Our course at The Dance School of Scotland is designed to nurture, educate and develop the potential of each young person within the school. The course is classically based, with a ballet class everyday, and this is supplemented with other disciplines which are delivered to the young people by our enthusiastic and specialist staff. On this course, the young people will have access to the training and support needed for a career within the performing arts industry.
Tuition fees: The course is fully funded by the Scottish Government to young people residing in Scotland.
(Regrettably we cannot take students from outside of Scotland)
What is included in the course?
- Full academic curriculum.
- Daily classical ballet class.
- Classes given in: Modern, Jazz, Tap, Contemporary, Repertoire, Pas de deux.
- Drama and Singing tuition.
- Dance Studies and Repertoire Analysis.
- Audition preparation.
- Gyrotonic instruction, Fitness and Progressive Ballet Technique (PBT).
- RAD and ISTD examinations.
- Annual showcase performance at Glasgow’s Theatre Royal, Kings Theatre or The Royal Concert Hall.
- Choreographic evening.
- Workshops delivered by visiting artists and companies.
- Weekly physiotherapy.
- National 5, Higher Dance and Advanced Higher Dance.
Curriculum Details
Within their school day, the young people will receive a 1 ½ hour dance class. In addition to this, they will also receive further training in a variety of disciplines (listed above) after school, Monday to Friday. On occasion it may be required that additional programming is scheduled on the weekend.
In addition to their academic classes, National 5 Dance is taken in S3, Higher Dance is taken in S4 and Advanced Higher Dance in S5.
Singing tuition is provided from S1 – S6 and Drama tuition is provided to the senior section of the school.
External dance examinations are taken in RAD Classical Ballet and ISTD Modern and Tap.
Contextual studies are provided, allowing the young people to develop their knowledge and understanding of Music, Anatomy, Repertoire, Industry Insights and Dance Studies. For the senior pupils, audition preparation is provided to guide and support them on the next step on their career pathway.
There are annual assessments which are designed to appraise the dancer’s progress and development. This ensures that the school can offer individual feedback and support to them, as well as allowing the school to evaluate its own system, keeping the curriculum progressive and in line with the dance industry.
The school believes that our young people benefit greatly from visiting artists. We vary the variety of specialists that come in to deliver workshops so we can provide a comprehensive studio experience, enhancing their abilities, artistry and communication skills.
All of the dancers will participate in the annual choreographic performance which takes place within the school, in December. Some opportunities arise for the dancers to participate in small-scale performances. There is an annual school performance that concludes the academic year and this is held at either Glasgow’s Theatre Royal, Kings Theatre or The Royal Concert Hall.
This comprehensively designed course has been expertly created with the young people at its centre. Identifying the key components and supplementing them with a multitude of skills is at the forefront of the curriculum’s design. Alongside this course, we continually aim to create an environment that encourages creativity, confidence, enthusiasm and dedication, which we believe are valuable skills for their future.