Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) Australia recently announced that it will offer its first males-only summer school this January in Adelaide. As part of the launch of RAD’s Project B initiative here in Australia, the summer school, dubbed “Boys DANCE 18”, will present two full days of classes.
Open to male dancers aged 7 through adult, the new summer school will present instruction in ballet, contemporary, hip-hop and tap, with classes being led by renowned professional dancers and teachers. Boys DANCE 18 will also include a special collaboration in celebration of Project B.
Dance Informa is excited to partner with RAD Australia to offer three lucky Dance Informa readers the chance to attend Boys DANCE 18 in January. To enter to win, email info@danceinforma.com with the answer to this question: Why do you love to dance? Only male dancers aged 7 or older should enter. Title your email entry “Boys DANCE 18 Giveaway” and include your full name, your date of birth, your mailing address and your contact number. This competition opens Thursday, October 12, 2017, and closes Thursday, November 30, 2017.
RAD Australia’s Male Dance Ambassador Matthew Lawrence will teach classical dance at Boys DANCE 18. Lawrence is currently an associate lecturer at QUT but he’s most well known for his performances as a principal dancer with The Australian Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet and Queensland Ballet. He recently chatted with Dance Informa on why he wanted to be RAD’s Australian Ambassador for Project B. Read what he had to say here.
The other faculty members are: David Williams (contemporary), a former dancer with Black Grace Dance Company, Sydney Dance Company and Expressions Dance Company; Jesse Rasmussen (tap), a former Tap Dog, producer of The Tap Pack and choreographer for X Factor Australia and So You Think You Can Dance; and Joel Rasmussen (hip-hop), a dancer, choreographer and creative director for Sony Music artists, including Taylor Swift, Ke$ha and Kylie Minogue.
Boys DANCE 18 will take place January 5 and 6 at Adelaide College of the Arts. It’s not a residential programme but RAD Australia has secured a discount accommodation deal for participants with its partner, The Oaks Hotel group. Registration costs $250, or only $199 before November 3.
For more information on Boys DANCE 18, visit www.rad.org.au/events/boys-dance-18.
Overall, Project B is a larger range of initiatives seeking to widen access to dance for boys. In celebration of its upcoming centenary in 2020, the RAD aims to bring dance to more people in more places and will be initially investing over £30,000 globally to further support male dance provision over the next three years. It will seek to fire boys’ imaginations with new dance partnerships inspired by sports and superheroes. It will host more Boys Only! workshops and Boys Ballet Masterclasses, as well as offer bursaries and financial support for regular tuition. Finally, RAD will also offer financial support to encourage more men to train as dance teachers.
Lawrence said, “I think Project B is an exciting initiative by the RAD, and a cause I am proud to support. Often young male dancers are – as I was – the lone boy in class. So, by creating these opportunities for boys to mix with other boys and male figures in dance, they will hopefully not feel so alone, but be inspired to further pursue their passion for dance.”
In celebration of Project B and Boys DANCE 18, Dance Informa is excited to partner with RAD Australia to offer three lucky Dance Informa readers the chance to attend Boys DANCE 18 in January. To enter to win, email info@danceinforma.com with the answer to this question: Why do you love to dance? Only male dancers aged 7 or older should enter. Title your email entry “Boys DANCE 18 Giveaway” and include your full name, your date of birth, your mailing address and your contact number. This competition opens Thursday, October 12, 2017, and closes Thursday, November 30, 2017.
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