Kerry Livingstone named Director of the School of Dance at RCS
Kerry Livingstone, formerly Head of Modern Ballet at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, has been appointed Director of the School of Dance.
The title change reflects the strategic evolution of the conservatoire’s dance provision, which includes the development and integration of new professional training pathways at pre-Higher Education and post-professional level, as well as the addition of the BA Dance Artist programme.
Junior Conservatoire provision, as well as non-vocational short course provision for adults and young people, is now also integrated into the Dance directorate and this holistic and developing portfolio will be led and managed by Kerry.
Under Kerry’s leadership, RCS continues to build an international reputation as a world-leading centre for dance training and continues to build on a positive and interactive relationship with Scottish Ballet, our partners in developing and delivering the BA Modern Ballet programme.
Kerry is an experienced dance educator and leader with over 30 years of expertise in vocational ballet training and programme development.
She trained at the Royal Academy of Dance in London, graduating with a First-Class BA (Hons) in the Art and Teaching of Ballet and achieving Licentiate status with the RAD. She later completed a master’s degree in Ballet Studies at the University of Surrey.
Kerry began her teaching career in London before joining Northern Ballet School in Manchester. There, she taught across both the Professional Dancers’ Course and the Dance Teachers’ Course, working with students up to professional level and delivering RAD and ISTD qualifications.
Promoted to Programme Co-ordinator in 1999, she led curriculum development and played a key role in securing ‘outstanding’ OFSTED inspection results while implementing the Dance and Drama Awards scheme (DaDAs).
Following a return to Scotland, Kerry taught at the Dance School of Scotland, where she trained full-time vocational students aged 11–18 and contributed to performance preparation and pastoral care.
In 2008, she joined Scottish Ballet as Head of the Associate Programme, overseeing the development and delivery of classical ballet training for young dancers and preparing students for professional performance opportunities.
Kerry has played a pivotal role in higher education as part of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, where she contributed to the creation of the BA Modern Ballet programme in partnership with Scottish Ballet.
As the Director of the School of Dance, she continues to lead strategic development, curriculum design, and artistic delivery across the undergraduate, pre-vocational and recreational dance provision. Most recently, she led the design and launch of the new BA Dance Artist one year top-up degree.
BA Dance Artist is designed for students with previous dance training who wish to elevate their current qualifications (such as an HND or SCQF Level 8 equivalent) to a full BA degree or equivalent. The programme balances rigorous technical training in contemporary, jazz and commercial styles with focus on performance, improvisation and choreography.
In addition to her leadership roles, Kerry is a tutor for the Royal Academy of Dance and, as a coach and choreographer, has supported students in achieving success in exams and international competitions. She also acts as an External Examiner and advisor both nationally and internationally.
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