Royal Ballet School announces regional training hub

The Royal Ballet School and Dance Base Scotland will work together to establish a training hub to provide dance opportunities for young people, aspiring dancers and dance professionals, it has been announced.

The hub, at Dance Base Scotland's Edinburgh premises, will offer Royal Ballet School programmes in Scotland and the North of England for children trying dance for the first time, dance students who want to train at a recreational or pre-vocational level and those who wish to teach dance in various settings.

The Royal Ballet School already delivers an Associate Programme, for gifted young dancers considering further training or a dance career, in nine centres across England and Scotland.

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It says it will now create regional training hub partnerships in these centres and new locations that are easily accessible so that more people can engage with and experience dance. 

As well as establishing hubs in the UK, the school said worldwide hubs would "follow soon".

Jim Hollington, Chief Executive at Dance Base, said: "We are delighted to welcome The Royal Ballet School to our studios and to partner with them to host their Regional Training Hub for Scotland and the North of England. 

"With our world-class facilities, we're the natural home for this opportunity. The partnership really complements our existing activity with the community and professional dance artists, and we’re excited to see how the collaboration will develop for us and the broader dance sector in Scotland."

Carol Dray, The Royal Ballet School’s Commercial Director, added: "As a charity and in increasingly tough times, we are delighted to have formed a partnership with Dance Base, who match our ambition to widen access to dance in regional centres sustainably and with the opportunity for growth."