The Role of Francesca Hayward in Expanding Global Access Through the Royal Ballet School
In 2024, the Royal Ballet School reaffirmed its international leadership in ballet education by enhancing its Affiliate Training and Assessment Programme (ATAP), notably appointing Francesca Hayward as its Lead Ambassador. This initiative aligns with the School’s goal of expanding access to its pedagogical philosophy and training techniques through teachers worldwide, extending the influence of its unique system far beyond the walls of its London campuses.
Since the launch of ATAP in 2022, the program has reached a wide international audience, with 46 certified teachers and 29 currently in training across 12 countries. These educators deliver the Royal Ballet School’s ethos and methods in diverse local contexts, using a curriculum that balances ballet vocabulary with repertoire, body awareness, and creative practice. By eliminating rigid syllabus structures, the programme emphasizes pedagogy and adaptive instruction, empowering teachers to meet the varied needs of their students.
Francesca Hayward, a Principal of The Royal Ballet and an alumna of the School, brings both professional stature and personal insight to the initiative. Her artistic legacy includes performances in Giselle and Romeo and Juliet, as well as her early training through the Royal Ballet School’s Junior Associate programme. As ambassador, Hayward’s role is to promote ATAP globally, making ballet education more accessible and sustainable by encouraging a holistic approach that supports the physical, artistic, and emotional development of young dancers.
The programme’s structure includes six training levels starting from age five and is supported by digital platforms offering training videos, coaching demonstrations, and assessment preparation resources. Teachers also benefit from professional development sessions, including guidance on pedagogy, curriculum delivery, and dance business management. They gain further enrichment through events hosted by Royal Ballet companies and access to a growing library of support tools.
ATAP’s 2024 partnership with the Frederick Ashton Foundation further enhances its offerings. This collaboration brings adapted versions of Ashton repertoire—such as Les Rendezvous and Les Patineurs—into the programme, ensuring younger dancers can engage with the art form’s theatrical and narrative dimensions. Accompanying teaching materials include videos and coaching guidance from Ashton Foundation repetiteurs.
The programme is managed by Shaun Walters and Vanessa Donkin, both of whom have longstanding ties to the Royal Ballet School. Walters progressed from teacher training to ATAP leadership, while Donkin, a School alumna and Royal Academy of Dance graduate, emphasizes the value of creative instruction and the joy of teaching in the ATAP style.
Whether as a complement to existing ballet curricula or as a standalone offering, ATAP supports dance organizations of all sizes. Teachers film student assessments and submit them through a secure platform for moderation, ensuring consistent evaluation standards. The programme also fosters a community of educators who connect through online clinics, reducing the isolation often associated with independent dance teaching.
Through ATAP, the Royal Ballet School is reimagining how elite ballet education can be delivered globally. It preserves core artistic values while adapting to local contexts and modern pedagogical needs, ensuring that ballet’s next generation has access to the same standard of excellence, regardless of geography.