Swindon pupils to join Royal Ballet School

216 Swindon primary school pupils will be joining the Royal Ballet School as part of its Dance Education Project.

The Royal Ballet School’s Primary Steps programme commences its 19th year with a special day of ballet demonstrations in Swindon on 24 September, for 216 young people aged 7-8. 

Year 3 pupils from 5 Swindon primary schools will gather at Wyvern Theatre for a rare opportunity to see first-hand the artistry and athleticism of ballet students. The pupils will also have the chance to experience ballet for themselves by ‘having a go’ on stage. 

A group of teachers and musicians from The Royal Ballet School will come to Swindon, together with Pre-professional Year Royal Ballet School students and younger students from the School’s nationwide Junior Associate Programme. 

The Royal Ballet School will partner with Swindon Dance to deliver the innovative programme involving the following primary schools: Lainesmead Primary, Lawn Primary, Lethbridge Primary, Mountford Manor Primary and Tregoze Primary. 

Year 3 pupils from these schools will spend the subsequent five weeks working closely with Royal Ballet School teachers, discovering ballet through a carefully designed series of creative dance workshops.  

The Royal Ballet School is committed to widening access to dance education. Each year, Primary Steps touches the lives of more than 2,000 young people throughout England and Wales in Blackpool, Bury St Edmunds, Dagenham, Mansfield, and Swindon. Many of these children would not have otherwise had the opportunity to take dance classes.  

At the end of the initial five-week course, 28 pupils from each area will be invited to further their new-found knowledge and skills by joining weekly Primary Steps classes for up to four years. The young people taking part will receive their training from teachers specially approved by The Royal Ballet School.

After the four years, the aspiring young dancers will be advised on how best to continue their dance training, and some may be invited to audition for The Royal Ballet School’s highly regarded Junior Associate programme. 

The Royal Ballet School’s Primary Steps Programme is funded by the Department for Education in England and the Hodge Foundation in Wales and aims to make a significant contribution to dance opportunities in the areas where the programme operates.

The project aims to bring ballet into the consciousness of children and their families, giving them a unique opportunity to benefit from the rich heritage and expertise of one of the world’s great ballet schools. They are introduced to the world of dance creation and performance and become connected to local dance infrastructure, creating possibilities for future involvement in the arts.