bbodance, formerly the British Ballet Organization (BBO), is a dance

examination board An examination board (or exam board) is small board organization that sets examinations, is responsible for marking them, and distributes results. Some are run by governmental entities; some are run as not-for-profit organizations. List of nati ...

based in London, England.

Overview

Formerly known as the British Ballet Organization, bbodance was founded in England in 1930 by

Edouard Espinosa Edouard Espinosa (1871–1950) was a British ballet dancer and teacher. He was also the co-founder of the Royal Academy of Dancing and established the British Ballet Organization. Personal life Espinosa was born in Moscow in 1872 to Spanish Je ...

and his wife

Eve Louise Kelland Eve Louise Kelland (1889-1943) was an actress and singer. Eve Kelland started her theatrical career as an actress and singer. She became organiser and administrator of the British Ballet Organization founded in England in 1930, and in 1928 she ...

. Edouard Espinosa was a famous dance teacher and Louise was an actress and singer. It was established as a dance teaching society and developed a syllabus of

Classical Ballet Classical ballet is any of the traditional, formal styles of ballet that exclusively employ classical ballet technique. It is known for its aesthetics and rigorous technique (such as pointe work, turnout of the legs, and high extensions), its ...

training. The BBO is now one of the leading dance examination boards in the United Kingdom and provides an examination syllabus in Classical Ballet, Musical Theatre dance, Tap,

Jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

Modern dance Modern dance is a broad genre of western concert or theatrical dance which included dance styles such as ballet, folk, ethnic, religious, and social dancing; and primarily arose out of Europe and the United States in the late 19th and early 20th ...

, and Contemporary Dance. The organisation also trains teachers, qualifying them to work in the private and state sectors. bbodance is a registered dance awarding body of the Council for Dance, Drama and Musical Theatre (CDMT) and its qualifications are accredited by

Ofqual The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) is a non-ministerial government department that regulates qualifications, exams and tests in England. Colloquially and publicly, Ofqual is often referred to as the exam "watchdog ...

(England) and

Qualifications Wales Qualifications Wales ( cy, Cymwysterau Cymru) is a Welsh Government sponsored body, responsible for the recognition of awarding bodies and the review and approval of non-degree qualifications in Wales. It was established by the Qualifications ...

. The organisation went through a major rebrand in 2016. Many notable dance artists are associated with it, from Dame Beryl Grey, CH, DBE (President) and Sir David Bintley, CBE (Vice President) to Patrons

Craig Revel Horwood Craig Revel Horwood (born 4 January 1965) is an Australian-British author, dancer, choreographer, conductor, theatre director, and former drag queen in the United Kingdom. He is also a patron of the Royal Osteoporosis Society. Horwood is best k ...

, Brenda Last OBE, Mark Baldwin OBE, Agnes Oaks CBE,

Bonnie Langford Bonita Melody Lysette "Bonnie" Langford (born 22 July 1964) is an English actress, dancer and singer. She came to prominence as a child star in the 1970s, when she had a notable role in the TV series ''Just William''. In the 1980s, she played c ...

, Doreen Wells, Marchioness of Londonderry, Tandy Muir-Warden, and Wayne Sleep OBE. The organisation's Founder President was Dame Ninette De Valois OM, CH, DBE.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:bbodance Arts organizations established in 1930 Ballet in the United Kingdom Ballet examination boards Dance organizations Dance education in the United Kingdom