Dance school scraps ballet auditions saying it’s an ‘elitist white art form’

17 July 2022, 12:14 | Updated: 18 July 2022, 01:28

A leading dance school has dropped ballet from its entry auditions as staff say it is an ‘elitist’ art form.

The Northern School of Contemporary Dance has reviewed the inclusion of ballet in its School entry process, saying it brings with it a ‘contentious nature’ and that the form of dance brings with it ‘white European ideas,’ the Telegraph reports.

The school argues learning ballet is expensive, idealises certain body shapes and physical attributes, and divides roles along gender lines.

Information from the school, based in Leeds, said: “We review content and have removed ballet from our audition day due to its potentially contentious nature.”

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Francesca McCarthy, head of undergraduate studies at the conservatoire, explained to The Telegraph: “It is essentially an elitist form. Young people need to pay to take ballet classes as a general rule and for a vast number of potential students, they’ve not had access to ballet.

“It is a very specific form that is built around particular white European ideas and body shapes that are often alienating to young people who do not fit that aesthetic ideal.”

The NCSD hopes that removing ballet from its audition process will make the school more inclusive and increase diversity.