Every year, dancers from all over the world dream of successfully auditioning and attending The Royal Ballet School in London, following in the footsteps of countless professional dancers employed in companies all over the globe.
An elite training institution with some of the world’s foremost instructors, The Royal Ballet School is clear it welcomes everyone with a passion for classical ballet and a drive to become a professional dancer to audition, regardless of personal circumstances, or academic ability.
Admission to the School is based solely on potential in classical ballet, and dancers are also welcome to re-apply if they have auditioned before.
As the school prepares to commence this year’s auditions rounds, Dance Informa spoke with Mark Annear, Director of Training & Access, to find out more.
What is the School looking for in auditionees?
“The Royal Ballet School provides students with the necessary training and development to pursue a career in dance. We are not looking for fully polished dancers; we are interested in a dancer’s potential. When considering students for the School, we consider a combination of factors relevant to the age group. This includes factors like coordination, sense of movement, musicality, how they communicate with an audience, their expression, flexibility and a feeling for dance. “
What type of dancer is likely to succeed at The Royal Ballet School?
“We understand that not every school suits every student. We also look for confidence, tenacity and the ability to thrive in a high-level training environment. This helps us ensure that students who come to The Royal Ballet School can get the most out of their education and training, and enjoy and value the process. No one aspect is more important than the other, and we encourage dancers from all movement backgrounds to apply.”
The audition process takes the form of a series of rounds. All applicants are offered a preliminary audition, and there are several locations across the UK for dancers to choose from. International dancers can also apply via video application.
Preliminary auditions take the form of a regular ballet class which is tailored to each age group. The class lasts between 1 hour 15 minutes and 1 hour 30 minutes and includes a gentle warm-up. A full list of class requirements for video applications, including what to wear and content for barre, centre, allegro, pointe work and stretching exercises can be found on their website here.
Dancers are encouraged to relax into the class, ask questions when necessary and not be concerned if they haven’t learned the steps or terminology previously if attending in person. It’s all about demonstrating your love for the artform for the panel of three judges who will be looking for you to demonstrate a willingness to learn and to show potential, artistry and musicality.
Preliminary auditions for entry into September 2025 courses begin in November with applications closing in October 15, 11.00 BST. If you are looking to travel, see a full list including dates here.
Dancers can audition for:
- Years 7, 8 and 10 at White Lodge (full-time training)
- 1st, 2nd and Pre-professional Years at Upper School (full-time training)
- Junior, Mid, Senior and Advanced Associate programmes.
Dancers who are successful at the preliminary and semi-final stages, including video applications will be invited to travel to The Royal Ballet School in London for final auditions.
We asked Annear for some advice on how to succeed in your audition. “We’re looking for your potential, not perfection, so try your best to enjoy the experience and show the panel your passion and love for dance,” he says. “Treat the audition like a regular ballet class and a chance to experience something new, meet other dancers who love ballet, and show our team what you can do.”
He adds, “Have a healthy and nutritious breakfast, wear the dancewear you feel most comfortable in, and give yourself plenty of time to get to the audition. Remember, the panel wants you to feel able to do your best, so relax as much as you can and enjoy the experience.”
Applications for full-time and Mid/Senior/Advanced Associate programmes open in September and close 15 October, so get those applications in now. If you’re considering applying by video, you’ll need to send that in by the closing date. Videos do not need to be professionally filmed and you can find out more about the requirements for those here.
In-person Preliminary auditions take place from November to January. All auditions are for courses which start September 2025.
Applications for the Junior Associate programme open in February 2025 and close in March. Auditions are held in the Summer Term for courses which start in September 2025.
Find out more here.
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