‘Nobody cares if you can’t dance well. Just get up and dance. Great dancers are not great because of their technique, they are great because of their passion’ – Martha Graham
The human body learnt to move before it could speak and before it could paint. From that moment we have danced, all of our lives. We dance when we’re jubilant; from the most extravagant of choreographed dances to our own personal ‘victory dance’.
‘We spend our entire lives talking, communicating in the most vocal way we can in a bid to be understood, when really our bodies do most of the speaking for us, so why not train it to speak more eloquently by dancing?!
Dance at Wellington College is an exciting and vibrant part of everyday life. Whether students decide to study GCSE, AS and A Level Dance, or enjoy dance outside the curriculum, there is a class for everyone. A variety of dance styles are taught outside the curriculum, including, Ballet, Contemporary, Jazz and Street Dance, as well as in-house dance companies allowing the truly passionate to share their commitment and flare through performances.
Wellington College have two auditioned dance groups. Wellington College Dance Academy is a group for students in the Third and Fourth Form. The Wellington College Dance Company is for students in the Fifth and Sixth Form. Both groups have the opportunity to perform at significant events such Wellington College Dance Shows, Speech Day, Round Square [link to Round Square page in Activities] and most recently the Royal Albert Hall.
Ballet at Wellington College is also becoming a central training scheme for students wishing to study dance. The Dance Department offer Vocational Graded Ballet Examinations.
The Vocational Graded Examinations in Dance syllabus provides an in-depth study of ballet developing the technique, music and performance skills of the student. It introduces pointe work for female candidates. This highly focused and practical training education prepares students for a dance, or dance related, career. The Vocational Graded syllabi are appropriate for students from the age of 11 years.
Our aim is that everyone will engage in Dance within the College, whether that is through expertly developed classes, exciting and skilful performances, ground-breaking choreography, or appreciation of professional demonstration.
Dance scholarships are available for new students entering the Third Form and the Lower Sixth Form. Students will be expected to prepare a solo of 1-2 minutes in length in choreographic response to a stimulus. They will also be expected to perform another solo of equal length that shows a different style of dance to the first, and someone else can choreograph this. Students will also take part in a short technique class and will be interviewed informally by the Director of Dance.
More information on Scholarships and Bursaries can be found in our Admissions section.