[5] Founded in 1940 in Rome by Jia Ruskaja,[2] who transformed her own milanese school into a public institution,[3] the organization's name was initially Regia Scuola di Danza (Royal Dance School)[6] and was annexed to the National Academy of Dramatic Arts, before becoming autonomous in 1948 under the current denomination of Accademia Nazionale di Danza (National Dance Academy).

Other dance masters include Clotilde and Alexander Sakharoff[6][3] and David Lichine,[6][3] in 1950, and later Kurt Jooss[6] and Jean Cébron.

In 1999, the National Dance Academy became an Istituto di Alta Cultura,[1] a university-level institution, connected to the Ministry of Education, University and Research.

The academy is located near the Aventine Hill, in Largo Arrigo VII, since 1954,[7][3] in a complex called Castello dei Cesari,[6][7] dating back to Roman times.

[1] The academy is also equipped with two outdoor theaters with mobile stages and an internal one, the Ruskaja Theatre, created from an ancient Roman cistern.