"It's an idyllic autumn day in leafy Richmond Park, London, where a grand Georgian hunting lodge houses the Royal Ballet school. Enter through the classical columns and it feels like a bubble away from the world. I was on a video call with my son, says the school's artistic director, Iain Mackay. He said, Where are you? Hogwarts?!' This is indeed a place of magic for children who come here, hoping to follow in the footsteps of generations of leading dancers."
"At the age of 10, you're told you're going to be a ballet dancer. Then at 14, you're not. What does that do to a person? The training is tough, says Mackay, and the mental health of our students comes first. (There will still be a path for younger dancers on the Royal Ballet's Associate Programme, training part-time at regional centres from the age of eight.)"
An idyllic Georgian lodge in Richmond Park houses the Royal Ballet School's White Lodge, a boarding centre for aspiring dancers. Competitive admissions accept roughly 40 students from over 1,000 applicants, with about 90% receiving bursary support. Iain Mackay, the artistic director appointed last year, has raised the entry age from 11 to 13 (Year 9). The change aims to reduce early specialisation, ease pressure from a rigorous and competitive career pathway, and prioritise student mental health. Data analysis and sports science research informed the decision. Younger children can train part-time in regional centres from age eight via the Associate Programme.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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