Modern Ballet: Senior/Vocational (Secondary 3+)
Summer School for Children and Young People
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Overview
This five-day in-person summer school is for young people aged approx. 14+ (secondary 3 and upwards) who are interested in strengthening and further developing their skills in classical ballet technique, repertoire and contemporary dance. This course is designed for students who aspire to, or are currently in vocational dance training.
The course runs twice during our summer programme. Students are able to attend one or both weeks – attending both will be particularly beneficial to those working towards/currently in vocational training. The course will run between 10am – 4pm daily.
The course is taught by staff who work on the RCS BA Modern Ballet programme, with additional expert guest teachers. Students will benefit from having the opportunity to creatively engage with the different styles taught by these specialists in the field of ballet and contemporary dance.
The course is practical, rigorous and aims to prepare young dancers working towards or currently in vocational dance training. Students will have daily classical technique classes with pointework for girls and virtuosity for boys. Additionally, students will participate in classes in a range of supporting subjects, including contemporary dance, classical repertoire, solos, creative/choreography and conditioning. Classes will be accompanied by pianists/percussionists.
By the end of the courses students should have:
- strengthened their classical ballet technique
- experienced a professional approach to practice
- participated in repertoire, creative, conditioning and contemporary sessions
The summer school aims to create an inspiring, challenging and supporting environment for young dancers to further develop their skills and talents.
The course will take place in our beautiful dance spaces at the Wallace Studios at Speirs Locks.
Please note, students should be working at a strong Intermediate/Advanced level in ballet to benefit fully from the course.
On the first day teaching staff will observe students as they participate in classes and allocate them into groups appropriate to their level. The purpose of this is to ensure everyone gets the most out of the course and is taking part in activities suitable for their experience.
If you have any questions in advance of booking, please contact us at summerschools@rcs.ac.uk
The important details
Age:
approx. 14+
Cost for one week:
£360
Cost for both weeks:
£650
Week One Dates:
15 - 19 July 2024
Week Two Dates:
22 - 26 July 2024
Time:
Monday - Friday, 10am - 4pm
Venue:
The Wallace Studios at Speirs Locks, 210 Garscube Road, Glasgow, G4 9RR
Course Information
- Modern Ballet: Seniors/Vocational (Secondary 3+) WEEK ONE – 15 – 19 July, 10am – 4pm – £360
- Modern Ballet: Seniors/Vocational (Secondary 3+) WEEK TWO – 22 – 26 July, 10am – 4pm – £360
- Modern Ballet: Seniors/Vocational (Secondary 3+) BOTH WEEKS – 15 – 19 and 22 – 26 July, 10am – 4pm – £650
Although students do not need to have any formal ballet qualifications, previous ballet experience is essential and students should be working at approximately Advanced Foundation or equivalent level and above in ballet to benefit fully from the course.
For this course, students should be approximately aged 14+ years old, and have been in Secondary 3 or above in the year 2023-24.
On applying for the course, students will be asked to submit photos, one of each of the poses, as below:
and
No advance preparation is required, but students should ensure they are at a level of fitness to participate fully in this highly practical course.
Students should wear ballet practice clothes (leotard, ballet tights) for classical classes and footless tights for contemporary classes. Soft pointe/canvas shoes should be worn for class and students/dancers should bring pointe shoes.
Students should bring water, a packed lunch and healthy snacks as this course will be very physical.
Modern Ballet: Seniors/Vocational – Both Weeks runs from Monday, 15 July to Friday, 26 July, from 10am to 4pm.
Modern Ballet: Seniors/Vocational – Week One runs from Monday, 15 July to Friday, 19 July, from 10am to 4pm.
Modern Ballet: Seniors/Vocational – Week Two runs from Monday, 29 July to Friday, 26 July, from 10am to 4pm.
Kerry Livingstone trained at the Royal Academy of Dance in London and graduated with a 1st class BA (Hons) in the Art and Teaching of Ballet and a Licentiate of the RAD.
After teaching on a freelance basis in London, she joined the faculty of Northern Ballet School in Manchester, where she taught on both the Professional Dancers’ Course and the full-time Teachers’ course. This included training both male and female students up to Solo Seal level and delivering the RAD STC and ISTD Associate qualifications.
She was promoted to the role of Course Co-ordinator in 1999, with responsibility for the implementation of the Dance and Drama Awards at NBS and oversaw four successive OFSTED inspections, where the school was awarded an ‘Outstanding/Grade 1’ for its provision.
On moving back to Scotland in 2002, she took up a post at the Dance School of Scotland, teaching boys and girls between the ages of 11-18 years of age.
In 2008 she joined Scottish Ballet as the Head of the Associate Programme. In the same year, she was asked to work on the development of the BA Modern Ballet Programme – a partnership between Scottish Ballet and the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (RCS) and following its successful validation in the summer of 2009, she was appointed as a Lecturer on the new course. She continues to combine her roles at the RCS and Scottish Ballet and was appointed Head of Modern Ballet in 2014.
Kerry is also a tutor for the RAD and has a Master’s Degree in Ballet Studies from the University of Surrey.
Summer Accommodation
We are pleased to welcome students from across the world to our Summer Schools. Our course fees do not include accommodation or food, and these should be organised by the student. Our campus is located in Glasgow city centre, and you can find the addresses below.
We recommend Base Glasgow, as purpose-built accommodation for Conservatoire students, with Rehearsal Rooms, Practice spaces and Dance Studios. Base Glasgow is perfectly suited for our summer school students; both safe and secure, with 24/7 staff presence and only 3 mins walk from our main Renfrew Street building, keeping travel costs to a minimum.
Classic En-Suite rooms come with a 3/4 bed, en-suite bathroom, ample storage, mirror, study desk and chair. The shared area includes a spacious lounge and kitchen area.
Please note that Short Courses staff are not affiliated with BASE or on site outwith the summer school teaching hours, and therefore cannot take responsibility for students outside of these hours.
For more information about booking accommodation at BASE Glasgow you can contact them directly via website BASE – Student Accommodation in Glasgow or email baseglasgow@herestudents.com.
Alternatively, there are plenty of hotels, hostels, and b’n’b options available. We are located close to transport links should you wish to stay outside the city centre. If you are travelling to Glasgow for a course, we strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance that covers course fees, travel, accommodation, and cancellations due to COVID-19 – as RCS will not refund in this circumstance. You can view the Cancellations and Refund policy for full information.
For students under 18 years old, we strongly advise travelling with a responsible adult should any emergency situations arise during class. Students are only monitored by staff during class times.
Renfrew Street Campus: 100 Renfrew Street, Glasgow, G2 3DB
Wallace Studios Campus: 210 Garscube Road, Glasgow, G4 9RR
Further Information
We want to ensure as many children, young people and adult learners as possible can access the performing and production arts education that is offered through Short Courses at RCS. Financial support options available for Short Courses include:
Agnes Allan Bursary
Agnes Allan was a teacher, passionate about inclusion, and this bursary scheme exists to offer support to students to participate in the performing or production arts.
The Agnes Allan Bursary provides some support to students who may require financial assistance to take part in a short course in dance, drama, music, production or screen.
Anyone who wishes to take part in our Short Courses and faces a financial barrier can apply for bursary support to help meet the cost of tuition fees.
James McAvoy Drama Scholarships
BAFTA-winning and Golden Globe nominated actor James McAvoy is committed to nurturing the creative potential of young Scots who experience barriers to access and participate in drama at RCS Short Courses.
James is a graduate of the BA Acting programme at RCS and Patron of the Junior Conservatoire of Drama. The Glasgow-born actor has funded the new James McAvoy Drama Scholarships to enable young people to experience the world-class drama training at RCS as he did.
The scholarship aims to support applicants who would otherwise find meeting the cost of tuition fees at RCS a barrier to accessing pre-Higher Education drama training at the Royal Conservatoire.
You can find more information about these funds on our Financial Support page.
We run various promotional offers for our Short Courses and Summer Schools. You can view our current offers on our Promotional Offers page.
You should contact us at shortcourses@rcs.ac.uk to request your discount code before booking a course.
Please note, only one promotional offer can be applied per course and should be used at the time of booking as we are unable to apply a discounts retrospectively.
Please see our Short Course FAQs for more information about all aspects of choosing, booking and attending your course.
Please see our Short Courses – Terms and Conditions for more information about your contract with Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and Cancellation and Refund policies.
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summerschools@rcs.ac.uk
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credit-rated@rcs.ac.uk
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bursaryscholarship@rcs.ac.uk