Many young people dream of joining The Royal Ballet School’s acclaimed full-time training or other programmes. To set these dancers up for success, the School offers online Audition Insight classes where they can learn more about the audition process and school life.

Suitable for dancers aged 11+, these classes allow those who have applied or are considering applying to the School to practise exercises usually set in auditions. They also give participants an insight into what the School looks for in applicants.

As audition season is around the corner for many vocational schools, now is a great time for dancers to prepare, gain audition experience, and ease nerves. With this in mind, The Royal Ballet School launched two new online Audition Insight classes in 2023.

While the School hosts a variety of in-person Audition Insight classes, it recognises that not everyone can visit London to prepare for auditions. Its collection of online classes allows dancers everywhere to practise.

The following classes are the latest additions to the School’s Intensive Courses on Demand (ICOD).

1.Ballet Essentials With Larissa Bamber

The first class, Ballet Essentials, shows dancers aged 11+ how to reconnect with ballet fundamentals — like posture, balance, and coordination — after they’ve spent time away from the studio.

The School has selected each exercise in this class to help dancers reset and renew their practice. As such, it’s ideal for dancers who have been recovering from an injury or taking time out for any other reason.

The class begins with an energetic warm-up, which leads into three exercises at the barre before transitioning to the centre.

Royal Ballet dancer and alumna Larissa Bamber teaches the Ballet Essentials class. Since training at White Lodge and Upper School, Bamber has developed extensive experience performing with the Royal Ballet and completing her teacher training with the Royal Academy of Dance.

Bamber has also served as the Artistic Director of Images Ballet Company, where she taught final-year degree students, commissioned choreographers to create pieces for the Company, and rehearsed and managed the programme and UK tour.

On top of this, she has taught at vocational ballet schools like the National Ballet School and Central School of Ballet.

“Towards the end of my [performance] career, I enjoyed encouraging the younger dancers,” Bamber says. “I was always the one who would offer advice, and I found I really enjoyed that.”

“I felt I had things to say and quite a good way of saying it. If you’re a dancer and you’re new in the Company, it can be very stressful. I hated to see that stress in people, so I would step in and help. For me, teaching was just a natural progression from being a dancer.”

2.Ballet Class With Sarah Kundi

The second addition to the ICOD suite is a fully integrated ballet class for dancers aged 16+. This class focuses on musicality and building confidence, both at the barre and in the centre. Former First Artist Sarah Kundi teaches this class. After training with Central School of Ballet, Kundi launched her professional career with Northern Ballet and went on to dance for Ballet Black and English National Ballet.

She has been nominated for a Critics Circle Dance Award and was awarded the Corps de Ballet Award in her second year at English National Ballet.

Kundi went on to complete The Royal Ballet School’s Diploma of Dance Teaching and now teaches at both White Lodge and Upper School.

Referring to her students, she loves “to hone them, nurture them, encourage them, support them, and get them to be the best they can be.”

The Royal Ballet School’s Online Audition Insight Classes

The Royal Ballet School is delighted to add these two brand-new classes to its online training. At £12 each, there are classes for dancers aged 11, 12-13, 14-15, and 16-18.

The Audition Insight trainings are part of the School’s wider ICOD collection, which features trainings that allow dancers to learn from world-class Artistic staff and special guests. Dancers can view the classes on any device wherever they like, even in a smaller space with no equipment.

Offering lifetime access, the School’s ICOD collection brings its leading dance training to individuals all over the world.

For the first time, the School has also launched two bundles that its Artistic staff have expertly curated, both available at a discounted rate.

Browse The Royal Ballet School’s online Audition Insight classes.

About The Royal Ballet School

The Royal Ballet School stands amongst the finest ballet training centres in the world, offering outstanding dance instruction and opportunities. Graduates frequently secure positions with prestigious companies such as The Royal Ballet, The Birmingham Royal Ballet, and other leading dance organisations.

Full-time training candidates can apply to audition, whether they’re based in the UK or internationally. Selection is based on a dancer’s skill and potential in classical ballet, not their background or scholarly achievements. On average, 88% of successful candidates receive financial aid to attend the School.