In December 2023, The Royal Ballet School named Strictly Come Dancing stars Nadiya Bychkova and Karim Zeroual its Primary Steps on Demand Ambassadors. Three months later, Bychkova visited St Anne Line School in Basildon to see how students are enjoying the innovative dance programme.
St Anne Line School is one of many schools bringing ballet to the curriculum via Primary Steps on Demand, which children worldwide can access. The Royal Ballet School launched the programme on its video-on-demand platform in March 2022, building on the success and reach of its in-person Primary Steps programme.
Students Dance With Bychkova
A world and European champion ballroom and Latin dancer, Bychkova is a passionate advocate for dance education. As a Primary Steps on Demand Ambassador, she is helping The Royal Ballet School increase the programme’s reach to ensure children everywhere can enjoy the benefits of dance.
In March 2024, Bychkova visited St Anne Line School, where Key Stage 2 and 3 classes have participated in Primary Steps on Demand for the past six months. Thanks to the programme, students have developed a love for the arts. They’ve also experienced the physical and mental benefits dance can offer, such as improved energy, confidence, and self-esteem.
During the visit, students demonstrated their dance skills to Bychkova, who joined them as they practised their pliés and relevés. She also signed autographs, answered students’ questions, and offered insights into the world of dance.
Mrs Reid, a teacher at St Anne Line, is guiding the students’ Primary Steps on Demand experience. Despite having no dance or dance teaching background, the programme has empowered her to offer her students enriching ballet classes.
Mrs Reid told Bychkova: “It’s absolutely wonderful watching [the students] suddenly become in their own world, engrossed in the movement… Without the programme, I wouldn’t have been able to give them that opportunity, so it’s just marvellous for our school.”
The State of Dance Education in UK Primary Schools
Dance is a curriculum requirement for all UK primary schools. The Department for Education specifies that schools should teach students in Key Stages 1 and 2 to perform dances using a range of movement patterns.
However, an Ofsted report published in September 2023 revealed that many schools fall short of the national curriculum’s guidelines. Two-thirds of the schools evaluated for the report either do not teach dance to all students or do not teach dance content in a well-organised manner.
From improving student well-being to raising achievement rates across subjects, the benefits of arts education are well-established. However, many schools continue to face issues with funding, resource limitations, and curriculum constraints. These challenges persist amidst an uncertain economic climate and the aftermath of Covid-19.
Moreover, schools in less affluent areas often lack adequate dance provision. According to a report by the UK government’s Social Mobility Commission, “schools in more disadvantaged areas tend to have larger class sizes and fewer well-qualified and experienced teachers.” Consequently, these schools typically offer fewer extracurricular activities.
Additionally, while teachers recognise the value and importance of dance education, many may not have received any dance-specific guidance during their training. This skill gap, coupled with a lack of confidence in teaching dance, may contribute to many schools’ struggle to fully integrate dance into the curriculum.
“Dance is not a nice-to-have — all children have the absolute right to be able to participate in and enjoy the arts and culture,” says Victoria Collinson, Primary Steps and Associate Programme Artistic Manager.
“We know that teachers are well aware of the huge benefits of dance education, but the potential for dance is not being explored fully in our schools,” Collinson adds. “We must open up the world of dance for all children, whatever their background or circumstances.”
The Benefits of Primary Steps on Demand
The Royal Ballet School has designed Primary Steps on Demand to mitigate the barriers schools face in offering students high-quality dance education. As a result, schools that sign up for the programme can unlock the many benefits of dance for all students.
Primary Steps on Demand is:
- Low-cost, from just £1.40 a day per student, with a range of price options for different-sized schools. Plus, the programme doesn’t require any outlay for equipment.
- Straightforward to use, allowing educators to structure and plan lessons with ease. The programme includes warm-ups and cool-downs, lesson plans, and student resources. There are also creative ballet classes that explore cross-curricular themes and core concepts of movement in ballet.
- Accessible to all, including students with special educational needs (SEN) or physical disabilities. Teachers can easily adapt the programme’s content to accommodate students’ needs as the lesson plans provide specific guidance on adaptation.
- Available on the School’s video-on-demand platform. This means teachers can choose when, where, and how to use the content, making the programme completely flexible.
Teachers can also join continuing professional development (CPD) webinars and live virtual workshops to enhance their delivery of the programme. The Royal Ballet School team is always on hand to provide advice and support to schools.
Creating Primary Steps on Demand Videos
Since February 2022, The Royal Ballet School has created 50 videos for Primary Steps on Demand. Several Artistic staff members, Primary Steps teachers, and a content creation team spent 120 hours filming and 300 hours editing the video content.
The programme’s Exploring Ballet and Exploring the Curriculum classes come in two levels: one for 7-to-9-year-olds and one for 9-to-11-year-olds.
Exploring Ballet classes develop dance knowledge and skills. Meanwhile, Exploring the Curriculum classes provide experiential learning in specific curriculum areas, including:
- Ancient Egypt.
- Around the world.
- Art.
- Earth and space.
- Electricity.
- Evolution.
- Geometry.
- Healthy humans.
- Light and shadow.
- Magnetism.
- The Mayans.
- Myths and legends.
- Poetry in motion.
- Rocks.
- The universe.
- World War II.
- The water cycle
In the first few weeks following Primary Steps on Demand’s release, 25 schools signed up for the programme. The Royal Ballet School also invited primary schools in London boroughs neighbouring its Covent Garden and Richmond Park sites to a demonstration evening showcasing the programme.
“Any nerves we had about delivering the programme disappeared instantly,” Mrs Hawthorne, the Headteacher of St Anthony’s Catholic Primary School, says. “The classes are so easy for anyone to deliver with confidence, even with no previous dance knowledge, and everything is so simple to use.”
Fostering Holistic Development Through Dance
Primary Steps on Demand takes a uniquely creative, cross-curricular approach to dance education. As a result, schools that sign up for the programme will see the impact not just on dance-specific outcomes but also across students’ learning.
The programme allows students to benefit physically by taking part in dance education. Dance contributes to the development of skills like strength, co-ordination, balance, and agility.
Primary Steps on Demand also enables children to develop their critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Students who take part in the programme learn about collaboration and communication. They’re encouraged to be curious and become confident and self-sufficient learners.
Moreover, Primary Steps on Demand classes support students to explore their feelings, express themselves, and access their creativity. Students also gain an introduction to the world of dance creation and performance, opening up a world of possibilities.
“In a dance class, we’re creating an environment where young people can develop physically, emotionally, and intellectually,” Collinson explains. “This rounded, whole-person development is one of the greatest gifts that dance can give.”
Transforming Dance Education in Primary Schools
Primary Steps has proven a “wonderful, energising addition” to the curriculum at St Anthony’s Catholic Primary School.
Mrs Hawthorne says: “The children love taking part, they are enthusiastic, motivated, curious and excited to learn more. They are delighted to say they are doing ballet at school, and we can already see the many benefits of the programme coming through in their work and their well-being.”
Students at Marsh Green Primary School in Dagenham have also taken part in Primary Steps on Demand. Mrs Sanchez, the school’s Headteacher, says the programme has made students more confident.
“It builds their resilience, it improves their attendance, it improves their enjoyment of school,” Sanchez explains. “We’re really excited about this programme being expanded to many more schools.”
Visits like Bychkova’s to St Anne Line are helping spread the word about Primary Steps on Demand. The Royal Ballet School continues its efforts to get as many primary school students dancing as possible.
Find out more about Primary Steps on Demand.
About The Royal Ballet School
A world leader in classical ballet training, The Royal Ballet School is committed to widening access to ballet and creative dance education. Since 2006, the School has partnered with national dance agencies and primary and secondary schools to encourage ballet engagement across England and Wales.
In recent years, the School has significantly expanded its digital capability, resulting in the launch of its video-on-demand platform. The platform offers a unique collection of classes and packages, including ballet, character, and Pilates classes for different age groups.
The Royal Ballet School also offers extensive opportunities for dance teacher training, including the Affiliate Training and Assessment Programme. Dance teachers can train directly with the School to become accredited Affiliate Teachers. The programme provides an innovative, holistic alternative to other recreational training models.