About
With over 14,000 members’ spread across 86 countries, The Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) is one of the largest and most influential dance education and training organisations in the world. We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to learn to dance.
The RAD’s patron is Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and our President is Dame Darcey Bussell, DBE. With a strong global membership in 85 countries and offices in 36, we have an incredible global network of passionate and skilled employees, teachers and members, each shaping and influencing the future of dance.
Established in 1920 by a group of eminent dance professionals representing the leading ballet styles of the period with the aim of improving the standards of dance teaching, initially in the UK but from 1935 here in Australia, our founders would be proud of their legacy.
There are currently over 1,000 students in full-time or part-time teacher training programmes with the RAD and each year, the examination syllabus is taught to more than a quarter of a million students worldwide.
In December 2020 the RAD celebrated 100 years of teaching the world to dance!