, the National Theatre of Scotland, and Northern Ballet.
This programme is offered to young people, from the age of 16, as dance is a profession rooted in physicality and an early uptake of training is crucial. Though not mandatory to enter at this age, all applicants will have experience of ballet training and will have real ambitions of dancing professionally upon graduation.
Our Modern Ballet training is unique in that our partnership with Scottish Ballet provides numerous opportunities, allowing you to gain invaluable insight into professional life. You’ll have the opportunity to work regularly with Scottish Ballet staff and dancers, and visiting international teachers and choreographers. The programme’s Artistic Director Paul Tyers is also Deputy Artistic Director of Scottish Ballet.
Our environment is amongst the best in Europe, with state of the art dance studios and professional venues. You will also reap the benefits of very small class sizes and an excellent staff-student ratio.
Because we are the only UK conservatoire offering training in all of the performance art disciplines, we’re encourage you to expand your artistic horizons. So you may find yourself performing on film for our Screen students, choreographing a piece with our composers, or on stage in an opera in a major theatre through our partnership with Scottish Opera.
You’ll experience many performance opportunities, within diverse environments and contexts, broadening your learning and ultimately enhancing your employability. You’ll undertake work-based placements and secondments; recently these have included Scottish Ballet, Northern Ballet, and Scottish Dance Theatre. We’re expanding these opportunities to include other renowned national and international organisations. The Modern Ballet programme aims to train you to be highly versatile so that you’ll be well placed to work in a variety of international contexts. Our first cohort of students is about to graduate, with several going straight into the profession with contracts from the likes of the Vienna Festival Ballet, the National Theatre of Scotland, and Northern Ballet.
What you can expect
A professional, vocational dance training, to the high standards required of modern ballet
companies.
- Access to high quality learning and teaching with regular guest lecturers and choreographers.
- Small class sizes ensuring a high level of tuition, enhancing individual development.
- Opportunities to make industry contacts and develop your professional practice skills.
- Access to brand new specialist dance facilities and approximately 30 hours of contact time in the studio each week.
- Close collaboration with
Scottish Ballet
who provide artist input and guidance.
What you will learn
Studying on the BA Modern Ballet course you will:
- Take classes in professional technique (classical ballet and contemporary dance), pas de deux, repertoire, pointework/virtuosity, choreography and a range of supporting subjects.
- Develop strong technical skill, a high degree of articulation and flexibility, and a knowledge of anatomy for the dancer.
- Improve self confidence, artistry and performance ability.
- Learn to work effectively and creatively as an individual artist and in collaboration with others.
- Develop critical and analytical skills in research, reflection and evaluation.
- Develop an understanding of your profession in its historical and contemporary contexts.
- Become an employable and self-managing artist with the physical and intellectual skills required for a professional career.
How you will learn
You will work with highly experienced teaching staff and visiting choreographers and lecturers in predominantly practical classes. Students will have the opportunity to work individually with tutors on technique and repertoire solos. There will also be observation sessions at Scottish Ballet and work with Company members where appropriate.
The usual working week is Monday to Friday 9am – 5pm, with additional Saturday morning sessions.
Key Features
- Close collaboration with Scottish Ballet’s artistic staff and Company.
- World-class facilities, with brand new high specification dance studios at Speirs Locks Studios, the Royal Conservatoire's recently opened additional city centre campus.
- An extensive programme of supporting classes including pilates, gyrotonics and gyrokinesis.
Graduate Destinations
The programme aims to provide the professional skills and network of contacts needed by
graduates to embark on a professional dance career. Graduates from the Royal Conservatoire are
working all over the world in a huge variety of careers, and over 90% of students are in employment
or further training within six months of graduation.
Pathways
The Modern Ballet programme team offer a number of pathway courses for young people interested
in vocational dance training including a intensive week-long
Modern Ballet Summer School
in August.
Kerry Livingstone
Lecturer, BA Modern Ballet
Head of Associate Programme, Scottish Ballet
k.livingstone@rcs.ac.uk
Graduation showcase
Here’s some fabulous footage of the final dress rehearsal of our first ever BA Modern Ballet graduation showcase. It was an immersive experience watching our talented dancers in rehearsal as they put together the final pieces of their stunning performance. The following evening the performance was the played out to packed audiences in our New Athenaeum theatre.
