{"id":2091993,"date":"2025-10-15T03:20:41","date_gmt":"2025-10-15T03:20:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2091993"},"modified":"2025-10-15T03:20:41","modified_gmt":"2025-10-15T03:20:41","slug":"under-5ft-5in-forget-about-being-a-prince-how-the-royal-ballet-school-is-kicking-out-the-old-rules-dance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/under-5ft-5in-forget-about-being-a-prince-how-the-royal-ballet-school-is-kicking-out-the-old-rules-dance\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Under 5ft 5in? Forget about being a prince!\u2019 How the Royal Ballet school is kicking out the old rules | Dance"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

\n

I<\/span>t\u2019s an idyllic autumn day in leafy Richmond Park, London, where a grand Georgian hunting lodge houses the Royal Ballet<\/a> school. Enter through the classical columns and it feels like a bubble away from the world. \u201cI was on a video call with my son,\u201d says the school\u2019s artistic director, Iain Mackay. \u201cHe said, \u2018Where are you? Hogwarts?!\u2019\u201d This is indeed a place of magic for children who come here, hoping to follow in the footsteps of generations of leading dancers. They touch the middle finger of Margot Fonteyn\u2019s statue for luck as they pass, the bronze rubbed shiny by their superstition.<\/p>\n

Getting a place at the school, founded in 1926 by the formidable Ninette de Valois, is a huge achievement. Two years ago, 40 students were accepted from more than 1,000 applications (all on merit \u2013 90% are supported by bursaries). Mackay, 45, arrived last year and is making arguably the biggest change in the school\u2019s history. Students have always come to board here at White Lodge at 11 \u2013 remember Billy Elliot\u2019s London audition? \u2013 but the decision has been made to up the entry age to 13 (Year 9).<\/p>\n