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Career and Learning

Ways to Support the Royal Ballet School

September 28, 2023

“I will always be grateful to my sponsors for helping me reach my full potential.”

Marcelino Sambé, Principal Dancer at The Royal Ballet[CM1]

Many people know The Royal Ballet School as a world-famous and iconic institution of classical ballet training, but fewer people know that the School is a registered charity. Perhaps the School’s most famous supporter is HRH Queen Elizabeth II[2] , who became its official Patron after bestowing a Royal Charter in 1956.

As an educational institution and part of the Government’s Music and Dance Scheme, The Royal Ballet School receives funding from the Department for Education. However, the costs of training and educating dancers have continued to rise, and it’s through the continued generosity of its supporters that the School can provide students with quality dance training and maintain its preeminent position as a world leader in ballet education.

Thankfully, there are many ways that individuals and organisations can support the School and receive perks in return. Whether you sponsor a student, become a corporate partner, or donate to the General Fund, there are plenty of exciting opportunities on offer for donors. Here we’ll explore each in detail, alongside insights into what your support can do for students.

Sponsoring Students

One of the most rewarding ways to support The Royal Ballet School is to sponsor its students[3]. The School admits students based entirely on artistic merit and potential, which means that most of its exceptional young dancers rely on financial assistance to attend. 1 in 6 come from families who earn under £15,000 per annum, and 40% come from families with an annual income of less than £40,000.

Most in need of sponsorship are Upper School international students, 45 to 50 of whom require bursaries every year. The School invites sponsors to donate to the Student Bursary programme, with contributions starting from £5,000 anywhere up to a full bursary. A commitment of three years is ideal for supporting students through their entire Upper School experience.

Alongside the opportunity to support students on their journey to becoming professional ballet dancers, sponsors receive:

Regular updates on dancers’ progress and opportunities to meet them.
VIP tickets to Royal Ballet School events, where sponsored students may be performing.
Receptions after events with the students and other supporters.
Tickets and/or priority booking for the Summer Performances and the VIP reception.

Further opportunities are available to sponsors at higher levels. Additionally, supporters may consider funding young dancers travelling for international auditions, dancers participating in the Associate Programme, or those in need of help covering the practical, day-to-day costs of being a dance student.

The Creative Artist Programme

You may wish to champion student development by providing the essential financial support needed to fund the Creative Artist Programme[4] , which complements the School’s thorough System of Training to develop students into versatile, well-rounded professional dancers.

The programme involves:

Stagecraft lessons and workshops.
Sessions taught by guest teachers and speakers, including some of the world’s finest coaches, Royal Ballet School alumni, and Royal Ballet principal dancers.
Outings to galleries, museums, theatres, and concerts.
International tours and exchanges.

The Guest Teacher Programme

Every year, five sponsors providing £2,500 are essential to supporting the Guest Teacher Programme, which covers transport costs and fees for teachers. In addition to receiving the e-newsletter and acknowledgement from the School, sponsors receive:

Opportunities to watch classes by guest teachers.
Invitations to Royal Ballet School events.
Tickets and/or priority for the Summer Performances.

International Tours and Exchanges

With the help of funding, graduate year students are able to perform overseas in international tours and exchanges. These valuable opportunities allow students to hone their performance skills, experience the training systems of other vocational ballet schools, and broaden their horizons — and these overseas opportunities are only made possible with financial support from sponsors. Recent tours have allowed students to perform in cities like New York, Rome, and Tokyo, and exchanges have taken place with Paris Opera Ballet School, the Royal Danish Ballet School, and others.

Sponsors of international tours and exchanges receive a number of benefits, including the chance to attend classes and rehearsals prior to the tour, acknowledgements in the tour programme, VIP tickets to a preview performance in London, and additional tickets to overseas performances.

Performance Sponsorship

For those who wish to give students the gift of live performance experiences, performance sponsorship[5] is a must.

Summer Performances

The annual Summer Performances take place at the end of the academic year and demonstrate the diverse talents and hard work of students of all ages. Sponsorship opportunities are available for both Opera Holland Park and Royal Opera House performances, and sponsors receive grateful acknowledgement, plus:

Recognition and a full page of advertising in both programmes.
VIP tickets to the performance and VIP reception (or a private drinks reception for guests).
Branding opportunities at Opera Holland Park and inclusion in the Summer Performances’ media and promotional material.
Invitations to other School events throughout the year.

Ballet and Choreography

Each year, the School’s Artistic Director creates exciting programmes of classical and contemporary dance to showcase the students’ skills at various stages of their development. The School usually commissions two or three new choreographic works annually from established and emerging choreographers.

Sponsors are necessary to help meet the costs of dancers’ travel, accommodation, fees, costumes, sets, and sometimes performance/music rights for the pieces. The School continuously seeks support for its new works, and sponsorship of a ballet or new choreography sits between £5,000 and £10,000.

Sponsors receive similar perks to the Summer Performance benefactors, as well as the opportunity to watch the choreographer or répétiteur work with the students.

Friends of The Royal Ballet School

Becoming a Friend of The Royal Ballet School[6] means you can provide invaluable support to students through ongoing membership and event attendance. In addition to knowing you play a vital role in helping talented young dancers achieve their dreams, Friends receive:

Updates from the School.
Invitations to Friends’ Open Days, which allow a unique opportunity to watch students in daily classes and rehearsals.
Priority booking for events, choreographic presentations, and the Summer Performances at Opera Holland Park and the Royal Opera House.

American Friends of The Royal Ballet School

American supporters can make tax-deductible donations to the School through its New York-based sister charity, the American Friends of The Royal Ballet School[7] , established in 2009.

The School is also seeking a group of American Friends to support The Royal Ballet School Student Scholarship Programme, which supports American students who require financial assistance to train in the UK. Donations of $10,000 per annum and above, ideally with a three-year commitment, would finance North and South American students wishing to study at the School. Alongside the personal reward of witnessing students achieve their potential, this group of dedicated American Friends would receive:

Regular reports and personal letters from students with progress updates.
An invitation to visit the School in London and watch students in class.
VIP tickets to the Summer Performances at Opera Holland Park and the Royal Opera House, as well as for Royal Ballet School performances and other events in the Upper School.
VIP tickets and invitations to events throughout the year, a subscription to Encore, and more.

Gifts in Wills

Anyone can leave behind a gift to help fund the future of the School and make a lasting difference, no matter the amount. Assigning a gift to The Royal Ballet School Endowment Fund[8] provides the institution with a vital source of regular income and helps the next generation of ballet dancers and choreographers realise their potential. Those who leave these gifts become valued members of The Dame Ninette Circle, receiving regular invitations to visit the School and attend events.

Trusts and Foundations

Financial contributions from trusts, foundations, and grant-giving bodies[9] are a vital source of funding for The Royal Ballet School. These contributions enable the School to continuously improve studio and classroom facilities, provide financial assistance for students, and commission new choreography and the staging of ballets for School performances. They also help younger dancers involved in the Associate Programme and enhance the School’s outreach work in primary schools.

Corporate Support

Businesses wishing to support young dancers benefit from becoming a corporate partner of The Royal Ballet School[10] . Partners can sponsor students, ballets, international tours and exchanges, and more, and in return enjoy various exclusive networking, brand enhancement, and entertainment benefits.

For instance, the School’s Covent Garden studios on Floral Street, next to the Royal Opera House, provide the perfect venue for corporate events. As an exciting extra, the School offers a pre-dinner performance by its students, with a unique programme of classical and contemporary pieces to impress guests. The Royal Ballet School offers two such evenings for corporate partners each year.

Special Fundraising Events

Sometimes the School hosts special fundraising events that give participants the opportunity to donate, such as the annual Summer Fair[11] , which this year raised £18,000 through ticket purchases and a raffle, and The Big Give Christmas Challenge 2021[12] .

The Big Give Christmas appeal, which took place for one week at the start of December last year, made a fantastic £45,835.24 in donations in support of the School’s Healthy Dancer Programme. This important programme supports and empowers students with the skills and knowledge they need to look after their health and well-being as professional dancers and provides holistic healthcare alongside the School’s System of Training.

General Fund

There are numerous ways to support The Royal Ballet School, but perhaps the quickest and easiest is to donate to the School’s General Fund[13] . The General Fund allows the School to deploy your financial contribution flexibly, when and where it is most needed.

Individuals can support the General Fund by making a donation, becoming a member of the Corps and pledging a regular donation via direct debit, or giving straight from their monthly salary through the government’s Payroll Giving service (Give As You Earn). A gift of shares is another effective and tax-efficient way to show support.

The Royal Ballet School greatly appreciates donations to the General Fund, and higher-level supporters enjoy a number of benefits, including invitations to watch students train in class and perform in School performances, such as the Summer Performance at the Royal Opera House, and an additional special Corps event. General Fund donors also receive a regular e-newsletter.

Joining the Corps

Special benefits await those who join the Corps[14] by pledging a regular donation to the General Fund. Those who donate £500 per year or £41.66 per month (£400/£33.33 with Gift Aid) receive priority booking for Royal Ballet School events and termly updates. Members of the Corps who donate upwards of £100 per month (£1,200 per annum) receive complimentary tickets to Royal Ballet School events and the Summer Performances.

Donate to The Royal Ballet School.

About The Royal Ballet School

The Royal Ballet School is a leading ballet institution that prides itself on providing a superior academic and dance education for its students. Competition is fierce to secure a place on the full-time, eight-year course in London, and successful admittance takes into account a young dancer’s talent and potential, not their personal circumstances or academic ability. A large majority of the School’s pupils currently receive financial support to attend. Many graduates go on to have successful careers with The Royal Ballet, The Birmingham Royal Ballet, and other top global dance companies.