Royal Academy of Dance Names First CPD Tutors for New Musical Theatre Syllabus

The Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) has announced the first wave of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Tutors for its brand-new Musical Theatre syllabus.

This cohort of dance educators has successfully completed specialised training, equipping them to roll out the highly anticipated syllabus to RAD teachers and dance professionals in the UK.

The cohort is comprised of a diverse range of professionals from across the UK who come from a variety of career backgrounds. As well as dance and theatre teaching, many of the educators come from performance backgrounds in the West End including shows such as The Lion King.

The RAD welcomed these professionals to its HQ last month. They came together to not only learn the syllabus but further their own careers in the dance and theatre fields. This training represents the RAD's commitment to dance teaching and training excellence, as well as opening new career pathways for professionals working across the dance, theatre and musical theatre industries.

Established in 1920, the RAD has been inspiring the world to dance through its dance teaching and examinations for over 100 years. The introduction of the Musical Theatre syllabus represents a pivotal expansion of the RAD's world-renowned ballet syllabus and has been launched to meet the demands of RAD's growing network of teachers and the wider industry, including increasing need for high-quality musical theatre education.

The syllabus marries exceptional technical dance training with singing and acting, with the aim to nurture versatile, "triple-threat" performers for today's stage.

The newly certified CPD Tutors will deliver RAD Musical Theatre syllabus training to ensure RAD registered teachers deliver this syllabus to the highest standard of excellence. This was the first training of its kind for the RAD, with future training available in the UK, Canada and Australia. Further locations are being added to meet the demand for this new syllabus.

The new Musical Theatre syllabus differs to existing training in three key ways:  

1. Equally Balanced 'Triple Threat' syllabus with training across singing, dancing and acting.
2. Choreography from award-winning choreographers including Tony and Olivier Award winning director and choreographer Susan Stroman, British Tony Award winning director and choreographer Warren Carlyle and Olivier Award winning choreographers Matt Cole and Stephen Mear CBE.  
3. Shaped by industry practice and designed for the real world, the syllabus develops students' understanding and appreciation of Musical Theatre as both an art form and a profession.  

Alex Lowe, Deputy Artistic Director of the RAD says: 'There was an electric sense of shared passion and excellence in the room. Bringing together such outstanding professionals ensures our Musical Theatre syllabus is delivered with authenticity and innovation. We're excited for teachers to gain new strategies to inspire students and elevate their skills.'

Commenting on their experience of the training, Lisa Cook, Performer and member of the Military Wives Choir, Dance and Musical Theatre educator said: 'It gave me a real insight into the level of tutoring that the RAD needs to deliver. I also now appreciate just how much work you have both put into developing the Musical Theatre syllabus to where it is today.'

Victoria Hampson, principal at Genesis Performing Arts said: 'Over the years I've attended many training courses, and I can honestly say this was exceptional by a considerable margin. For me, what set it apart was the level of detail and thought that has clearly gone into every aspect. Not only the syllabus itself, but also the expectations placed on candidates. It feels as though the focus extends far beyond simply preparing people to pass an examination and there is a genuine commitment to developing inspiring teachers who will educate, challenge, and nurture students, equipping them with meaningful, transferable skills rather than just teaching them to pass.'

For more information on the syllabus including current and future training opportunities for CPD tutors and musical theatre teachers, visit: https://www.royalacademyofdance.org/teach-dance/teach-musical-theatre/

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