professional ballet training

The Ballet Conservatory Program – Royal Academy of Dance vocational examinations

The Conservatory Program is designed for ballet students who posses the technical ability and work ethic to achieve a high level of study, execution and performance in classical ballet. Students take the Conservatory ballet classes in addition to their two weekly ballet classes. The aim of the Conservatory Ballet program is to provide a comprehensive education in classical ballet studies to prepare them for a potential career in dance. The program’s technical framework is based on the Vocational syllabus of the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD). Conservatory students are expected to participate in an annual RAD Examination session held in early spring. MSA students regularly achieve remarkable results in these examinations and MSA ranks in the top 20% of RAD schools worldwide.
Advanced conservatory students augment this training with additional open classes based on the Vagonova method. There are five levels in the program: Associate, Junior, Intermediate, Advanced 1 and Advanced 2. Participation in the Conservatory Program is by invitation only and minimum class requirements must be met.

About the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD)

The Royal Academy of Dance is an internationally recognized organization that provides a certification program in classical ballet. With more then 15,000 members’ spread across 82 countries, the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) is one of the largest and most influential dance education and training organizations in the world (www. rad. org.uk). Highly trained and certified registered teachers administer a curriculum in dance that is approved by the United Kingdom Department of Education, which follows UK national standards for arts education. The assessment process allows students and educators alike to know exactly what skills have been attained, and where further study is required. The Royal Academy of Dance employs a Board of Examiners: internationally renowned teachers who use the RAD syllabus in their own teaching. Lesley Shearer, the Director of the Ballet Program at MSA is a member of the RAD Board of Examiners. A certificate is awarded to successful candidates, providing proof that they have attained an international standard in classical dance appropriate to their age. The certificate is a highly prized addendum to college applications as it demonstrates that the student has been diligently committed to working towards a high standard of achievement in the arts, in addition to their school activities.