The first meeting of the Royal Academy of Dancing [R.A.D.], then the Association of Operatic Dancing of Great Britain, was held on December 31, 1920, with Mme. Adeline Genée as president, P.J.S. Richardson as secretary-treasurer, and a committee consisting of Phyllis Bedells, Madame Lucia Cormani, Edouard Espinosa, and Tamara Karsavina. King George V granted the academy a Royal Charter in 1935, and by Royal Command the title was changed to the Royal Academy of Dancing. The Royal Charter of Incorporation was signed on January 17, 1936. A Supplemental Charter was granted on November 15, 1948. The headquarters are in London, England.
The objectives of the R.A.D. are to improve the standard of classical ballet technique and to act a guardians of correct teaching standards, and to advance the art of the dance throughout Great Britain and the British Commonwealth. The academy was established as a non-profit organization which also promoted the teaching of Greek dance and the preservation of national dances. It has developped syllabi used by teachers and holds regular examinations. It also awards scholarships and medals to talented students and gives special lectures and post-graduate courses. There is a Teachers' Training Course designed for students wishing to teach but not to become professional dancers. The Royal Academy of Dancing Gazette is the official publication and is published quarterly.
In addition to the courses and examinations given in Great Britain, R.A.D. examinations are held and scholarships granted to members in South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. Examiners also annually visit the United States, where a number of teachers follow the R.A.D. syllabi. The R.A.D. also values dance in education and physical education for children who are not studying the dance professionally but who take it as part of their general education.
Adeline Genée was the founding president and served until her retirement in 1954. She was succeeded by Margot Fonteyn who served until her death in 1991. Antoinette Sibley was named acting president in March, 1991.
From the guide to the Royal Academy of Dancing records, 1916-1967, 1933-1955, (The New York Public Library. Jerome Robbins Dance Division.)
