Royal Ballet School--London

[thedriver]

What is Royal ballet (e.g. RWB and RBS)? Is it a ballet style or type of training?

[Mel Johnson]

RBS has synthesized its own curriculum, which in these times is rather influenced by Vaganova. Give it a few years, and it will change to something else! To the best of my knowledge, RWB uses what I term the "international" method, which is a Russo/Franco/Italian melange of everything. I don't know that a single curriculum is in force there with syllabi for all the levels, or whether it's all a matter of "internal management".

[vrsfanatic]

The Royal Ballet School (RBS), in London, England is now directed by Gailene Stock of Melbourne, Australia. I believe she is in the third year of her 5 year contract in this position. Ms Stock was born and raised in Australia in the RAD method, performed throughout Europe and then in the Australian Ballet. Upon retirement she then became the director of the Australian Ballet School where she developed her own program for that school. I know that she and her husband, Gary Norman, principle male teacher at RBS, did study teaching of the Vaganova program with Janina Ciunovas and Jurgen Schneider. I am not sure what they have developed further in London, but I do know that they are not exactly pro-Russian in teaching ideology.

 

Anthony Dowell, former Artistic Director of RB during the 1980s and 1990s, was quite interested in Vaganova training and did begin the implementation of Vaganova training in the RB School during his tenure as AD of the company. He did send various teachers to Vaganova Academy to study pedagogy (briefly), hired Anatoli Grigoriev for White Lodge (teacher of Christopher Wheldon for 6 years, among others) and also brought various Russian teachers to guest teach the company from the 1980s through his tenure as Director.

 

RWB, Royal Winnipeg Ballet School is in Winnipeg, Canada. They have a Cecchetti teacher's course, however the faculty has also studied teaching with various teachers of Russian influence. Galina Yordanova (Aterbajani, by way of Tarasov/GITIS in Moscow, ending up in Sofia, Bulgaria, through marriage) continues to teach on the faculty however their faculty is mainly comprised of Canadians or Americans who come from varying backgrounds.

 

RBS, the school of the Royal Ballet and RWB, Royal Winnipeg Ballet.

[Mel Johnson]

Right, and to explain a bit more, RBS is not a Royal Academy of Dance curriculum school. They have many students who are successful candidates on RAD exams, but it is not the curriculum of the school itself, much to the surprise of many. So, already, the RBS has moved into state of flux.

 

The same can be said for Winnipeg. They enter quite a few Cecchetti teachers' candidates every year, but that's not all that goes on at their own school, not by a long shot.

 

The term "Royal" has to do with their charter papers, not with any particular school of ballet.

[dbleon]

???? on the long shot thing re RWB????

[Mel Johnson]

As Ms. Schneider has explained, the teachers at the RWB come from many and varied backgrounds. They don't JUST do Cecchetti.

[dbleon]

thought there was a underlying message there??? yes Galina is part of the love/scary faculty!

[Mel Johnson]

Galina? Ulanova? Isn't she awfully...quiet...for a teacher? And does she...smell?

[floss]

vrs fanatic said

The Royal Ballet School (RBS), in London, England is now directed by Gailene Stock of Melbourne, Australia. I believe she is in the third year of her 5 year contract in this position. Ms Stock was born and raised in Australia in the RAD method, performed throughout Europe and then in the Australian Ballet. Upon retirement she then became the director of the Australian Ballet School where she developed her own program for that school. I know that she and her husband, Gary Norman, principle male teacher at RBS, did study teaching of the Vaganova program with Janina Ciunovas and Jurgen Schneider. I am not sure what they have developed further in London, but I do know that they are not exactly pro-Russian in teaching ideology.

 

The ABS, when Ms Stock was director and now, has a program based on Vaganova. I am not 100% positive of the program run at RBS but I believe it is similarly Vaganova based.

[vrsfanatic]

Floss when I visited ABS back in the early 1990s (maybe 1992), while my husband was guest teaching for the company and school, as well as teaching along with J. Ciunovas their ballet teaching seminar to the school faculty, I was very impressed with the work being done at the school, however it was not Vaganova and the term Vaganova based is too open in the US, so I prefer to stay away from that term totally. I know he and J. Cuinovas did work with the faculty and Ms. Stock a few times over the years. Perhaps Ms. Stock changed the focus of the school prior to moving on to RBS. M. Gielgud was the champion of having the faculty study Vaganova teaching. Mr. Stretton was not a fan of that method of teaching. What the current director of the company prefers is unknown to me.

 

According to articles I have read since Ms. Stock has been directing RBS, she has developed her own program combining various teaching ideologies. I also have discussed this with Ms. Stock and Mr. Norman at various times. Faculty members at RBS also say that the ideology has definitely shifted from the Vaganova base they had been trying to develop during Mr. Dowell's tenure as director of the company.

 

If you look at the information page of their website you can find this quote,

 

SYSTEM OF TRAINING

...a System of Training has been developed to encompass the eight years of full-time training offered at The Royal Ballet School. It draws upon the valuable traditions from different schools of classical ballet, retaining the best that was created by our predecessors while embracing the demands of classical dance technique as is required of professional artists today...

 

The ABS website has no mention in the training section regarding Vaganova.

 

The Australian Ballet School offers an eight year program for training the highest calibre of students to vocational level.

 

The core of the curriculum is The Australian Ballet School Training Programme, which was introduced formally into the School in 1990 and has been the basis for training ever since. It is a system of training for Australian bodies and temperaments, retaining the special qualities of Australian dancers, which have been internationally recognised and acclaimed for many years. Youthful freshness, expression and the joy of dancing, combined with athleticism, a natural dramatic ability and strong technique are the characteristics associated with Australian Ballet School graduates.

 

When reading training ideaologies such as these, it becomes clear that there is no particular affiliation.

[tutu14]

Here is the information from the RWB website regarding their Teacher Training Course.

Not only do our graduates benefit from 100% employment success upon completing the Teacher Training Program, they also enjoy many other opportunities while studying at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School including…

 

Sharing an open rapport and training environment with the world-renowned Royal Winnipeg Ballet Company.

Receiving Cecchetti syllabus certification.

Instruction from our dedicated professional staff who have spent over 30 years developing and teaching the Russian technique.

Gaining phenomenal teaching experience in different dance disciplines by observing and assisting the 1500 students enrolled in the RWB School’s Recreational School and Satellite Programs.

The unique occasion to choreograph and stage original works in the First Steps Choreographic Competition.

CURRICULUM

 

The Teacher Training Program provides courses in ballet (Cecchetti and Russian), creative movement, pre-ballets, pointe, music, character, jazz, modern, pilates, improvisation & movement, composition, voice, eurythmics, history of dance & music, applied anatomy & physiology. Teacher Training Program students are also offered the opportunity to experience programs specifically designed for teaching boys.

 

Cecchetti examinations may lead to an Associate designation in the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (Cecchetti branch). Graduates also have further opportunities to upgrade their skills and their standing within the Cecchetti Society.

 

The students in the Professional division: "Students are trained in classical ballet based on the Russian School."

 

DD has Galina Yordanova(not Ulanova ) for the first time for master ladies barre this summer and loves it and her.

[dbleon]

Everyone LOVES Galina at RWB.......but she can be.???? To this day my DD loves her??

[vrsfanatic]

It is very nice to hear that everyone is still enjoying G. Yordanova, however a discussion of individual teachers is not encouraged on this site. Clarification of RBS and RWS is the topic at hand.

[dbleon]

Sorry....didn't know that personal observations were not permitted!

[vrsfanatic]

Personal observations are permitted, however one never knows when things may get out of hand as far as teachers go. Your encouraging discussion of RWB and the program could perhaps be continued under professional residencey programs or impressions of SIs.