Classical Ballet

It is the Classical Ballet Stream that makes The McDonald College so unique.  There are no other schools that provide such a rigorous training in Classical Ballet over many years other than the Australian Ballet School.  It is the only school that starts at Pre-kindy and follows a program through to professional standards.

The McDonald College was started originally so that young classical ballet dancers could receive a strict and professional training by qualified and experienced staff whilst completing a normal academic education.  Many classical ballet students have achieved in the 90-100% band in academic subjects whilst completing advanced levels with distinction in the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) Examinations.

Many former students are now dancing in the Australian Ballet, Queensland Ballet, Western Australian Ballet, Sydney Dance Company and Companies overseas.  One former student who was Vice Captain of the College in Year 12 is now a Principal of the Australian Ballet, another is a Principal of the Sydney Dance Company presently performing the lead role in Dirty Dancing.

Students start with one and a half hours of training per day in the younger years.  This extends to two hours per day and grows to four or more hours in the senior years depending on how the students develop their programs.  Each student is treated individually with students sitting the RAD ballet examinations when they are ready.  Classes are streamed to allow students to progress at their own rate.

The Head of Classical Ballet is Miss Josephine Jason.  Miss Jason began her ballet training in Adelaide with the renowned teacher, director and choreographer, Joanne Priest.

After graduating from the Australian Ballet School, she was accepted into The Australian Ballet by the directors, Dame Peggy van Praagh and Sir Robert Helpmann.  Sir Robert Helpmann created his controversial ballet Sun Music for Josephine while she was still a member of the corps de ballet.  She went on to dance many solo and principal roles, being chosen by international choreographers such as John Butler and Anthony Tudor to star in their ballets.  She was chosen to dance Ophelia to Rudolph Nureyev’s Hamlet in Sir Robert Helpmann’s ballet Hamlet.

Josephine furthered her career in London with London Festival Ballet (now the English National Ballet) where she continued to work with Nureyev and was also chosen to dance leading roles by choreographers Ronald Hynd and Barry Moreland.

Josephine was invited to re-join The Australian Ballet after major knee surgery in London.  Following a second knee operation some years later she retired to become the Public Relations Director for The Australian Ballet.  Josephine was invited to give masterclasses at various dance organisations, and after taking a summer school for the Ann McDonald College of Dancing in Sydney, accepted a full time position to teach at The McDonald College.

After 19 years teaching at the College, Josephine pursued other interests for two years, and the College is delighted to welcome her back in 2007 as Head of Classical Ballet.

There are other staff members teaching the RAD syllabi.  All are qualified and manage to achieve a high proportion of distinctions.  Rebecca Kidner is in charge of the RAD program up to the major grades with Rae Edds, Trudi Collett and Sarah Letters teaching in the Preparatory, Infants and Primary Departments.

All Classical Ballet students perform in the Opera Theatre of the Sydney Opera House when the Australian Ballet is in residence.

Preparatory and Infants Department

Students at this level study Classical Ballet/Dance.  The classes aim to develop coordination of the mind and body without tension and self-consciousness whilst still holding the imagination of the child.

Classical Ballet classes follow the RAD syllabus appropriate for each age group.  Each class will consist of:


•Warm-up and safe dance practices
•Posture, alignment and flexibility
•Awareness of arm and hand placement with sensitivity
•Co-ordination and rhythm through jumps and steps
•Basic technique
•Mime and creative interpretation
•Quality of movement with musicality
•Character dance from Grade 1 and above.

Primary Department

Students perform in Classical Ballet / Dance classes.  The College believes that Classical Ballet is the basis of all forms of dance and accordingly students will progress through the RAD syllabus and be entered for the external examinations held by this organisation where deemed appropriate.  These classes aim to develop co-ordination of the mind and body without tension or self-consciousness whilst still holding the imagination and developing a strong sense of discipline in the students.

Each Classical Ballet class consists of:

Classical Technique – correct posture and the correct use of feet, legs and arms achieved by a gradual technical progression throughout he various grades.


Free Movement – This free expression gives the students an opportunity to develop their natural sense of movement outside the confines of ballet technique.  It also offers the student with musicality a natural feeling for movement and the opportunity to achieve excellence in examinations.


Character – This is important for the development of strength, rhythm and style. This work is based , very simply on the Hungarian, Russian or Polish Peasant style concentrating upon enjoyment of performance within a general framework and developing the use of simple
mime.

Middle School

As students move into the Middle School the training becomes more rigorous.  Year 6 follows a program similar to the Primary Department but when students move into Year 7, they now choose whether they wish to concentrate on Classical Ballet and do two hours of training in Classical Ballet every day. Students start to prepare for the RAD Major Examinations as well as progress with Free Class that broadens their experiences.

Concentration on the development of a pure classical technique, style, musicality and artistry becomes a daily training.  Pointe work is introduced as students develop strength and training.

Students may audition for eisteddfod groups and may enter eisteddfods with dances taught in private lessons in the McDonald Performing Arts School (after hours school)

On one day per week students elect to choose acting, music or another dance style.

Senior School

In the Senior School, students continue their daily training for two hours per day.  This extends to more hours as the students develop strength and training.  It is important to allow normal maturation to occur during the growing years so that in Years 11 and 12 students may work on refining their instrument for performance.

Daily open or free class becomes more important as the dancer develops.  This encourages them to think quickly and not just work to a syllabus that requires rote learning.

Students who are at Intermediate level and above may audition for the Premier State Ballet (PSB).  PSB is a youth company that performs each year at Parramatta Riverside Theatre and sometimes at other venues.  The experience of performing ballets in a theatre is of great value to the performer.

PSB is administered by The McDonald Foundation Cultural Trust that seeks donations to support cultural pursuits such as PSB.