CONTENTS

• Introduction
  • Performing
  • Teaching Dance
  • Choreography
  • Community dance
  • Administration/management
  • Dance notation
  • Journalism/criticism
  • Technical production
  • Visual design
  • Dance movement therapy
• Education and training in dance
  • Vocational Dance Schools
  • Dance Courses in Sixth Form and Further Education
  • A2 and A Level Dance
  • BTEC /GNVQ National courses
  • Dance Foundation Courses
  • Dance Courses in Higher Education
• Funding Your Training

INTRODUCTION

Many young people who are interested in dance as a career think about performing first of all but there are a wide variety of jobs that are connected to dance in some way. Dance is part of the UK's cultural industries who employ over 1 million people and generate over £100 billion a year and have a growth rate of 16% a year. So there are many opportunities within the dance sector. The main ones are performing, teaching, choreography, community dance and administration/management.

However, there are many other types of jobs related to dance in areas such as costume, technical aspects of theatre, journalism, therapy and notation. It is also important to remember that there is a rich variety of dance styles in the professional dance world including classical ballet, contemporary dance, modern dance in musicals, African and Asian dance styles, street dance and they all appear on television, in videos as well as live in theatres.

Many dance specialists have a variety of dance related jobs through their careers or combine several at once in what is called a "portfolio" career. Some performers for instance, dance with a company, occasionally choreograph a dance piece, teach and work on projects in schools and colleges. Therefore, most people who make a living in the dance industry need to be very well trained in at least one aspect of dance and have a range of other skills that enable them to be flexible and adapt to varied work situations.

One of the most important elements though for a successful career in dance is commitment and determination to succeed. Most fields in dance are highly competitive and often just being talented is not enough. You need a thorough training, to know how to keep yourself up to date with the latest developments, be healthy and highly motivated. However, there is work for well trained professionals and good dance graduates.

PERFORMING

Being a dancer is a tough, physically gruelling career but for those devoted to dance it can be an exciting and rewarding profession. Professional dancers often travel a great deal on tour with dance companies, have to work hard to keep physically fit and may experience periods of unemployment between dance jobs. In addition dancers will probably have relatively short performing careers as few will dance professionally beyond the age of about 35 years of age. Some may have to stop dancing earlier if they are injured.

Most professional dancers start dance classes at a young age in local ballet schools, in youth dance groups or in community classes. But if you want to have a career as a professional dancer you need to start more intensive dance training when you are a teenager. For some dance styles such as classical ballet, children often start serious training even younger.

Although talent in dance is clearly essential to succeed, you also need a strong well proportioned body and to be very healthy. Different styles of dance have different requirements as to height and type of physique as you can see by watching a range of professional dance. Traditionally, female classical ballet dancers for instance, tend to be small and petite while in other dance styles there is less emphasis on specific body shape and height. In contemporary dance in particular conventional ideas about what dancers look like is changing.

Whatever the style of dance you are interested in, make sure you get good training and research the various options that exist to prepare for a career in dance. Many dancers study a range of dance styles to ensure they have a strong technique so contemporary and jazz dancers will also do classical ballet and classical ballet dancers often study contemporary dance as well.

Dancers, like actors, need to have an Equity card to work in professional setting such as in big London theatres or on television. Equity is the main union for those working in dance and theatre and controls entry to those professions.

TEACHING DANCE

A career as a dance teacher offers an increasing range of opportunities within private dance schools, the community or in independent and state schools and colleges. Dance teachers can work with people of all ages and teach many different dance styles; tap, modern dance, ballroom, folk dance, African or Asian or ballet and contemporary. They also need to be able to choreograph dances for their pupils and in some jobs such as in schools, know about the history of dance and such aspects as anatomy and physiology and dance notation. Dance teachers should have good communication skills be interested in their pupils and enjoy helping people to learn about dance.

Teaching in the private sector
Most teachers working in private dance schools have qualifications to teach in specific dance styles such as ballet or modern dance. They have a good standard of personal performance and took the teaching examinations of one of the recognised associations such as the Royal Academy of Dance, Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing or British Council of Ballroom Dancing. Recognised associations will be members of the Council for Dance Education and Training. The Royal Academy of Dancing offers a degree in teaching classical ballet.

Teaching in schools
For a number of years dance has been recognised as an important part of childrens' education. In primary schools dance is a compulsory activity but it is mostly taught by pupils' classroom teacher. However in secondary schools there are many opportunities to teach dance as an individual subject or combined with other subjects such as physical education, drama or performing arts.

In order to teach in state schools you need to have Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and all teachers whatever their subject, have to have a minimum of two A Levels or Advanced GNVQ or equivalent plus five GCSE's at grades A-C, including Maths and English. Primary teachers born after 1st September 1979 also need a science GCSE.

There are several ways of training to teach dance in schools and gaining QTS, depending on whether or not you wish to work in primary or secondary schools. There are two main routes common to both:

• take a degree in dance at University and then take a one year teacher training course called a Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE)
• study to teach on an undergraduate university course specialising in a subject area such as Physical Education with Dance, as well as learning about teaching and a specific age range

Most people who want to teach dance as a specialist teacher in a secondary school choose to take a dance degree than a PGCE. Currently there are only five institutions where you can take a PGCE specialising in dance, these are De Montfort University Bedford, Chelsea School at the University of Brighton (Eastbourne), the University of Exeter, the Royal Academy of Dance (London) and Middlesex University. Liverpool Hope University College offer a PGCE course in Performing Arts where you can combine Dance with Drama or Music. For further information see Careers in Dance.

Further information about courses leading to QTS can be found in higher education reference books such as UCAS University and College Entrance or through the ECCTIS database. Dance! Education Training and Careers, published by the National Resource Centre for Dance, also provides information about courses.

Recently a new scheme has been introduced offering employment based routes into Qualified Teacher Status, the Graduate Teacher Programme (GTP). This programme offers graduates a salary while they work as a teacher in a school and train at the same time. For further information see Graduate Training Programme GTP.

CHOREOGRAPHY
Many dancers are also choreographers who create dances. However you do not have to be a dancer to choreograph professionally, but it is often the main route into getting your first choreography job. Making up dances is a very satisfying occupation as you have the opportunity to be creative and make something completely new. Choreographers work within all the major dance styles, however it is very competitive and few choreographers earn their living just from making up dances in either the theatre, video or television.

Most of the vocational training and degree courses offer choreography as part of their training but is also essential to develop your skills through experience. Many professional choreographers started when they were at school or college by making up dances for their friends at end of term shows. So just have a go!

COMMUNITY DANCE
Working in the community dance sector generally involves working in a particular geographical area. They often work as part of regional arts and community agencies teaching, choreographing and organising dance programmes and projects. Community dance workers or animateurs as they are sometimes called, generally work with a range of groups which may include people with disabilities, young people, the elderly as well as schools. Sometimes they are freelance and employed for specific projects or periods of time. Some of the larger dance companies employ dance teachers/community workers to undertake projects that link with the performance programme of the company.

Most community dance workers have had a full-time dance training or recognised dance teaching qualification. Full-time community dance courses are offered by Laban, London and several other higher education institutions. Further information can be obtained from the Foundation of Community Dance.

ADMINISTRATION /MANAGEMENT
As the dance industry grows there is a need for people to organise and manage all the activities associated with dance. This could include working for dance companies, in theatres, regional arts/dance agencies and the many dance organisations around the country which set up and manage seasonal festivals and community dance projects. Many of these arts administrators will have studied dance themselves or they may have trained in completely different subjects at college or university. If you are employed in this sector you will need to be very well organised, have good computer skills and for many of the jobs available have some understanding of financial management.

DANCE NOTATION
Dance notation is the method of recording movement using symbols in order to analyse and understand dance and preserve dances for the future There are two main systems in common use; Benesh and Labanotation. Major dance companies employ dance notators to record their repertoire and to re-construct and rehearse previously choreographed dances or ballets.

Courses such as A S and A Level Dance and dance degrees include the basics of one of these systems but in order to have a career in notating you need to follow a specialised course.

JOURNALISM/CRITICISM
Most dance journalists work on a freelance basis writing for national newspapers as a dance critic or publications such as the Dancing Times or Dance Theatre Journal. Some dance journalists have completed a dance degree but many others have a general interest in the arts, have a first degree in English or Humanities subjects and then choose to specialise in dance.

TECHNICAL /PRODUCTION
As in all the performing arts there are a number of jobs within the technical aspects of production in dance performances. These jobs include electricians, lighting technicians, stage managers. Training is not necessarily specific to dance and there are a number of technical theatre and stage management courses offered at theatre schools. It may also be possible to learn about the job through trainee or apprenticeship schemes. Contact the Association of British Theatre Technicians (ABTT)

VISUAL DESIGN
Designing the costumes or lighting for dance performances is a highly specialised occupation. Most lighting designers work in theatres and in the performing arts generally before concentrating on dance and working for a particular dance company or theatre. Costume designers also have probably studied costume design at art school before developing expertise in dance.

DANCE MOVEMENT THERAPY
Dance Movement Therapy uses movement and dance to help people with physical, mental health and emotional difficulties. Dance Movement Therapists may work in the health service attached to hospitals or GP practices or in private practice.

There are a number of specialist training courses which generally require students to have a first degree and also have an age requirement. There are two main routes into a career as a dance movement therapist. Some people train as a therapist following a variety of other careers such as in health or teaching. Others choose to specialise in dance movement therapy after dance training and a career in the performing arts.

Contact the Association of Dance Movement Therapy for further information.

EDUCATION AND TRAINING IN DANCE

Vocational Dance Schools
Some young people who know from an early age that they want to have a career in dance or the performing arts go to specialist vocational schools such as the Royal Ballet School, from age 11 or younger. These and other schools take students at aged 16 or older on to their vocational dance courses. These often specialise in specific dance styles such as classical ballet eg Central School of Ballet or offer training in theatre dance where the curriculum covers jazz, contemporary, ballet and subjects like singing and acting which will be useful in a career in musical theatre and the commercial sector eg London Studio Centre.

Lists of vocational schools are available from the Council for Dance Education and Training but you should know that most of the schools are private and charge fees. Also be sure to check the particular focus of the school and the career routes of past students to ensure that the training will lead into the type of career you want.

Dance Courses in Sixth Form and Further Education
If you are very interested to pursue a career in dance and have not entered a vocational dance school you need to consider taking specialist dance courses at Sixth form or Further Education. A range of courses are on offer including A2 and A Level Dance, GNVQ/BTEC Performing Arts Courses. They provide an excellent way to develop a range of dance skills but if you are really serious about a career in dance you should aim to supplement them with other dance experience such as joining a local youth dance company or taking extra technique classes.

Contact local dance centres and regional dance agencies to find out about local youth dance opportunities (see LINKS)

NB Some Further Education Colleges run two year Higher National Diplomas in Dance and Performing Arts from which you may be able to transfer to a Higher Education degree course.

AS and A Level Dance
At sixth-form you may choose to combine dance studies with other academic courses such as A levels or BTEC/GNVQ's. Many schools and colleges offer Dance at AS and A Level. These provide broadly based dance courses that combine dance technique, choreography, dance notation, understanding of cultural and historical context of dances, interpretation and evaluation of dances, dance health and anatomy/physiology.

BTEC /GNVQ National courses
BTEC /GNVQ National courses are usually two year full-time courses and are seen as largely vocational qualifications. They are equal to 2 A Levels and thus accepted for entrance to university if gained at merit/distinction level. Courses vary throughout the country and take place in schools as well as within FE Colleges where they cater for young people aged 16 - 19 but also adult learners, who are coming back into education to gain a formal qualification. Some offer a mixed course combining an equal balance of dance, drama and music with some arts administration, theoretical study of arts in society and production aspects such as lighting and stage management. Other courses specialise in only one art form such as dance.

Dance Foundation Courses
Some FE Colleges run Dance Foundation courses for full-time or part-time study. The course content for these courses varies considerably but usually includes an emphasis on dance technique with some choreography and dance appreciation. They may include GCSE's, A Levels or BTEC/GNVQ Performing Arts Courses. Some of these courses receive accreditation . Foundation courses cater for adult learners who are hoping to gain access into further training in Higher Education as well as young people from 16 years of age.

Contact you local education authority or FE College to find out if such a course is available near you.

Dance Courses in Higher Education
A number of colleges in higher education and universities offer degrees in dance. However they are very different in course content and emphasis covering both practical dance studies eg choreography, dance technique as well as a range of academic and theoretical areas eg dance analysis, dance history, physiology of movement. In the main these courses are not intended for young people who wish to be professional dancers but for those who are intending to work in the community, teach dance, be dance administrators or follow other career paths that may not be directly related to dance. However an increasing number of university degrees are emphasising practical performing elements. Make sure that you research individual degree courses to ensure that the course content and focus is what you want.

A few specialist higher education institutions do offer degree courses which provide full-time vocational training with a strong practical bias that prepares graduates for careers as dance artists. They include Laban, London, London School of Contemporary Dance, the Royal Academy of Dance (London) and The Northern School of Contemporary Dance (Leeds). Scholarships are available to these institutions through the Dance and Drama Award Scheme (see Funding Your Training below).

FUNDING YOUR TRAINING

Many of the vocational dance courses detailed above charge fees and so for many young people access to scholarships is essential. Since September 1999 a new system of funding for students on dance and drama courses has been started the Dance and Drama Awards, that provide help with fees and maintenance (living costs) for students on approved dance courses. Students must be 16 years and over for dance courses and will have to pay some contribution to the fees but only as much as they would normally have to pay if they were going to university. There is additional help for students who cannot afford to pay their part of the fees but these are means-tested and so the amount given depends on your family's financial circumstances.

The vocational schools participating in the scheme together with more detailed information about the awards is available in a leaflet Dance and Drama Awards - Information for Students published by the Department for Education and Employment. Copies of this leaflet and application forms are available from dance schools and your local careers centre.