Royal Ballet School’s ATAP Expands Access to High-Calibre Ballet Instruction
The Royal Ballet School’s Affiliate Training and Assessment Programme (ATAP) is reshaping access to elite ballet education for students and teachers across the globe. Introduced in 2022, the programme enables recreational dance instructors to train their students using the methods and ethos of the Royal Ballet School, ensuring a consistent standard of instruction rooted in the institution’s long-established excellence.
To date, ATAP has certified 46 teachers and is currently training 29 more, with participants spread across 12 countries. This international scope highlights the programme’s relevance in diverse dance education contexts. Rather than enforcing a rigid syllabus, ATAP encourages a flexible pedagogical model focused on ballet vocabulary, repertoire, creative practice, and body conditioning. Each of these elements is integrated into a process-oriented learning structure that values student development over performance results.
In 2024, ATAP gained further prominence with the appointment of Francesca Hayward as Lead Ambassador. A Principal of The Royal Ballet and an alumna of the Royal Ballet School, Hayward brings international recognition and a passion for inclusive access to her new role. Her advocacy aims to broaden awareness of the programme among children, parents, and dance educators, reinforcing the value of a holistic dance education.
The programme’s reach was also extended through a partnership with the Frederick Ashton Foundation, which has made seminal repertoire such as The Dream, Les Rendezvous, and Les Patineurs available to ATAP students. This collaboration includes adapted choreography and supplemental materials tailored for formative training years. Video content and written guidance are provided through the School’s on-demand platform, ensuring educators have the tools necessary to deliver complex material with accuracy and sensitivity.
ATAP’s infrastructure supports continuous professional development. Teachers attend annual sessions covering pedagogy, assessment, and business practices. They also benefit from online libraries, enrichment workshops, marketing resources, and discounts on related courses. This ecosystem is designed to foster sustained engagement with the programme and with the wider ballet education community.
Programme managers Shaun Walters and Vanessa Donkin both bring extensive experience to ATAP. Walters, a graduate of the Royal Ballet School’s Diploma of Dance Teaching, began by teaching online Associate classes. Donkin, also a former student, qualified with the Royal Academy of Dance and has taught internationally for over two decades. Together, they champion ATAP’s emphasis on teaching methodology and creative freedom.
Assessments within the programme are conducted via video submissions. Teachers design and film their own student evaluations, which are then reviewed through the Royal Ballet School’s secure platform. The material covers six training levels and spans both movement studies and contextual content, including ballet technique, choreography, and artistic appreciation.
For many educators, joining ATAP is more than a professional milestone; it represents a deep alignment with the values of the Royal Ballet School. It offers the chance to participate in a global community of practice, where ideas and experiences are shared to elevate the standard of ballet education everywhere.
