Tag: Inside RAD

I am from Sudbury, Ontario and I love to dance! I had the honour of having Cynthia Fisher as my examiner for my Advanced 2 examination in 2022. I passed with a High Merit, which I am absolutely delighted with! I have been battling Lyme Disease for 11 years, and wanted to share my journey in the hope that it will inspire someone else to reach for their dreams in ballet.

I love dancing more than anything in this world. I think of ballet all day and go to bed dreaming of it at night. I cannot imagine a day without it. Ever since I was little, it has always been my greatest dream to achieve the Advanced 2 exam.

Eleven years ago I was training for the exam when I suddenly fell very ill. I had just finished university and was a dance teacher at my own studio as well as a school teacher. I loved my students dearly and spent my days doing what I loved. But my health became progressively worse, to the point that I had to teach from a chair or even lie down in the classroom. I was fevered, extremely weak, losing weight and experiencing constant pain. I eventually had to give up my studio, my beloved students and teaching along with my exam training at the age of 23. I was bedridden for two years, finally testing positive for Lyme Disease. This was just the start of a long battle which I am still fighting today.

The new syllabus came out shortly after I fell ill, and I was filled with excitement and determination to learn it, beginning on my own from my bed. It took seven years, because I could only read for a few minutes a day and couldn’t move very much. I practiced everything in my head! On the days that I just wanted to cry, I would put on my dance clothes and pointe shoes so that I could ‘feel like a ballerina.’ Three years into my journey, I met my husband, Steven, who has been an angel in my life. He believed in me and encouraged me to reach for my dreams. When we were dating, he took me to see The Nutcracker in Toronto and would whisper, ‘You are going to get your Advanced 2 one day.’ 

In 2018, my beloved father passed away. He was one of my biggest fans: everyone says that I got my deep passion for life from him. I knew that ballet was the one thing that would bring me joy through my grief. I called around to find an RAD teacher, and when I walked into my first class with Sarah Baker we both shed a tear as we shared our stories. Her sister sadly passed away from Lyme Disease. We truly understood each other, which has led to the most beautiful, lifelong friendship. 

She knew how to train me carefully and not to push too hard. We started with 20-minute classes, after which I would have to be in bed for a week recovering, as I was undergoing numerous treatments. We slowly added a few minutes to my class each week, and have now made it to two-hour classes! 

Training required a lot of support from my loved ones. My amazing mother drove me 90 minutes to class, making so many sacrifices with love: she has been my greatest support. My husband got a new job and we were able to move to the same city as my mom and the dance studio. 

The day of my exam was one I will never forget! My entire family, friends and doctors were cheering me on. I was very ill on the day of my exam, but was not going to let infections get in the way of my dream. Cynthia Fisher was such a warm-hearted and encouraging examiner and when we received my mark we were all ecstatic! It far surpassed my hopes and dreams. 

Sometimes life doesn’t always go as you had planned, but I am beyond thankful for the joy and perseverance that ballet has brought to my life. It gave me something to strive for during my toughest days, and it will continue to brighten every day in the years to come.

Recently I achieved a Distinction level for both Discovering Repertoire Level 4 as well as Advanced 2. I feel extremely blessed to dance in less pain than the previous years. Dance continues to bring me joy in the midst of my daily battle with this disease. What would we do without ballet?

Step Live Festival, Step into Dance’s annual celebration of dance, returned for the first time in three years on 12 July. The event, which took place at London’s Cadogan Hall, saw over 350 students perform for family, friends, and invited guests.

Delivered by professional dancers, Step into Dance supports young dancers to progress, excel, and realise their creative potential. A Royal Academy of Dance programme in partnership with the Jack Petchey Foundation, Step into Dance reaches secondary school students across London and Essex offering a broad dance programme. Schools and students benefit from opportunities to get involved in a wider programme of workshops and performances.

All of the participating dancers were involved in the Step into Dance programme, which this year celebrates its 15th anniversary. Audiences got a taste of hip hop, contemporary, commercial styles and afro across two performances. 23 schools were selected to perform, from a total of 49 applicants.

Because of the pandemic, this was many students’ first experience of performing in a professional venue, and the atmosphere was electric. Dancers cheered on their fellow schools from the hall’s circle, which allowed them to see what their peers had been working on and experience a range of different dance styles. Natasha Beuselinck, a sports coach and drama teacher at Swiss Cottage School, said, ‘the students enjoyed it and the parents absolutely loved it, they were very emotional!’

‘I was incredibly proud of each and every one of the dancers who took part in the stunning Step Live performance,’ said Tim Arthur, CEO of the RAD. ‘Each one radiated creativity, commitment and joy. It was a wonderful and moving event and it’s such a privilege for the RAD to be working so closely with the Jack Petchey Foundation and with our wonderful dancers.’

After a busy day of rehearsal and performance, the dancers received a standing ovation from an excited audience.

This year, The Margot Fonteyn International Ballet Competition was held entirely online for the first time in its history.

After remote coaching and masterclasses from world-renowned teachers and choreographers, the competition final saw the coveted Genée Gold Medal awarded to New Zealand dancer Alice McArthur, trained by Auckland Academy of Dance and currently Sarah Abendroth at John Cranko School. In a touching coincidence, Alice’s success comes over 30 years after her mother was awarded the silver medal in London.

Australian dancer Milei Lee won the silver medal. Milei has been trained by RAD teachers Liane McRae and Janne Blanch, and English National Ballet School. Bronze medals were presented to British dancer Hannah Martin, trained by RAD teacher Mary Goodhew, and to Australian dancer Amelia Soh, trained by RAD teachers Jasmin Bobyk, Paris Bobyk and Celine Bobyk. The Dancer’s Own Choreographic Award was won by British dancer Olivia Chang Clarke for her self-choreographed solo Rain of tears.

Australian dancer Amber Mitchell-Knight, trained by RAD teacher Susan Sargison and the National Theatre Ballet School, won this year’s Audience Choice Award, generously supported by the Dame Margot Fonteyn Scholarship Fund. The online vote was held over a 72-hour period, so viewers in all time zones could choose their favourite dancer.

The 15 young dancers were judged by Dame Darcey Bussell, President of the RAD, Director of the Royal Ballet Kevin O’Hare, CEO and Artistic Director of Scottish Ballet Christopher Hampson and Irek Mukhamedov, Ballet Master at the Paris Opéra Ballet. Each dancer performed a 19th- or 20th-century classical variation, a contemporary solo choreographed by or for them (Dancer’s Own), a commissioned solo by choreographer Ashley Page and set class exercises.

Gerard Charles, Artistic Director of the RAD said: ‘I am so pleased that we were able to make the competition happen this year, after what has been an incredibly challenging time for dance students and teachers. It has been so inspiring to see these young dancers surmount unforeseeable challenges of separation, closed studios and lockdowns, just to take part in the competition, let alone take home a medal. This is a true testament to how deeply they value dance.’

The RAD welcomed a record number of applicants, thanks to a new format designed to widen access to this prominent competition. In the early stages, the RAD delivered one-to-one online coaching for 114 dancers from 18 countries. The coaches, all leading professionals, included former Royal Ballet Principals Edward Watson and Leanne Benjamin, Miguel Altunaga from Rambert and Amber Scott, Principal with the Australian Ballet. All the solos of the 15 chosen finalists will be sent to artistic directors of leading international companies, providing a potentially crucial stepping stone in their career path.