History

History of the RAD

The RAD started life in 1920 as the Association of Teachers of Operatic Dancing in Great Britain, born out of a meeting of leading dance professionals arranged by Philip Richardson, former editor of the Dancing Times. With Adeline Genée chosen from among her peers as its first President, the Association launched its first syllabus in the same year and held its first exams in 1921.

1928 saw Queen Mary become the Association’s first patron and in 1936 it became the Royal Academy of Dancing (RAD) after receiving its Royal Charter from King George V. The following year, the RAD was awarded its coat of arms by the College of Arms.

We also have "The First 75 Years", an anniversary brochure published in 1995 which details our history to that point.

International ballet competition

The Fonteyn

The Margot Fonteyn International Ballet Competition, named after RAD’s longest-serving president, Dame Margot Fonteyn DBE, is our flagship annual event.

The competition is dedicated to promoting and rewarding standards of excellence in young ballet dancers internationally. This is achieved by offering aspiring dancers the unique opportunity to work with world-renowned choreographers and professionals, as well as the chance to perform on an international stage.

Formerly known as the Genée, after the RAD’s first president Adeline Genée, the competition was renamed in May 2019 – a week after Margot Fonteyn would have turned 100. Margot Fonteyn is regarded as the greatest ballet dancer of her generation and was instrumental in shaping the RAD’s international expansion. The RAD will continue to honour its first president with the Adeline Genée gold medal for the best dancer.