An increasing appreciation of the benefits of participation in Performing Arts means also that more and more professional organisations are becoming involved in or growing in the UAE.
Among the best known are:
Trinity College London in UAE started exams in Dubai more than 30 years ago, and since that time has grown substantially, with 7 centres in Dubai, 5 centres in Abu Dhabi and 1 centre in Sharjah. Each year, more than 20 examiners from London assess students in the UAE. Locally, more than 100 schools and 400 teachers enrol candidates for exams in Music, Rock & Pop and Drama and Communication Skills among other subjects examined by Trinity.
Associated Board of the Royal School of Music (ABRSM)
ABRSM is the UK’s largest music education body, one of its largest music publishers and the world’s leading provider of music exams, offering assessments to more than 630,000 candidates in 93 countries every year.
In the UAE, Dubai Dubai College has been the representative of ABRSM since 1978 and coordinates approximately 1,500 exams per year. In Abu Dhabi, exams are arranged through the International Music Institute which was established in 1994 and also offers a range of Dance courses. International Music Institute arranges close to 1,000 Music exams per year for students throughout Abu Dhabi.
The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art – LAMDA
Established in 1861, LAMDA is the oldest Drama School in the UK. In addition to training approximately 220 students per year at the school in London, LAMDA offers a performance and communications-based syllabus leading to accredited and non-accredited awards in the UK and worldwide. Almost 98,000 candidates took LAMDA examinations in over 30 countries in 2016, making LAMDA the largest speech and drama awarding organisation in the UK.
In the UAE, LAMDA’s oldest and most experienced provider is Drama Scene – the largest centre – which also works with a number of schools in Abu Dhabi as well as from its base at DUCTAC in Dubai.
Founded in 1920 to set standards for dance teaching within the UK, RAD has a presence in 85 countries, with 36 offices and over 14,000 members worldwide.
In the UAE, its largest affiliate is Turning Pointe which was founded in 1996. The most popular genre of dance offered is Classical Ballet, following The Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) Syllabus and gearing the students towards their RAD ballet examinations. These classes are offered to children of 3 years old and above.
In addition, Turning Pointe offers Hip Hop, Modern, Street Jazz, Jazz2Pop and Glee Club. Turning Pointe also hosts exams for the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance (ISTD) which examines all forms of dance including Modern and Tap Dance. ISTD has been involved in the teaching of dance since its formation in London in 1904 and has over 7,500 trained teachers who work with, and conduct examinations for, over 250,000 dancers worldwide annually.
Peripatetic Music support
The majority of schools, whilst employing teachers directly to conduct classes in Music, do not have the staff resources internally to teach the vast range of musical instruments that are available to students (or necessary to create a school orchestra or other musical groups). Most schools, therefore, contract with outside providers to offer Peripatetic lessons. In some cases, students participate in lessons during the normal school day on a rotational timetable; in others, classes are held after school.
In Dubai, among the most frequently used in-school providers are the Centre for Musical Arts and The Music Box . In Abu Dhabi, the International Music Institute is the leading provider of peripatetic lessons in schools. Both organisations also teach large numbers of students outside of the school environment and on a private basis.
Of course, many students study one or more of the Performing Arts outside of the school environment, but for those students and families who believe that the Performing Arts should be a fundamental part of mainstream education, here is the SchoolsCompared list of the Best Schools for the provision of Performing Arts. Click on the page link for the schools that interest you.
If your child’s school is missing from our list and you feel that it meets our criteria, please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected].
American Community School, Abu Dhabi
Al Yasmina School, Abu Dhabi
American School of Dubai
British International School, Abu Dhabi (BISAD)
Brighton College
British School Al Khubairat, Abu Dhabi (BSAK)
Cranleigh School, Abu Dhabi
Dubai College
Dubai English Speaking College
GEMS Music Academy
GEMS Wellington Academy Dubai Silicon Oasis
Jumeirah College
Jumeirah English Speaking Schools (JESS)
Nord Anglia School, Dubai
Repton School, Dubai
Ones to watch! – schools that are actively expanding their provision and/or have an existing reputation in this field
Kings Schools, Dubai
North London Collegiate School (NLCS)
Raha International School
And finally, The SchoolsCompared Top Schools for the Performing Arts are …
Leave a Response