New musical theatre syllabus to provide high-quality training for young people

Musical theatre is a cultural superpower in the UK, reaching thousands of audiences every day. Such is the industry’s growth that there is an increasing demand for high-quality training from a young age to vocational progression and beyond.

Traditionally known as the home of classical ballet training, at the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) we are now offering inspiring musical theatre training, grounded in our expertise in dance. The syllabus provides teachers with a new and structured training pathway for their students, looking to set a new benchmark for excellence in musical theatre education.

A shift in musical theatre education

Drawing on our 100-year global legacy of teaching excellence, the syllabus has been developed in consultation with musical theatre specialists, industry professionals and RAD teachers, ensuring it reflects current practice and the evolving needs of students.

Alexander Campbell, artistic director here at the Royal Academy of Dance, explains more: “Our goal is for this syllabus to be welcomed as a major step forward in musical theatre education by students, teachers, theatre and performing arts schools alike. The framework we have created meets the needs of this evolving sector by training versatile students skilled across dance, acting and singing, and equipping them for the industry of today.”

Aimed primarily at dance, singing, and acting teachers, the new syllabus looks to level the playing field and give higher quality training opportunities for young people wanting to get into a career in the industry.  The graded exams are OFQUAL regulated and, with UCAS tariff points available at Grades 6–8, it offers students a recognised pathway that can support progression into further and higher education, as well as vocational training.

What makes the syllabus unique?

The new Musical Theatre syllabus differs to existing training in three key ways. Firstly, our equally balanced syllabus places equal weighting on all three core musical theatre disciplines – singing, acting and dance – reflecting the industry’s growing demand for multi-skilled ‘triple threat’ performers.

Connected to today’s industry, the syllabus also includes choreography by 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.

What’s more, the syllabus is shaped by industry practice and designed for the real world. For teachers, the syllabus not only provides core training in acting, singing and dance, but develops students’ understanding and appreciation of musical theatre as both an art form and a profession.

If you’re a teacher, student or recent graduate looking to teach musical theatre, visit: www.royalacademyofdance.org/teach-musical-theatre for more information.