The Royal Ballet School’s give dancers everywhere the opportunity to experience a short but impactful period of elite training. During an Intensive, dancers shape their technique with like-minded students, whether in the School’s inspiring, supportive environment or abroad.

The School’s Artistic staff run seasonal Intensives, opening opportunities for dancers to develop their skills all year round. On 2 October 2024, applications will open for the 2025 Spring and Summer Intensives.

The Spring and Summer Intensives

Unlike the Autumn and Winter Intensives, the Spring and Summer Intensives are selective. This means dancers will need to provide additional information and   in their applications.

Successful applicants can choose between residential and non-residential Intensives. While non-residential courses fit easily around a dancer’s life, residential courses allow them to immerse themselves in the full Royal Ballet School experience.

Residential students stay in accommodation at one of the School’s boarding houses in Pimlico and Covent Garden. Aud Jebsen Hall (Pimlico) offers full-board hot and cold meals and caters to dietary requirements.

Meanwhile, Jebsen House (Covent Garden) offers vouchers for students to enjoy healthy hot and cold meals at the Royal Opera House, which also accommodates dietary requirements.

The 2025 Spring Intensives in London

The next   will take place on 7-11 April 2025 at White Lodge and on 8-10 April 2025 at Upper School, both in London.

The White Lodge Spring Intensive is residential. It will host three separate mixed-gender groups for dancers aged 10-12, 12-13, and 14-15. It will also host two female-only groups for dancers aged 13 and 14.

The Upper School Spring Intensive is non-residential and will host mixed-gender classes for dancers aged 9-10, 11-12, and 13-15. Being a non-residential course, students can book half-day sessions that fit around their other commitments.

The 2023 Spring Intensives

Last year, The Royal Ballet School held its   in London, Singapore, and Hong Kong. Multiple teachers taught students, sharing their expertise across repertoire, contemporary dance, stagecraft, Pilates, and acting through dance and mime. Students explored both modern works and classical ballets like Swan Lake and Giselle.

The London Intensives were particularly popular, with 155 students attending throughout the week. To finish the course, Royal Ballet School alumna and Royal Ballet Principal Anna Rose O’Sullivan gave a talk and held a question-and-answer session with the students.

The 2025 Summer Intensives in London

The next   will take place from 15 July to 15 August 2025 at White Lodge and Upper School.

White Lodge Intensive students aged 13-15 can choose between one- and two-week courses, and those aged 10-12 can choose a one-week course.

Meanwhile, Upper School Intensive students aged 16-19 can choose between two-, three-, and five-week courses.

The White Lodge one-week course will cater to the following students:

• 15-19 July: mixed-gender training for dancers aged 10-11
• 21-25 July: mixed-gender training for dancers aged 12-13
• 28 July-1 Aug: mixed-gender training for dancers aged 10-11
• 4-8 August: female training for dancers aged 12-13
• 11-15 August: female training for dancers aged 10-15

The White Lodge two-week course will cater to the following students:

• 15-25 July: female training for dancers aged 14 and mixed-gender training for dancers aged 14-15
• 28 July-8 August: female training for dancers aged 14 and mixed-gender training for dancers aged 14-15
• 4-15 August: female training for dancers aged 13

The Upper School courses will cater to the following students:

• 15-25 July: female training for dancers aged 16-19 and male training for dancers aged 18-19
• 28 July-15 August: mixed-gender training for dancers aged 16-19
• 15 July-15 Aug: mixed-gender training for dancers aged 16-19

Dancers will practise a range of styles, from ballet and character to contemporary and jazz.

The 2023 Summer Intensives

Last year, The Royal Ballet School welcomed several special guests to teach   alongside its Artistic staff, pianists, and guest musicians. Over 600 dancers took part, learning repertoire from some of the world’s greatest ballets. These included Sleeping Beauty, Don Quixote, Rhapsody, and Swan Lake.

White Lodge students enjoyed question-and-answer sessions about life at The Royal Ballet School with Liane McRae and Leanne Cope. They also met Tara Bhavani and chatted with her about her life as a Royal Ballet dancer.

Meanwhile, Upper School students met several Royal Ballet dancers, who shared advice and inspiration with them. These dancers included the acclaimed Lauren Cuthbertson, Steven McRae, Matthew Ball, Itziar Mendizabal, and Mayara Magri.

This year’s   proved just as popular, with students commenting that they “learned more in five weeks” than they had all year elsewhere and found it “surreal” to train in the same studios as the full-time students.

The Autumn and Winter Intensives

The Royal Ballet School’s applications are also open for the   until 11 October 2024. These non-selective Intensives cater to dancers aged 9-14, and the School offers places on a first-come, first-served basis.

The Intensive dates are:

• 27 or 28 October for dancers aged 9-10 or 11-12
• 27 October for dancers aged 13-14

Students will spend their one-day course building their performance technique and  ynamics or exploring repertoire from Giselle.

When The Royal Ballet School opens applications for its next  , these non-selective, one-day courses will also be available on a first-come, first-served basis. The Intensives are for dancers aged 9-14, who will develop their confidence and coordination in classical ballet.

Global Access to The Royal Ballet School’s Intensives

The Royal Ballet School hosts Intensives at its site in London and around the world. Dancers can also book Intensives in Hong Kong ,  ,  , and  .

Beyond its in-person Intensives, The Royal Ballet School has produced a video-on-demand suite of  . From ballet, character, contemporary, and Pilates classes to interviews and talks with the School’s Artistic and Healthcare teams, the collection hosts everything students need to develop their skills outside of the studio.

The   cover topics like confident, consistent pirouettes; épaulement; developing artistry; audition guidance; port de bras; and footwork, floor pressure, and resistance.

Royal Ballet School Artistic staff and special guests deliver the classes, which they have adapted for dancers to practise in small spaces without any equipment.

Available online to dancers everywhere, the Intensives now have a truly global reach.

The Benefits of Royal Ballet School Intensives

Outstanding Royal Ballet School teachers craft the Intensives to help dancers develop their technique, strength, flexibility, and stamina. At the in-person Intensives, these teachers provide comprehensive, personalised feedback for each student.

Throughout an Intensive, students also practise a variety of dance styles and disciplines. By training beyond the ballet art form, they expand their understanding of musicality, artistry, and self-expression. While developing their strength and capabilities, students also grow in confidence as their unique dance styles blossom.

Many students go on to pursue full-time vocational ballet training once they have completed an Intensive.

Those planning to apply for Royal Ballet School Intensives have until 8 November 2024 to apply for a Spring Intensive and until 8 January 2025 to apply for a Summer Intensive.

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About The Royal Ballet School

Whether through its   or other programmes, The Royal Ballet School coaches talented young dancers and provides them with several performance opportunities on major stages. Many go on to enjoy careers with prestigious companies like The Royal Ballet and Birmingham Royal Ballet.

The School selects students solely on dance ability and potential, assessing candidates on their auditions, not academic performance or household income. Many students (88% on average) receive financial aid to attend.

Main sources for this piece:

https://www.royalballetschool.org.uk/train/dancer-training/intensive-courses/

https://www.royalballetschool.org.uk/train/apply/intensive-courses-faqs/

https://www.royalballetschool.org.uk/2023/05/02/spring-intensives-2023/

https://www.royalballetschool.org.uk/train/dancer-training/intensive-courses/uk-spring-intensive/

https://www.royalballetschool.org.uk/train/dancer-training/intensive-courses/uk-summer-intensive/

https://www.royalballetschool.org.uk/2023/08/18/the-royal-ballet-schools-summer-intensive-2023/

https://www.royalballetschool.org.uk/2024/08/09/our-2024-summer-intensive-from-a-student-perspective/

https://www.royalballetschool.org.uk/train/dancer-training/intensive-courses/autumn-intensives/#1657539745812-53582e41-0f3a

https://www.royalballetschool.org.uk/train/dancer-training/intensive-courses/winter-intensive/

Suggested link: https://www.royalballetschool.org.uk/train/dancer-training/intensive-courses/

Suggested link: https://www.royalballetschool.org.uk/train/apply/photograph-requirements/

Suggested link: https://www.royalballetschool.org.uk/train/dancer-training/intensive-courses/uk-spring-intensive/

Suggested link: https://www.royalballetschool.org.uk/2023/05/02/spring-intensives-2023/

Suggested link: https://www.royalballetschool.org.uk/train/dancer-training/intensive-courses/uk-summer-intensive/

Suggested link: https://www.royalballetschool.org.uk/2023/08/18/the-royal-ballet-schools-summer-intensive-2023/

Suggested link: https://www.royalballetschool.org.uk/2024/08/09/our-2024-summer-intensive-from-a-student-perspective/

Quotes are also from this source.

Suggested link: https://www.royalballetschool.org.uk/train/dancer-training/intensive-courses/autumn-intensives/

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Suggested link: https://www.royalballetschool.org.uk/train/dancer-training/intensive-courses/winter-intensive/

Suggested link: https://www.royalballetschool.org.uk/train/dancer-training/intensive-courses/hong-kong-spring-intensive/

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This is a placeholder and would be better replaced with ‘Apply for a Royal Ballet School Intensive’ when the booking page is live.

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