BA Dance Artists

Apply via UCAS Conservatoires

Applications are made through UCAS Conservatoires website. The UCAS Conservatoires application system is separate from the main UCAS undergraduate application system. You can read our guidance about using UCAS Conservatoires on our dedicated How to Apply page. 

Applicants will also be required to create an Acceptd account when they apply, which will be used for scheduling auditions and submitting pre-audition photos. All applicants must submit a photo as detailed below, regardless of audition preference.

We do not offer deferred entry. If you wish to commence in 2026, you must apply next year. 

The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland institution code is R58. You will also require the following programme code to apply: BA Dance Artists – 208F

The closing date for all on-time Modern Ballet applications is 31 March 2025.  If you submit your application after this date, we cannot guarantee that the audition panel will review your application. If you do want to submit a late application, you must contact admissions@rcs.ac.uk in the first instance to check we are accepting late applications 

Application/Audition fees

There is a UCAS Conservatoires application fee of £28.50. In addition to the application fee, each conservatoire charges an audition/interview assessment administration fee. The interview assessment administration fee is £55 for this programme. Fees are not refundable. The fees are paid via the UCAS Conservatoires website and not directly to RCS.

We recognise that auditioning and interviewing for conservatoires, drama and ballet schools can be costly. The audition assessment administration fee charge allows us to offer a thorough and positive experience to all applicants and we encourage you to get in touch to ask the panel questions and find out more about the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland to see if it is the best place for you.  

We are committed to ensuring fair access to a conservatoire education for students who have the talent and potential to benefit from it, regardless of their background. In support of this, audition fee waivers are offered to applicants whose financial hardship may be a barrier to auditioning. Please note you can only apply for a fee waiver request once you have completed and submitted your UCAS application. Please see the audition fee waiver form for more information.

Photo Submission

All applicants must submit photos via Accept’d, regardless of your audition preference.

Photograph Requirements

Photo 1: Full-length facing front feet parallel, arms by sides. This should be in dance wear and in bare feet. The picture does not have to be taken professionally.

You will be required to create an Accept’d account and once you have done so you will be able to easily upload your photograph. Please arrange for this to be submitted at least 5 days before your audition date if auditioning in-person.

Audition Information

You can choose between in-person auditions or auditioning online. If you are auditioning in person, you will not need to submit a video. However, all applicants must submit photos via Accept’d, as detailed above, regardless of your audition preference.

In-person Audition

You will be invited to a live audition which will consist of a jazz and contemporary dance class with a warm-up ballet barre. There will also be a short interview.

Online Auditions

All material must be submitted via Accept’d. The audition videos and photographs do not need to be professionally filmed/taken – your phone or a similar device is suitable. The camera should be positioned so that the full range of movements is shown (ideally between the front and the side for barre work and at the front for centre work).

Video requirements:

Students auditioning online should submit videos of –

• A Jazz or Contemporary solo between 1-2 minutes long. Students can perform to live or pre-recorded music and should wear their usual dance kit. The solo can be self-choreographed or created by someone else.
• A short example of ballet – a plie exercise, battement tendu and a grand battement at the barre on both sides

Please contact the admissions team if you have any questions.

References

It is your responsibility to ask two separate referees to write references and ensure that these are sent to RCS.

The references must be written by two different people and we will not accept references from family, other relatives or close friends. You can submit your UCAS Conservatoires application form and send your references at a later date, but they must be received prior to your audition date.

UCAS Conservatoires provides reference forms for you to download and send to your referees for completion.

Policy

We have a number of policies and pages which you should read when applying to study at the Royal Conservatoire:

• Admissions Policy
• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
• Support for Disabled Students