RAD Ballet vs Street Dance: Which Is Right for Your Child?
Both are brilliant for young children. Both are taught at Intune. But they are quite different — here's how to work out which one your child will love.
When parents first enquire about classes at Intune, one of the most common questions is: ballet or street dance? Should we try both? Does it matter?
The good news is that both styles are excellent for children's development. The even better news is that you do not have to decide for ever — many of our children do both. But if you are trying to work out where to start, here is an honest comparison.
What RAD ballet involves
RAD stands for Royal Academy of Dance. It is the world's largest dance training and awarding organisation, and the syllabus it has developed for children is structured, progressive and proven.
In practical terms, RAD ballet classes for young children focus on:
- Posture and alignment — learning to stand and move with good form
- Positions and vocabulary — the foundational movements of classical ballet
- Musicality — responding to music, understanding rhythm and phrasing
- Storytelling through movement — ballet is inherently expressive, and even young children learn to perform with meaning
Our RAD classes for Reception age and above (Pre-Primary and Primary) blend proper technique with imaginative themes. Children do not just do exercises — they go on adventures. A Pre-Primary class might involve being ballerinas at a fairy-tale ball, or flowers growing in a garden. The technique is real. The delivery is joyful.
Ballet tends to suit children who enjoy precision and structure, who like the idea of learning something properly, who enjoy classical music and stories, or who are drawn to the tradition of ballet.
What street dance involves
Our street dance classes follow the DANG (Dance and Gymnastics) syllabus and focus on contemporary styles — think hip-hop, jazz funk and commercial dance. The emphasis is on:
- Rhythm and timing — working with a strong beat
- Style and flair — developing personal expression within the movement
- Sequences and performance — learning and performing choreography
- Energy and confidence — street dance is physically demanding and naturally builds presence
Street dance tends to attract children who love current music and who want to move in ways they recognise from dance videos, TV and performances. It is less about tradition and more about self-expression.
Street dance tends to suit children who love current music, who prefer contemporary movement over classical, who are naturally energetic and expressive, or who have seen street dance and said "I want to do that."
Can children do both?
Yes — and many of ours do. Ballet and street dance are complementary. Ballet builds the strength, posture and discipline that make a better street dancer. Street dance builds the confidence, rhythm and expressiveness that makes a more alive ballet dancer.
There is no rule that says a child must choose. If yours is drawn to both, or if you are not sure yet, starting with one and adding the other later (or vice versa) is a perfectly sensible approach. We can advise on scheduling once you know what you want to try.
Not sure which to start with? Come and try one — or both. The £10 trial applies to any class. Saturday mornings in Chipping Norton and Fairford.
A note on progression
One thing that is worth knowing: RAD ballet has a structured graded system. Children work through Pre-Primary, Primary, and then the numbered grades (Grade 1, 2, 3 and so on). This gives a clear sense of progression and achievement, and families who value that structure often love the clarity of knowing where their child is and what comes next.
Street dance also has a clear syllabus and progression through our DANG programme, but the tone is different — less formal examination, more performance-oriented development.
Neither approach is better. They suit different children.
How to decide
Here are a few questions to help you:
- When your child sees dancing, what do they point at? Classical ballet, or something more contemporary?
- Are they drawn to structure or to freedom? Ballet has more formal rules. Street dance has more room for personal style within the structure.
- What music do they love? Orchestral, classical and storytelling music — ballet. Current chart music and hip-hop — street dance.
- What do their friends do? Not a reason to copy, but if there is a friend already in a class, it can make the first session much easier.
The most honest advice: just try it. Children surprise us all the time. The child we thought was a natural street dancer sometimes falls in love with ballet, and the one who seemed very precise and structured lights up in street dance. You will not know until they try.
Book a trial class and use the class finder to see what is running on Saturday mornings near you.