Our History
As well as the Operatic and General, new branches were formed to deal with the following techniques: Modern Ballroom Dancing; Classical; Classical Ballet Cecchetti Method; Greek Dance - Ruby Ginner Method; Natural Movement - Madge Atkinson Method. In 1931 the Stage Branch was formed to provide a basic training for all dance and embraced specialist stage techniques. The expansion as a result of this restructuring was immense. By 1935 membership had risen to 3000 and by 1938 reached 4000.
In 1945 the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing became an Incorporated body. The special licence granted by the Board of Trade was a recognition of the Society's stability. On Major Taylor's retirement in 1945 Mr Victor Silvester became Chairman, the administrative status of President having been discontinued on incorporation. In 1953 the Grand Council of the Society was formed. On his retirement in 1958, Mr Cyril Beaumont became Chairman and the status of President became an honorary one, Mr Silvester being the first elected to that office.
The Disco/Freestyle/Rock 'n' Roll Faculty was formed in 1990 to cater for the forms of social dance suggested by the creative freedom of popular music. The South Asian Dance Faculty was formed in 1999, and the name changed to Classical Indian Dance Faculty in 2013. In 2002 due to the success of the Modern Theatre Faculty it was necessary to split the Faculty into two, creating the Modern Theatre Faculty and the Tap Dance Faculty. Today the Society has more than 6000 members in over 59 countries throughout the world and holds 120,000 examinations each year.