The Royal Bay Dance Academy is a skill development program with an emphasis on both dance technique and performance skills. This year, Dance Academy at Royal Bay consists of:

Intermediate Dance Academy – Grades 9-12    
*admission by application

Intermediate/Advanced Dance Academy – Grades – 9-12       
*admission by application and Royal Bay Dance Teacher recommendation.

Advanced Dance Academy – Grades 9-12       
*admission by application and audition.  Audition held in February 2025 in the small gym at Royal Bay Secondary School.  Date TBD and will be posted in January 2025.

All students who are new to Royal Bay Dance Academy (and are not auditioning for Advanced Academy) will need to participate in our New to Academy Placement Class in February 2025 to ensure appropriate class placement.

Online Registration opens at 8:00 am on Monday, February TBD, 2025.  Register HERE 

The registration process requires some written work on the part of the student. It is a good idea to have this prepared ahead of time so you can cut and paste your responses into your application. *Returning Students do not need to complete this portion of the registration form. Be prepared to write a paragraph on the following topics:

1. Your performance/academic resume
2. Your performing arts goals
3. Why you want to attend the Royal Bay Dance Academy
4. Why you would be a good candidate for the Royal Bay Dance Academy

Space in the Royal Bay Dance Academy is limited.  Students who are not offered a spot in the academy are encouraged to enroll in Dance Performance, a semester-long dance course offered at the school.  More information is available upon request.

Who can apply to be in Dance Academy at Royal Bay?
Dance Academy at Royal Bay includes opportunities for dancers of various levels of technique and ability.   In the Royal Bay Dance Academy, we are looking for committed, coachable dancers with a high standard of personal responsibility and behaviour.  Prior studio training is not mandatory, but will assist dancers in the technical requirements of the course.

What are the fees for the program?  Fees for the 2024/25 year were $1,305.  Fees for academy programs are confirmed in the spring of each year.  Please note that fee increases can occur in any given year to allow for rise in costs necessary to run the program.

What kind of instruction will the dancers receive?
Dance classes will include cardio warm up and stretch routines, conditioning, cross floor skill development and choreography.  Students will have dance evaluations with each unit of study and will participate in creating their own choreography.  Some of the dance genres covered in the course include jazz, lyrical, hip hop, modern, contemporary, ballet and tap.

What is the philosophy of Dance Academy at Royal Bay?
In the Royal Bay Dance Academy we are committed to supporting students’ personal development.  We recognize that in addition to working with students to improve their dance skills, we are here to nurture their development as a whole. Being part of the Royal Bay Dance Academy gives students an opportunity to be part of a ‘dance family” where they can learn and grow together in a safe and enriching environment.  We offer opportunities for student leadership and encourage the development of interpersonal skills and social awareness.

How does Dance Academy differ from regular dance classes at the school?
The Academy runs from September to June and is for the dedicated dancer who wants to dance every day.  Academy dancers will have the opportunity to work with various visiting instructors on a weekly basis, attend evening performances such as the Ballet Victoria series, participate in festivals such as the Greater Victoria Performing Arts Festival and the Elements Competition and perform in several events such as school performances, our mid-year “Winter” performance and our year end “Evening of Dance”. 

What do my Academy fees cover?
Academy fees cover the following items and experiences:

• Dancer kit – several items of clothing that serve as our warm up clothes for class and gear worn when we travel.  Typical items include a t-shirt, hoodie, sweatpants, shorts, water bottle, duffle bag and one Lululemon item which often doubles as a costume piece.
• Visiting instructors – partnership with incredible instructors from both Victoria and Vancouver. Instructors visit once a week and support our program through development of both technique and choreography.
• Festivals / Masterclasses – we attend two festivals and participate in master classes where awards and scholarships are offered.
• Field trips – we attend two evening Dance Victoria performances by professional touring dance companies at the Royal Theatre in Victoria.  We also travel to Saltspring Island to perform in May.
• Workshops on nutrition and health – we have workshops for added value including healthy eating for athletes and foam roller stretching for dancers.  All of our workshops are catered specifically for our program.
• Celebrations – we participate in group celebrations, sometimes teaming up with one or more of the other academies in the school.  Events can vary from year to year, but can include team building events, holiday brunch and skating and a year-end recognition banquet.

What does a regular dance class at Royal Bay look like? 
Regular dance classes at Royal Bay are open to any student wishing to try dance or continue with their dance training.  Classes run for one semester but students have the opportunity to take dance classes both semesters if that is their wish.  There is no fee for this class.  The dance genres covered in the course include jazz, contemporary and hip hop.  Students will also have an opportunity to engage in student choreography.  Classes will include cardio warm up and stretch routines, conditioning, cross floor skill development and short choreographed pieces in a few of the genres covered.  Students have an opportunity to participate in an optional presentation of choreography at the end of the course.

For questions or further clarification, please contact Royal Bay Dance Academy Director, Robyn White via email at rwhite@sd62.bc.ca

Thank you for your interest in the Royal Bay Dance Program!  

Academy Registration Website