Royal Academy of Dance

• Like all good neighbours, the RAD is throwing a special housewarming party for the local community on Sunday 8 May
• RAD will throw open the doors of their new home for dance from 10am-4pm
• The influential dance education organisation will be hosting a range of free activities for all ages and abilities, including taster workshops, performances, scavenger hunts, film screenings and even an open audition for young people in Wandsworth who could be offered free tuition
• See the full schedule for the day and book your place on a workshop at www.homefordance.org
• Download images here, password ‘rad’

13 April 2022: The Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) is warming up for an open day in their brand new, state of the art home in Battersea. On Sunday 8 May, the organisation will throw open their doors and host a range of free activities from 10am-4pm. The RAD recently moved to their new home for dance on York Road in Battersea, so this is an exciting opportunity for the local community to explore everything the RAD has to offer. All ages and abilities are welcome, there is something to suit the whole family. 

Activities scheduled to take place on the day include:

• A special screening of new animation and live action film Coppelia, which stars RAD President Dame Darcey Bussell, who will lead a Q and A about the film at the event
• Dance performances in the 193 seat Aud Jebsen Studio Theatre
• Taster workshops for children in a range of dance styles, including hip hop, contemporary, musical theatre and more
• Ballet and Storytelling workshops for younger children aged 3-6, the perfect introduction to movement and dance, whilst exploring the story of a ballet classic
• There’s opportunity for adults to get moving too, with pilates taster classes, African dance and drumming workshops, and a Move to the Musicals class- a jazz inspired class specially designed for over 55s
• Visitors will also be able to explore the RAD’s archives, with objects and images to be displayed which celebrate over 100 years of dance history
• The RAD shop will be open for all to stock up on dance related goodies, as well as specialist dance wear for anyone inspired to keep dancing 

In a first for the RAD, there will also be an open audition taking place on the day. Young people aged 4-17 who live in Wandsworth are invited to take part in an open class, observed by Dame Darcey Bussell and a panel of dance professionals. Up to three dancers will be selected to have free dance tuition at the RAD’s new state of the art home and will have the cost of uniform covered. 

The Royal Academy of Dance’s new global headquarters in Battersea is not designed to be just the charity’s home but to be a cultural hub, a destination for dance, and a place where local residents, partners and artists can feel at home too. Through a cultural engagement plan and partnership with Take a Part, the RAD is growing their programme of outreach and wellbeing initiatives while exploring how they can best serve and work together with community artists and partners, as well as residents. 

Event Details

When: Sunday 8 May, 10am-4pm

Where: Royal Academy of Dance, 188 York Road, London SW11 3JZ

Cost: Free

To see the full schedule for the day and to book on to workshops visit www.homefordance.org

 

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Notes to Editors:

 

About the Royal Academy of Dance

Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) is one of the most influential dance education and training organisations in the world with a strong global membership in 85 countries. 

Established in 1920 to improve standards and re-invigorate dance training, the RAD helps and encourages its teachers to perfect their teaching skills and pass on this knowledge to their students. There are currently over 1,000 students in full-time or part-time teacher training programmes with the RAD and each year the examination syllabus is taught to thousands of young people worldwide, with around a quarter of a million pupils per year going on to take RAD exams.

 

About the Royal Academy of Dance’s global headquarters 

Created as a new international home for dance, the £19.5m Battersea-based project enables the RAD to realise the potential of the 60,000 sq. ft headquarters, and they are fundraising for the final, but crucial funds of £800,000 to meet their target. In this new space, the RAD will expand on its 100-year commitment to high-quality dance education and will harness the transformational power of dance to reach more people, regardless of age, ability, or location. 

Alongside enhanced education and training facilities for students and teachers, seven large dance studios, a café and a shop, the new building will be home to a long wished for 193-seat performance space, The Aud Jebsen Studio Theatre, to showcase the RAD’s dancing talent, as well as a new performance space for local companies. 

On display for the first time in its 100+ year history will be a fully accessible archive showcasing the RAD’s extraordinary collection of 75,000 artefacts, books, programmes, letters, relics and costumes, which can be viewed by appointment with the RAD’s Archives and Records Manager at the Wolfson Library and archive.