Professor Joan White was appointed to the Royal Academy of Dance on 1 August 1999 as a Director of the Academy and Dean of the Faculty of Education. She was formerly Senior Lecturer and Director of Undergraduate Dance Studies at the University of Surrey.
Joan has spent her entire career working in Dance and Education, in Higher Education, and for Public Sector Examining Bodies, Arts Organisations and Local Government. In addition to her role as Director of Education at the Academy, Joan is Chair of Examiners for Dance for the Assessment and Qualifications Alliance, and a member of the Boards of Youth Dance England and the Council for Dance Education and Training.
Joan was a Founder Director of the Laban notation Institute and Chair of its Board for 10 years from its inception until 1997. Joan has acted as an educational consultant for most of the UK’s mainstream dance companies and dance organizations, and was Co-Chairman of South East Arts prior to the recent government and Arts Council regional restructuring. In 1995 Joan was awarded Honorary Membership Status for services to Dance Education by both the National Dance Teachers Association and the Language Dance Centre.