TH E I NTE R N ATION A L VOICE OF TH E I M PE R I A L SOCI E T Y OF TE ACH E RS OF DA NCI NG THE INTERNATIONAL VOICE OF THE IMPERIAL SOCIET Y OF TEACHERS OF DANCING
Issue 495 • May – August 2022
F E AT U R I N G MAY – AUGUST 2022 ISSUE 495
Advocating for dance
Our action plan for your business recovery
Thinking outside the box How our members are reaching out
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Swindon Dance, Regent Circus, Swindon SN1 1QF Swindon Dance is a company limited by guarantee; Registered in England & Wales no. 5467343; Registered Charity No. 1111476
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Members welcome Headquarters 22/26 Paul Street, London EC2A 4QE + 44 (0)20 7377 1577 istd.org Chair Michael Elliott Executive team Chief Executive Ginny Brown GBrown@istd.org Director of Dance Liz Dale LDale@istd.org Director of Examinations Janne Karkkainen JKarkkainen@istd.org Director of Membership and Communications Gemma Matthews GMatthews@istd.org Director of Education Louise Molton LMolton@istd.org Interim Director of Finance and Operations Lesley Baliga LBaliga@istd.org Advertise in Dance magazine Email marketing@istd.org Tel + 44 (0)20 7377 1577 Cover photograph: ISTD member Sarah Du Feu Photo by Ben Kilner Design by Membership and Communications Department Printed by Gemini Print Unit A1 Dolphin Way Shoreham by Sea West Sussex BN43 6NZ © 2022 Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the copyright owner. The Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing exists to advance excellence in dance teaching and education. Company Limited by Guarantee. Registered No. 00392978 England. Registered Charity No. 250397
“ Supporting your businesses remains our first priority.” Welcome to edition 495. As I write, spring is in full swing in the UK. The first flowers are blooming, birds are singing, we are enjoying longer days and milder weather. The sense of hope and new beginnings that comes with this season is amplified by the lifting of Covid restrictions here and in many other parts of the world. But it is also brought into sharp relief by the humanitarian crisis currently unfolding in Ukraine. The theme of regrowth and regeneration runs through this edition of Dance. Throughout history, humans have turned to the arts in times of difficulty and trauma for inspiration, a sense of community and shared expression. This edition is packed with inspiring stories of the many ways our members across the globe have reached out to welcome more people into their classes. As illustrated in the Thinking Outside the Box article (page 6), spreading the joy of dance is not only good for the participants, but also makes sound business sense. Supporting your businesses to not only survive, but thrive, remains our first priority and this edition is full of practical ideas to support your business sustainability. During the strategic review last year, you told us that business recovery support from the ISTD is critical and that advocacy to promote the value of dance is essential. So, we’re excited to introduce our plans for a new advocacy campaign (page 26) designed to do just that. We are also continuing to invest in member benefits (pages 32–34) to provide you with business support and free Membership Matters webinars to help you remain abreast of best practice. Whilst we will continue to make the most of digital opportunities to connect, we are really looking forward to returning to face-face activity this year. We have ‘live’ exam tours around the globe planned, an exciting programme of theatre-based student events and in-studio CPD returning in July. All of which, I hope, will help to strengthen our global community so that together we can continue to nurture and inspire the next generation of dancers and teachers. Ginny Brown Chief Executive Dance | Issue 495
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Regulars
News 26 Advocating for dance Our strategic plan to support your businesses and help them thrive
International update 36 North America Astrid Sherman showcases a new business pas de deux 38 Australasia Jess Walker looks at how we move dynamically forward 39 Asia Chua Zjen Fong asks how we can ensure the sustainability of a dance school 40 Africa and the Middle East Delia Sainsbury encourages us to focus on reinvention, engagement and collaboration 42 Europe Carole Watson looks at the value of collaboration for building a bright and inclusive future
What's on 78 Highlights Updates on current events and what's on in the industry 80 Join the conversation A look at what's trending online
Features
Focus on 44 Cecchetti Classical Ballet Moving forward after lockdown – where do we go from here? 48 Classical Greek Dance Broadening access to Classical Greek dance in mainstream education 50 Classical Indian Dance Committee member Sujata Banerjee MBE gives her perspective on the value of dance as a career 52 Contemporary Dance Interview with Luca Silvestrini, Artistic Director of Protein 56 Disco, Freestyle, Rock n Roll and Street The importance of the medal test system, and our new-look awards 58 Imperial Classical Ballet The impact of technology in supporting our examination activities in a global context 62 Latin American, Modern Ballroom and Sequence The growing sector of Pro-Am dancesport, and a return to dancing live 68 Modern Theatre Dance training and the transition from student to artist, and Christina Ballard retires 72 National Dance There’s a light at the end of the Covid tunnel and classes are re-building 74 Tap Dance The ISTD's Regional Representative for Preston, asks how we can ensure that tap dance remains a popular choice
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Issue 495 | May – August 2022
PAGE 6
Thinking outside the box All over the globe, ISTD members are involved in outreach programmes that not only spread the joy of dance but also benefit their own dance businesses
PAGE 20
Hard work and vision Sujata Banerjee MBE, Lead Examiner for Kathak and member of our Classical Indian Dance Faculty, talks to ISTD Patron, Linda Jasper
PAGE 14
The chance to perform
OT HER FE AT U RE S
ISTD members speak about the value of offering performance opportunities to their students
24 Safeguarding for success Professor Peter Flew reveals how ignoring safeguarding can put your business at risk 28 Investing in your own development Planning your career progression with our higher dance teaching qualifications 32 Membership matters Updates about membership events and benefits
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Relight the fire We look at ways to re-ignite your students’ passion for dance
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Sustainable business
Engaging with your local community not only helps your dance business but also gives everyone a chance to get dancing.
An introduction to our business theme for this issue of Dance magazine.
Right Protein’s key ethos is that anyone can participate in dance. (page 52)
W
e are taking action to provide business recovery support for you, our members. The theme of this issue – business sustainability – has been chosen to highlight what we are doing as a Society (page 26) and to provide a platform for fellow members to share what works for them. The result is a handbook of business inspiration shared by our dance community. It has never been more important to invest in your own development. Turn to page 28 to read more about planning your career progression with our higher teaching qualifications and find out how they can benefit your career. You’ll also find tips on how our non-regulated qualifications and medal tests can help to re-ignite your students’ passion for dance following 4
the pandemic on page 30. And Amanda Tapp, Head of Faculty Development for DFR, looks at why ISTD exams are a helpful business tool for our teachers, and showcases the Society’s refreshed medal designs (page 56). Our members speak out about the opportunities they offer to their students to gain professional performance experience and how this helps their businesses (page 14). Sarah Collyer, course coordinator at South Eastern Regional College (SERC) in Northern Ireland, gives her perspective on the importance of project based learning and how it helps dancers transition from students to artists. She explains: “All our students are automatically employed by our company, The Glass Umbrella Theatre Company, working on a profit share basis where company profits are reinvested into upskilling students by
providing workshops, educational visits and more.” (page 70, Modern Theatre) Modern Ballroom committee member Stephen Arnold gives his perspective on the importance of Pro-Am competitions and their impact within the dancesport industry and the goal of getting as many people involved in dancing as possible (page 65). And fellow committee member Warren Boyce celebrates the welcome return of live events. Engaging with your local community can help not only your dance business but also provide much-needed opportunities to get everyone involved in dance. From page 6 we look at how – all over the globe – ISTD members are involved in outreach programmes that not only spread the joy of dance but also benefit their own dance businesses. Luca Silvestrini is Artistic Director of Protein, a dance company with the
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key ethos that anyone can participate in dance. In his words: “One of the most essential elements of Protein’s work is the engagement and participatory aspect of each project. The opportunity to build relationships with local communities and connect with its people is important to us and how we work.” He stresses the importance of finding the right rehearsal space. Read his tips on page 52 (Contemporary). In our interview with her on page 20, Sujata Banerjee MBE (Lead Examiner for Kathak and member of our Classical Indian Dance Faculty) stresses that building a community is important to engender loyalty, through creating projects that bring students, their families, and wider communities together. Sarah du Feu, an ISTD teacher with her own dance school in Woking, started an online initiative called The Ballet Coach
four years ago. She offers online sessions for all ages, from 2 to 92. The idea was inspired by teaching her niece who had no suitable local dance classes for her age group. Sarah commented: “Being able to pass on and encourage the joy that dance can bring to people around the world is such a pleasure.” (Cecchetti, page 44) Angelina Spurrier started the online Festival of the Dancer in 2020, to keep her students motivated during the second lockdown. The project became an exciting collaboration, with 25 teachers creating three weeks’ worth of free children’s online sessions, which formed part of the festival, and 27 half-hour free online workshops. Angelina observed: “Whilst it has been challenging for the after-school dance class providers to maintain their businesses over the past two years, there have been at least as many obstacles for full-time colleges.” (page 45)
National Faculty committee member, Jayne Wing, found that when she returned to face-to-face teaching, classes were in fact a little larger than prelockdown. She thinks there were several factors involved in this (see page 73), one of these being the way in which her online strategies worked at both retaining existing students and attracting new ones. Professor Peter Flew of the University of Roehampton reveals (page 24) that by having the right measures in place to safeguard your dance students, you are also safeguarding your business. In the words of ISTD teacher Kate Simmons: “Let us all try to turn negatives into positives with a can-do, will-do attitude! Keep going, it will come good in the end. Children will always want to learn dance and audiences will always need entertaining.” (Cecchetti, page 46)
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Feature
Thinking outside the box All over the globe, ISTD members are involved in outreach programmes that not only spread the joy of dance but also benefit their own dance businesses, helping them to become more sustainable.
Europe Dance Connection
Nicola Rayner Dance journalist and novelist
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Daniele Silingardi trained with the ISTD and RAD in Italy, before attending the Royal Ballet Upper School. He has won several awards from the ISTD’s Imperial Classical Ballet Faculty and now dances in Stuttgart Ballet with Aiara Iturrioz. The pair have been developing a project called Dance Connection, which aims to support the development of ballet in countries where it’s not yet widely recognised or established. “It all began in 2020, when we started collaborating with an art project in Kenya, One Fine Day/Anno’s Africa,” they say. “This organisation, based in Kibera – the biggest slum in Nairobi and the whole of Africa – offers different art activities to the kids there, such as music, ballet, acrobatics, painting... They create a safe space for them to enjoy arts and have fun exploring them. “As we liked that idea of motivating the kids with art, we began collaborating with them and we started teaching ballet classes via Zoom. We realised that they didn’t have enough ballet materials, so, towards the end of that year, we sent them a box full of ballet clothes and shoes. We also organised a charity livestream gala over Zoom, in Stuttgart, in April 2021 for the kids from Kenya to watch, as they don’t have the chance to watch ballet live. It was performed by dancers from our company and it was a very fulfilling experience for all of us.” This year, the dancers at Stuttgart Ballet plan to “share the stage” in their gala with their friends in Kibera – “we will project on a big screen the choreographies that the students rehearsed and prepared through this year with our help.” The gala will help to raise funds for an art centre in Kibera. Email: danceconnectionproject@gmail.com
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The USA Ballet in a Box New ISTD member Francesca Stern, co-artistic director, with Donna Perkins, of Redondo Ballet Company in California, was keen for her dancers to be “not only beautiful on stage but caring citizens in their community.” Inspiration came from thinking outside the box – and putting ballet inside one. “Ballet in a Box is a philanthropic programme that brings cultural exchange and the arts to underserved communities and countries,” she explains. “It is literally a decorated cardboard box that contains all the components required to perform a scene from an original Redondo Ballet production. The box contains costumes, leotards, tights, shoes, music, story, make-up and accessories – these are all brand new and donated.” First, the Redondo Ballet dancers perform for the recipients, then they mentor the students on the same scene. “The choreography is changed to match the age and level of dance training –if any – of the recipients,” says Francesca. “We then costume the new dancers, and finally they perform on stage for their families and classmates. At the
conclusion of the performance, the newly empowered dancers retain all the contents of the box so they can continue to share this experience with others.” There can be challenges. “Sometimes we are met with crossed arms and sideways glances,” she notes. “Once the interaction occurs, there is a shared love of dance and movement, the atmosphere relaxes and smiles cross everyone’s faces. This exact thing happened on our trip to Belize. Ballet in a Box brought all their dancers and ours together – and they are still in contact four years later. By reaching out, and sharing the joy of dance, we find out how alike we are.” In turn, the outreach work benefits Redondo Ballet. “Even if our visits don’t produce more dancers, we are encouraging them to become audiences and supporters of the arts,” says Francesca. And her dancers have gone one step further and created their own outreach group. “They meet once a month and plan events such as food drives, book collections to help stock libraries at schools, beach clean-ups and clearing endangered butterfly habitats. We couldn’t be prouder of them.” www.redondoballet.org/ballet-in-a-box
Not only beautiful on stage but caring citizens in their community. Francesca Stern
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Thinking outside the box ~ continued
Africa Amoyo Performing Arts Foundation
Amoyo is far more than just a performing arts school. Kim Conley
With close links to the Waterfront Theatre School in Cape Town – founded by Keith Galloway and Delia Sainsbury, the ISTD’s international representative in Africa and the Middle East – Amoyo is a non-profit organisation based in Hout Bay in the same city. “Amoyo is far more than just a performing arts school,” explains Kim Conley, co-founder and CEO. “The children who attend come predominantly from impoverished homes within a community striving against drugs, alcohol, domestic and community violence, gangs and extreme poverty. “Every one of our students exudes more confidence than when they first arrived,” she
says. “Children with low self-esteem, who felt they had no voice and struggled to make eye contact during conversations, are engaging in monologues, solo dance performance and motivational speeches.” The school has been praised and formally endorsed by Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater as, “one of the best outreach programmes they have ever worked with”. “Amoyo has really pushed developing and taking pride in our African performing arts and receives constant recognition for the quality of our training and calibre of our performers. It is a powerful, unique, invigorating and culturally rich art form covering traditional African dance, gumboot and pantsula dance together with rhythm sticks and cans, djembe drumming and African song.” (See Dance issue 494, page 60 to read more about Amoyo.) www.amoyo.org
LOUISE SWIEGERS
Waterfront Theatre School, Alexander Sinton and Lawrence House Five students from Amoyo have gone on to the Waterfront Theatre School (WTS) – two of whom have now graduated with international ISTD teaching qualifications. “The students have all come back to give workshops or teach part-time at Amoyo during their training as well,” says Kim, “which is incredibly inspirational for our current beneficiaries.” WTS also collaborates with the Labia Foundation in training talented children discovered by Celia Musikanth, who runs Circle Productions, an outreach programme in Muizenberg. “She and her partner train them in a special six-month programme,” explains Delia Sainsbury. “They will then be passed to me, sponsored by the Labia Foundation and myself. Delia also works closely with Alexander Sinton, a high school for performing arts students of colour, whose most promising students are identified and passed on to WTS for further training. “Waterfront Theatre School has its own outreach programme with a school called Lawrence House in the city centre,” she adds. “These children are from all over Africa and come from backgrounds that often feature serious abuse. They are currently being taught by one of my graduates, Joshua Fowler, who has Asperger’s, and achieved his Associate Modern Teaching Diploma and the Associate Tap Diploma (the higher teaching level) after a very hard six-year journey.” www.wtschool.co.za
Left Kyle Grant, a dancer spotted for his talent at Alexander Sinton High School in Cape Town, is now training on the tertiary programme at Waterfront Theatre School 8
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The UK Chance to Dance In the UK, Society members involved in the Royal Opera House’s Chance to Dance programme are full of praise for the experience. Chance to Dance offers primary school children who do not have access to ballet, or live in areas facing numerous disadvantages, the opportunity to connect with the repertory, choreographers and dancers of The Royal Ballet. “I have been blown away by the children’s response to the workshops and how creative they are in each class,” says Yvonne Browne, principal of Dance2Drama in Grays, Essex, who runs classes at Tudor Court Primary School, also in Grays. “I feel my school has benefitted too, as over the three years [of doing Chance to Dance] it has introduced boys and girls who would not have gone down the usual route of joining.” Despina Kefalidis, principal of Shall We Dance School of Dancing in north London, agrees that her teaching practice has benefitted from the time she spends with the pupils of Woodside
Primary Academy in Grays. “It allowed me to come up with new ways to deliver the syllabus and incorporate some free work to improve my lessons. I have also noticed that it can be very beneficial to take a step back and observe the students: get them more involved, give them the freedom to discuss and work on their own ideas and take ownership of their own learning.” “The difference you can see in the children is great,” confirms Diana Clifford, principal and joint director of ACS Dance Centre in Romford. “Their teachers often state that the children who sometimes struggle to articulate or express themselves in conventional academic ways really flourish in dance class.” The experience of teaching in Warren Primary School, Grays, has helped her own business too. “Taking in bursary students to the school has also helped bolster our classes, as even some of those children not selected for bursaries have joined our studio as well, and it has raised our profile with parents who may not ordinarily have considered the value of dance classes for their children or seen the benefits. I would encourage any teacher considering getting involved to go for it,” she concludes. www.roh.org.uk/learning/ young-people/chance-to-dance
Flamingo Chicks Based in Bristol, Flamingo Chicks is an inclusive community offering all children, including disabled children and those with illnesses such as cancer, the opportunity to enjoy dance and explore movement. The organisation was founded in 2013 by Katie Sparkes, born out of frustration at the lack of inclusive opportunities for her daughter Poppy, who has cerebral palsy.
I have been blown away by the children's response to the workshops and how creative they are in each class. Yvonne Browne
Above Chance to Dance group with ISTD member Diana Clifford Left Flamingo Chicks global outreach dance group in Ghana
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Thinking outside the box ~ continued
Right Flamingo Chicks dance group Far right Fallen Angels Dance Theatre performance
Speak to your participants with compassion and if you can find a common ground, or a way that you can relate somehow, that is the way into building deep understanding and trusting relationships. Paul Bayes Kitcher
“Teaching for Flamingo Chicks is an incredibly rewarding experience that supports you to continually grow as an artist and as a person,” says Samantha McCormick, head of dance. “I personally have learnt so much from being part of the team, particularly around disability and how I can play a part in making the world a more inclusive place.” Flamingo Chicks has several “pillars” to its work: inclusive dance activities; support for parents and carers; intergenerational volunteering (the organisation received the Queen’s Award in 2020); global outreach in Ghana, Kenya, California, Athens, Vietnam, and Singapore; and advocacy. Teachers with connections to the ISTD include those who have completed the Diploma in Dance Education (DDE) – Ballet and Modern; Pre-Primary to Intermediate Tap; Pre-Primary to Advanced One Modern Theatre; and Pre-Primary to Advanced Ballet. www.flamingochicks.org
Fallen Angels Dance Theatre
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PAUL BAYES KITCHER
Another organisation keenly aware of the transformational power of dance is Fallen Angels Dance Theatre (FADT) – the only company in the UK providing dance theatre experiences for people in recovery from addiction. Based in Chester, the company was founded in 2011 by professional dancers Paul Bayes Kitcher and Claire Morris. Paul has lived experience of addiction and recovery, and his practice recognises the
complex barriers many face including mentalhealth issues, disability and neurodiversity. His advice is to “speak to your participants with compassion and if you can find a common ground, or a way that you can relate in some way, it is the way into building deep understanding and trusting relationships. I also think it’s important to have a sense of humour and to try to make a workshop fun, especially when you are working with challenging themes.” FADT is active in reaching those in need, travelling to homeless centres, working with drugs and alcohol services, running workshops on mentalhealth wards, and working with housing associations. Performances are shared with the wider community in films and on YouTube. This year, Transfiguration, a trio of 10-minute dance films, focuses on a series of defining moments in the journey from addiction to recovery. I Fall, I Need, We Rise is available to watch for free online through the FADT website. I Fall is available now with I Need and We Rise available in the spring. www.fallenangelsdt.org
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Thinking outside the box ~ continued
Exim Dance Company Exim Dance Company, in Plymouth, brings dance to those who are marginalised owing to mental-health conditions, vulnerable due to care arrangements, domestic violence and disability and those from low-income families. “Within our work, we hope to see improved mental health, increases in confidence, self-esteem and to build on social skills,” says Chloe Brown, community and education officer. “Our work centres around our core values that anyone who wants to do something can do it – no matter their background or whether they have any disabilities. “I do these classes so that I can gain confidence in order to be a dance teacher,” says one young participant. “I enjoy going to the sessions because I love making new friends and having teaching opportunities to see what it’s like for my future job. Our voices get heard and changes are made to fit what is best for us.” Delivering its outreach programme to the wider community of Plymouth has allowed Exim Dance Company to connect with more people. In 2021, its total engagement was 6,352 people and, virtually, its
I love making new friends and having teaching opportunities to see what it’s like for my future job. One of the participants of Exim Dance
total post engagement was 699,886. A number of Exim Dance’s outreach projects that were originally delivered as one-off workshops have now become regular weekly sessions, such as an inclusive movement session in partnership with Mencap. www.eximdance.org.uk
The PappyShow Run by a core team of 10 friends. The PappyShow was formed in 2013 by Kane Husbands “to bring people together to move, to dance, to create moments of radical joy, to share stories and to take time just to PLAY!” explains company member Bea Holland. “That is still our mission, but our identity has become clearer. We exist as a social enterprise – working across performance and platforming the marginalised identities that we believe society could do better with.” Key to their mission is elevating the underrepresented identities they want to see on stage. “As a company, we are continually learning through our outreach workshops. The people we meet and the stories we hear and see
Right and far right Exim Dance students
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surprise, delight, horrify and teach us,” says Bea. “We learn how to facilitate better, how to see things differently and how to encourage collaboration to bring about empowerment and change. “I would encourage anyone to dive in and be open-minded about what you will learn and experience,” she advises, suggesting that shadowing or volunteering can be the ideal first step into outreach work. “Never under-estimate or make any assumptions about anyone in the room and constantly look and look again for ways to make your space a level playing field, so that everyone feels included and welcome. Plan your sessions rigorously but be prepared to go off road, and make sure you have a banging playlist that makes you want to move!” www.thepappyshow.co.uk
i Nicola Rayner is a freelance journalist and novelist. Her articles have appeared in several publications, including The Guardian, The Independent and Time Out, and her novels, The Girl Before You and You and Me, have been translated into multiple languages. She edited the ballroom and Latin magazine Dance Today from 2010 to 2015 and is now assistant editor of its sister publication, Dancing Times. As a ballroom and Latin writer, she is thrilled to be working with the Society of the legendary Josephine Bradley.
Never under-estimate or make any assumptions about anyone in the room. Bea Holland, The PappyShow
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Feature
The chance to perform Is professional performance experience important in developing the next generation of dancers and dance teachers? Our members speak about the opportunities they offer to their students and the value those experiences have.
Rachel Elderkin Dance artist, writer, dramaturg and podcast host
The opportunity to be in a professional environment, whether that’s performing on stage or working alongside industry professionals, is arguably a key experience for young dancers. Many teachers aim to offer their students these opportunities, from dancing in national and international competitions, to performing in pantomime or West End shows, or participating in workshops led by professional performers. Demetra Moore, Principal at Demi Moore School of Dancing and a Cecchetti scholar, recognises her own experience performing as a young dancer with London Children’s Ballet as her deciding moment to pursue dance professionally. “It taught me so much about performance. I was so shy, but I won the ‘best performance award’ and from that I grew in confidence. It made me want to go on and audition” says Demetra. Opportunities that make a connection between a student’s training and the professional world can fuel a young person’s passion for dance and performance, offering a potentially valuable step in developing the next generation of dancers and dance teachers. Principal at Corraine Collins Dance Studios and ISTD examiner Corraine Collins, has noticed a similar experience with her students. Since 1999, besides a pause due to the Covid pandemic, Corraine has provided two teams of students to perform in the annual pantomime that runs from November to January at Cheltenham’s Everyman Theatre. “That level of experience and exposure in a block really helps them understand about performance” she says. “That involvement either solidifies their desire to perform professionally or eradicates it!” Whether or not a student is interested in a professional dance career, the experience of performing in a professional environment still
holds positive benefits. “The sense of commitment and the responsibility towards others they’re working with means that even if they don’t end up doing anything with dance, they’re learning a lot of life skills” Corraine points out. Performing in national and international competitions offers another potential development opportunity. At The Cheshire Theatre School, Principal Vickie Goodwin’s students have auditioned for the Dance World Cup for seven years. “The children love doing it and are thrilled when they qualify” says Vickie. “It offers a fantastic experience to compete with children across the world, and it’s so inspiring to see what is happening out there”. Like Corraine, Vickie also recognises that the experience of working towards the competition offers students skills they can carry with them beyond the performance. “They understand the commitment and the level of work to put in, from rehearsal time to being part of a team. We also do a lot of fundraising, so it gives them an all-round understanding of what goes into making a final product”.
They understand the commitment and the level of work to put in. Vickie Goodwin Right Dancesteps Studio students
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The chance to perform ~ continued
Above Waterfront Theatre School students
Shirena Hamzah, Principal at Dancesteps Studio in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, also values giving her students the opportunity to perform. “When I opened my studio in 1999 you rarely heard of dance shows in Kuala Lumpur, so my goal was to get the students up on stage” she recalls. Alongside annual school recitals, Shirena takes students to international competitions. However, she recognises that sort of competitive environment may not be the right setting for every student and often tends to be exclusive. “A lot of schools just pick very good soloists,” says Shirena. “I like to find those competitions that accommodate larger groups so I can include more of my students. I’ve had the school for so long, you see the benefits later. Not everyone goes to dance college but the teamwork, commitment and discipline has benefits beyond dance”. Shirena’s approach has proved successful, the school having won the Mercedes Benz Creative Excellence Award at Short+Sweet Dance Festival, among others. Equally, she has found her inclusive attitude has a positive impact on the school as a business. “The younger children see this opportunity and think ‘maybe one day I get to do that’. It’s helped my business as the students feel encouraged. They stay longer, they work harder, they take on more dance genres – tap and modern are really popular with my students, which is more unusual in Malaysia”. Competitions also offer a way to connect with the wider dance world, as both Shirena and Simone Ashley Marshall Kleinenberg, at Waterfront Theatre School, South Africa, have found out. For Simone, the Covid pandemic and the subsequent move in the dance world to provide
It’s helped my business as the students feel encouraged. Shirena Hamzah
content and opportunities online opened up worldwide possibilities for the school, which trains students pursuing a career in the performing arts. “Before the pandemic we were connected here in our immediate industry, but this opportunity to connect virtually rather than always having to fly somewhere has been incredible. It’s forced us to become involved and to see what the level is out there. For the students to have that feedback and have this sense of their training being part of an international playing field is so exciting” she says. Taking part in online competitions had a positive impact for the school’s students, developing their connection with the wider dance world. “Their curiosity is being fed and they feel this bigger world is reachable. It’s given them the confidence, excitement and motivation to participate, but within this safe space where they have our guidance” Simone explained. As Simone acknowledges, offering professional opportunities alongside a student’s ongoing training
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For the students to have that feedback and have this sense of their training being part of an international playing field is so exciting. Simone Ashley Marshall Kleinenberg
Left Cork City Ballet performing Swan Lake
can create a rich environment for personal and professional development. Taking part in online competitions meant students also gained new skills, learning how to work with a camera and to showcase their work on social media, “a valuable adjustment and benefit to the business side of their dance too” says Simone. With a number of the school’s students training as dance teachers through the ISTD syllabus, skills like these can be taken forward into teaching online and growing their careers internationally.
Vickie Goodwin also notes the opportunity that professional experiences open to students for developing new skills and an understanding of professional life. When her school was selected to open Blue Peter’s 2021 Christmas show, the students gained experience performing to camera. “They got to understand how things work in the professional world, from camera angles to performing on live TV. It was a whole new experience, plus they had so much fun” says Vickie. Dance | Issue 495 17
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Feature
The chance to perform ~ continued
Right The Cheshire Theatre School students at the Dance World Cup
Aside from the opportunities offered by stage shows and competitions, having the chance to work alongside industry professionals can prove equally enriching for students’ development. Several of Vickies’ students are enrolled on associate programmes, such as Royal Ballet Junior Associates, Elmhurst Young Dancers, Ballet Boost and Phoenix Boys Company among others, which give students professional training and experiences in addition to their regular classes. Alan Foley, Artistic Director at Cork City Ballet and Principal of Alan Foley Academy of Dance, also believes in the benefits of professionallevel training opportunities. Alongside involving young students in company shows such as The Nutcracker, Alan often invites guest artists with the professional company to teach class or give workshops to students. “I believe it’s an important factor in teaching that the students have something to aspire to and work towards. We’ve had artists from world-renowned companies come and dance with Cork City Ballet and sometimes they’ll work with the students in school shows, or teach class,” says Alan. For Alan, providing that opportunity is a reflection of his own experience as a student. “I got all these opportunities to meet and dance with these famous dancers,” explains Alan. “It was so beneficial to me in learning about professional life and I wanted to hand that on to another generation of dancers.” Similarly, Simone Kleinenberg encourages graduates to come back to share workshops or simply chat with the current students. “We are a family, not an institution” she says. “Hopefully, you
leave with a sense of pride and legacy; because of that, we keep connected, keep that support and we celebrate success. When we expose our students to what’s around them, it all seems more possible”. However, many opportunities, especially competitions and additional training programmes, have a financial cost attached, or prioritise elite students, which means that not every student gets the chance to benefit from these experiences. “I’d like to see more opportunities and performance events for those who just enjoy dancing, to give that confidence boost. It’s so important for mental wellbeing” says Demetra, who feels that events focused on creativity and collaboration often encourage a more inclusive environment. “As a young dancer we had ‘ballet in a day’ events. Someone brought costumes, you rehearsed in a studio and did a performance at the end of the day for your parents. Everyone took part, there was no sense of not being good enough” she explains. Alongside the positive impact such events can have on students, she also notes their importance for the school. “As a parent, you pay for all these classes, so it’s nice to see your children performing. It’s appreciated and benefits you as a business as parents see their child’s enjoyment,” Demetra says. While professional performance opportunities can offer students a wealth of valuable experience, both within and beyond their dance training, it is perhaps most important that they have access to opportunities that inspire. For Corraine Collins, although many of her students perform on stage, it is their regular
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‘SULTRY PERFECTION’ OBSERVER
training that she prioritises. “What is valuable is a teacher who is with you week in, week out, and has a vested interest in making you improve. Having that grounding is more important than how many times you’re on stage” she says. Perhaps a balance of strong training, complemented by professional performance opportunities and access to artistic development, offers the richest foundation for developing the next generation of dancers and dance teachers – and valuable life skills for those who go on to work in other fields.
I’d like to see more opportunities and performance events for those who just enjoy dancing.
9 – 19 June 2022
Demetra Moore
Above The Cheshire Theatre School students open Blue Peter’s 2021 Christmas show Dance | Issue 495 19
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Interview
Hard work and vision Sujata Banerjee MBE, Lead Examiner for Kathak and member of our Classical Indian Dance Faculty, talks to ISTD Patron, Linda Jasper.
Linda Jasper Dance and cultural learning consultant and ISTD Patron
Sujata Banerjee is a dedicated and entrepreneurial dance practitioner who runs a successful school in north London and is director of her eponymous dance company. She has achieved a high profile in the Classical Indian Dance world (CID), as well as being well respected in the wider dance sector, which was recognised by being awarded an MBE and One Dance UK’s Lifetime Achievement award in 2019. I started this interview by asking about her involvement with the ISTD. She was involved in the initial consultancy from 1990/91 that led to the first faculty being created for South Asian Dance in 1999; in November 2012, it was renamed the Classical Indian Dance Faculty. She was Chair of the first faculty for nearly 10 years and involved in the transition into the new structure, to ensure continuity. The reason for her involvement was to create a systematic training system for the genre, to raise its profile and provide a vehicle, “to capture and retain the knowledge and experience of the practitioners in the sector.” I asked her what makes a good ISTD committee and her immediate response was that members should be, “willing to put time into it and have a passion to develop the committee – not only to maintain its work, but wherever they go to be an ambassador for the Society and excite members about it.” Next, we discussed how being a part of the committee contributed to the running of her business. She explained: “It helped me to understand the whole ISTD structure better and I
took more interest in it and became proud of being part of a bigger organisation.” Being involved in the development of the syllabus shaped how she works as a teacher. She has benefitted from being able to access CPD in other practices and genres, teaching methodology, child psychology and more. But she reflected that: “At the end of the day, what is important is that you are a good and inspiring teacher – students come because of good teaching and word of mouth. I introduce the parents and students to the ISTD not the other way around.” We discussed how the ISTD can ensure awareness of Classical Indian Dance (CID) and how the genre is made accessible to newcomers. Sujata suggested that the Society could focus on creating more opportunities for teachers and students of other genres to experience CID, “to encourage cross-fertilisation by offering performances and taster workshops,” in addition to syllabus-focused courses.
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ALEKSANDRA WARCHOL
Above Sujata Banerjee Dance Company’s Hemantika Dance Festival, November–December 2021
I asked her if she had drawn inspiration from any other women (or people in general) throughout her career. She responded: “I don’t have one role model, but I am inspired in different ways by individuals’ professional behaviour, giving time and commitment.” She looks outside the dance sector, as well as within it, for her inspiration. Her view is that she has learnt from professionals whose, “intentions are really strong and clear,” as these provide the bedrock of success in many areas of life. As a high-profile woman, I asked for advice for other women who are starting their dance businesses. Sujata feels strongly that, “the most important thing is a focus on personal progress – being selfcritical and self-reliant – perpetually learning and taking on board peer comments and feedback.” The discussion then focused on what sets CID apart when running a business sustainably. Sujata’s responses are reflected in management publications about building ‘brand loyalty’ to attract and retain customers, which are not particular to CID. She reiterated: “If your intentions are strong and clear – you have no problems. You need to give more. Your business strategy comes from your ethics.” She says that building a community is important to ensuring loyalty, through creating projects that bring students, their families and wider communities together. An example is the annual Hemantika festival, which has become a feature in the CID and wider dance calendar.
We discussed challenges that she faces running a business and how she overcomes them. In response to recruiting more students, she expanded her team to include a part-time school administrator and operational manager, and two additional teachers. Her school is part of her company charity with a board of directors who have business skills and experience. Sujata reflected on the impact of this structure on her work: “Being the Director of the company and school, the buck stops with me. Even though I have administrators, they need to refer to me to make key decisions.” And so it is difficult to extricate herself from ongoing administration. There are no simple answers to resolving this situation, but she remains positive: “Most challenges are overcome by having a vision for dance and giving 100% of yourself.”
Business would not be successful without student performance opportunities, workshops and projects. Dance | Issue 495 21
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Interview ~ continued
What makes a sustainable business? The discussion turned to questions about what makes a sustainable and successful business. Sujata relies completely on student income to sustain her school, which has grown steadily with increasing numbers. In addition, she has been in receipt of Arts Council and trust funding to run projects and festivals. She feels that her business would not be successful unless she offered her students performance opportunities, workshops and projects. “A focus just on grades and examinations is not enough to keep students interested.”
To have fun as a teacher is important, even if it is online, then others will enjoy themselves too.
The future is a hybrid of online and live teaching.
During the pandemic, she has grown her business through engaging with more international students. She adapted quickly to the impending first lockdown, moving her classes online. She encouraged individuals to send videos for personal feedback. Through giving extra attention to each individual’s learning, she has retained numbers and increased her reach internationally. She extended her offer to include yoga classes, singing and even skateboarding sessions. She produced online student performances that attracted audiences from across the globe, reaching the Indian diaspora. She advocates for keeping up to date with innovations in wider society: “People tend to get set in their ways and the pandemic has shown us how creative and adaptable we need to be. One has to be curious about possibilities, too.” We looked to the future, asking what she hoped for CID businesses. Her vision would see more ISTD qualified teachers setting up businesses across the country. She would like more dance taught in state schools, as she knows how important this is for widening access to and raising the profile of CID. She acknowledged the importance of updating teaching skills, saying, “if the whole sector is working well then this will increase opportunities for all.” Teachers need to recognise their limitations and be willing to send talented students onto more appropriate training schemes.
She thinks moving to online teaching is the future, delivering a hybrid of online and live teaching. She produces podcasts and is excited by these new developments. “To have fun as a teacher is important, even if it is online, then others will enjoy themselves too.” The main thread throughout the interview was the importance of, “believing in your product. I believe in dance training a lot, the value of dance for physical, academic and true personal development.” So, to move to Sujata’s final words giving advice to those starting their journey in CID: “Don’t get so engrossed in developing students that you neglect developing yourself first – or at least simultaneously alongside your students. Investing in yourself as an artist is the top priority. I tell my young professional students that through sheer hard work, you make yourself brilliant and success will follow – if the latter does not happen, you will still be brilliant in your work.” A statement that is applicable surely to all dance enterprises. Turn to page 50 to read Sujata’s article about dance as a career.
Key points for business development • Give time and commitment and believe in your product (dance training) • Have strong and clear intentions – build your brand • Focus on personal progress (CPD) and invest in yourself as an artist • Be self-critical and self-reliant • Take on board peer feedback • Build your business strategy from your ethics • Engender loyalty by creating projects that bring your students and the wider community together • Offer performance opportunities, workshops, and projects, including online • Build the right team to help run your business, bringing in any expertise you might lack • Deliver a hybrid of online and live teaching and engage with a wider range of students • Consider diversifying your offering (Sujata offers other fun activities and workshops like skateboarding, yoga, singing, contemporary, ballet and hip-hop)
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The UK’s Number 1 Dancewear Specialist
0344 561 6664 | dancewearcentral.co.uk
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Feature
Safeguarding for success Professor Peter Flew reveals how ignoring safeguarding can put your business at risk.
Professor Peter Flew University of Roehampton
What is the purpose of a dance school? For dancers to achieve recognised qualifications? To have a wonderful time and learn to love dance? To provide a livelihood for the dance teachers and their employees? How do you judge whether a dance school is successful? Full classes? Success in examinations? Students moving on to vocational training? What about all dancers being safe from harm? It seems unnecessary to add that final question. Of course, dance teachers don’t deliberately prevent dancers from being safe, however not engaging with good safeguarding practice can leave your students exposed to harm, which can affect the reputation of your business and possibly put its future at risk. As a former primary school headteacher and now Dean of the School of Education at the University of Roehampton in London, I know how vital safeguarding is in mainstream education in the UK. In 2020, I became aware of several concerned voices in the sector and that the Department for Education were working on safeguarding guidance for out-of-school settings. The guidance produced in October 2020, while helpful and well-intentioned, shows just how little obligation there is for dance schools to be engaged with safeguarding. With a core group of like-minded people, I set up the Dance School Safeguarding Working Group (DSSWG) with a mission to make safeguarding a key aspect of dance education through the education of stakeholders (including dance teachers, children, young adults, adults at risk, parents, school staff, dance associations, local authorities, and other interested parties). From small beginnings, we have a group of around 50 members from across the dance industry, including dancers, dance teachers, safeguarding experts and those representing major dance associations, including the ISTD's Head of Faculty Development for Modern Theatre and Classical Indian Dance. Working together to create resources to help the sector and to support
dance associations, we are facilitating an increase in awareness of good safeguarding practice but, with a very disparate sector, we know that this is a large undertaking with plenty still to do. During the last year, we have received many positive responses from the sector but have occasionally been met with a blinkered response from groups, schools or dancers. The consequence of not being switched on to the growing awareness of safeguarding issues in sport and the arts can be dire for any organisation. Recent news stories of prosecutions within the professional dance world and documentaries such as Netflix’s Athlete A are making young dancers eager for more information as to what is and is not acceptable in the dance studio and beyond.
When a parent comes up to you and asks if their child is safe, how will you respond? To support young dancers to make the best choices, we plan to create an awareness raising campaign which focuses on what a great dance teacher does to keep them safe. The DSSWG is not aiming to discourage anyone from dance, and we hope that this will help educate dancers in a positive manner. We are looking for partners who can help this campaign through providing media support. A clear safeguarding policy, put into practice and advertised on a dance school website, signals clearly to current and prospective parents that the welfare of dancers is taken seriously. Even
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when committed to good safeguarding practice, it is important that training equips teachers to explicitly address the safeguarding issues that are relevant to dance. The DSSWG has created a resource to look at those issues in depth, recently launching a free resource pack for dance teachers (see www.dsswg.org.uk/resources). ‘Safer recruitment’ may be a new phrase to those who run dance schools. Put simply, how do you know that everyone who works with your dance school is suitable to do so? This covers permanent and ad-hoc employees, and volunteers. Safer-recruitment courses are low-cost and help to prevent dance teachers from being exploited. One area to watch is guest choreographers; just because someone is a well-known name in the profession, does not mean they may not be a risk to children. We recommend spending some time explaining your school, its philosophy, and its context to all visitors. Create a formal contract and watch some of the classes or rehearsals to ensure the visitor understands what the expectations are. Whenever a new safeguarding revelation in dance, or even in sport, is highlighted in the media, a dance school needs to consider how it will answer queries about its own practice. Consider how you can demonstrate how your own policies and practices protect the children in your care. When a parent comes up to you and asks if their child is safe, how will you respond? A poor response may materially affect your reputation and future business, and keeping quiet and avoiding the issue is a very risky approach. There is plenty of good practice in the sector and plenty of eagerness to do the right thing. We do hear from dance teachers who are unsure what best practice looks like, and that is a problem we are supporting the major dance associations to solve. Organisations such as the ISTD are making great strides in this area. However, it should be said that dance teachers without
formal teaching qualifications, or those who are not affiliated to major associations, can be particularly problematic. Not only because they are continuing with poor practice or poor teaching technique but because, with the sector being unregulated, this can provide an opportunity for people with malignant intention to have contact with children. Protecting young dancers must be seen as a non-negotiable expectation of a dance school, and dance teachers need to have access to the right tools to run their schools safely. The DSSWG exists to support the dance sector and we are always keen for more people to join our group. Visit www. dsswg.org.uk/members for more information.
It is important that training equips teachers to explicitly address the safeguarding issues that are relevant to dance. i Find advice, resources, and guidance on how to ensure safe environments for children learning to dance, including the Department for Education guidance, and NSPCC resources, at www.istd.org/raisingstandards Read our Safeguarding Policy at www.istd.org/safeguarding Professor Peter Flew is Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor and Dean of the School of Education at the University of Roehampton. He is Chair of the Dance School Safeguarding Working Group and a Trustee of the Royal Academy of Dance. Dance | Issue 495 25
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News
Advocating for dance
We are working to create a national campaign, delivering essential tools and resources to help your businesses.
Our strategic plan to support your businesses and help them thrive.
T
he last two years demonstrated your resilience and determination to keep teaching in difficult circumstances. During lockdowns, many of you pivoted to teaching classes online, and while this was feasible for some, others found it challenging due to the lack of accessible technology for students and teachers, fatigue of online learning, and the limited availability of free dance classes online. Now many are back in the studio full time, new challenges are facing our teachers and their businesses. Survey findings from our strategic review last year confirmed that the impact of the pandemic had, and continues to have, a dire financial impact on teachers. You told us loud and clear, that business recovery support from the ISTD is critical and that advocacy to promote the value of dance is essential. A national advocacy campaign promoting the benefits of dance and career pathways into teaching was identified by our members as a critical resource to help drive new business to their schools.
We are taking action We are working to create a national campaign, delivering essential tools and resources to help your businesses that will be launched in the coming months. We want to raise awareness of how dance improves mental and physical health and wellbeing, as well as social connections, which are especially relevant in the aftermath of restrictions and reduced social contact. We want to encourage schools and community organisations to allocate Covid related funding into providing dance classes, enabling access for all. We are embracing our commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in dance, by working to support you to broaden access to dance and dance teaching by identifying and addressing the barriers that might be hindering students from accessing classes. We want to create resources for you to use to support the campaign and directly increase your business. Our campaign will not only help ensure your businesses survive following the Covid pandemic but will help them to thrive.
Our campaign will fall into three distinct phases: 1. Initial research and strategy creation We need to know more about your businesses, your students and the areas you work in, so that we can better tailor and create opportunities to generate new business for you, with tools and resources aimed at the public, gyms, schools, parents, community groups, out of school clubs, doctors’ surgeries and wellness centres. Look out for our survey and have your say.
2. Sourcing, interviewing and filming for testimonials and case studies Showing the benefits of dance and teaching dance through compelling real-life stories from you and your students, that will be filmed and play a key part in the campaign activity – from PR and advertising to online and social media activity.
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Mark of quality – stand out from the crowd Make sure you are using the Registered Member logo to promote your status as a qualified dance teacher. If you are an Approved Dance Centre, there is a logo for you too. You can download these assets, as well as some social media assets to promote that you are proud to be an ISTD member here: www.istd.org/my-istd/ promote-your-business/logos
Above Chance to Dance (see page 9)
3. National campaign activity falls into two areas: A. Business Recovery Support Tools We will support members, providing business and marketing materials to help dance teachers survive and thrive with: • Creation of valuable business resources for members such as guides and templates • Professionally designed and editable marketing resources – such as letters of introduction for schools and surgeries, posters, flyers, social media assets • Promotion of why students should be using an ISTD teacher and how to find one – linking to the Registered member and Approved Dance Centre logos • Member communications and training to explain the resources and how to use them
B. A national Campaign to raise the profile of dance We aim to capture the hearts and minds of the public and raise the profile of dance nationally and regionally. Promoting why one should use an ISTD teacher and driving people to the Find a Dance Teacher website. The Find a Dance Teacher website is undergoing a transformation to bring the site into the ISTD brand, and most importantly, improving the search functionality and usability for members and students. The national campaign will use the testimonial and case studies to create a campaign: • Showcasing that dance is for everyone – it’s fun, social and healthy • Addressing the impact of Covid – anxiety and mental health • Engaging the public, schools, community groups, health trusts and local councils • Using real, compelling and engaging case studies to show the impact and reach of dance
We aim to capture the hearts and minds of the public and raise the profile of dance nationally and regionally.
While the national campaign is focused on the UK, we hope the materials and tools developed will be relevant to members across the globe. We will be measuring the success of the campaign so we can clearly see its impact on your businesses. For updates on the campaign, please make sure you read our regular e-newsletters. Dance | Issue 495 27
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Feature
Investing in your own development Planning your career progression with our higher dance teaching qualifications.
W
ith an increasing trend amongst employers requesting progressively higher qualifications in all industries, there has never been a better time to consider developing your career and knowledge as a dance teacher. More and more higher teaching qualifications have moved to online and remote delivery, making access to a broader range of courses easier than ever before.
I gained confidence in my work, knowledge and ability and was invited onto the teaching teams for both faculties. Libby Newton
Deciding which path to take to gain higher qualifications can be confusing as there are many courses offered by various organisations with each programme having its own emphasis and focus. When trying to understand which course is best for you, it’s usually best to start with your end goal and work back. So, the first step is to think about what it is you want to achieve. You may want to do a higher qualification to generally increase your skills and knowledge and to keep yourself updated, or you may have a specific idea of what you would like to accomplish longer term in mind. Either way, you should start with asking yourself some important questions to refine your ideas and find the right course for you. For example, do you want to teach in the private or public/community sector, or both? What genre do you want to teach? Or perhaps it’s a more generalised teaching qualification that you are after so that you can teach in a range of settings? Do you want to be able to teach in state schools or universities? Do you want to become an examiner or a principal of a private dance school? These questions will help you to focus your course searches and give you the results that you are looking for from a teaching qualification. Once you have narrowed your search, the next step is to look at the course detail. Is the course full-time or does it have part-time options? How long does the course take and how flexible is it? Is it delivered as intensive study periods or is it continuous throughout a year? People taking higher teaching qualifications are often mature learners, so giving thought to how you will fit everything in
will ensure that you are able to maintain a positive work-life balance. These questions will also help you to consider the logistics of how you will study, giving you the chance to visualise what your life will look like when you are studying and training. Giving thought to how you learn and what you need to keep you motivated is also very important. Do you want to be learning online, or do you prefer in-person and in-studio delivery? If you prefer in-person learning, can you access the location for the course’s delivery? What is your preferred balance of practical and academic work? Are the assessments practically based or written? Once you have answered these questions, you should be able to find courses that give you what you need and allow you to extend your knowledge and skills to a higher level.
The better you are trained, the better you teach. Sherna Sorabji, FISTD
Lifelong education and career development are at the heart of the ISTD’s mission to broaden dance education for all. This commitment to continuous learning has led to the development of a range of qualifications that allow dance teachers to make sure they are able to work towards their goals whilst keeping current and inspired. Our graduates have gone onto various roles within both the private and public sectors as specialist dance teachers, lecturers, schoolteachers, freelance creative roles, school managers and ISTD Approved Dance Centres. As an internationally recognised awarding body, the ISTD qualifications focus on the development of high quality teaching and learning, providing skills for a range of unique and diverse employment opportunities.
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The ISTD currently has 3 higher teaching qualifications
1
Level 6 Diploma in Dance Pedagogy (DDP) is a regulated dance teaching qualification that provides dance teachers and professional dancers with a programme that builds on their previous training, knowledge, and experience. This course is underpinned by the Professional Standards for teachers, tutors and trainers in England and as such, the qualification covers the requirements of the Level 5 Diploma in Education and Training (DET), enabling graduates to apply for Qualified Teacher status (QTLS) through the Society for Education and Training (SET). The DDP is non-genre specific and supports teachers in a wide range of contexts and styles. Progression On achieving the DDP, graduates are awarded Full Teaching membership of the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing. If graduates are resident in the UK or Europe, they are eligible to apply to become an Approved Dance Centre (ADC) or to become a recognised tutor with an ADC. All DDP graduates can also apply to study for a Fellowship, the highest qualification within the ISTD.
“As a teacher I believe it has enriched my knowledge from a more academic point of view. I also feel more prepared when teaching teachers, and it has been of great use for teaching in state schools.”
2
3
Licentiate develops advanced teaching skills and knowledge of the ISTD syllabi within the chosen genre, allowing teachers to demonstrate their experience. The Licentiate is an unregulated qualification that is the recognised higher teaching qualification for ISTD teachers working throughout the world.
Fellowship is the highest teaching qualification offered by the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing. It builds further on the skills and experience gained through the Licentiate qualification and develops highly advanced teaching skills and knowledge of the genre specific syllabi. Progression After successful completion, holders of the Fellowship qualification can apply to train as an examiner for the relevant Faculty.
Progression After successful completion, candidates are eligible to apply for Full membership of the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing and are eligible to enter candidates for examinations, in both theatre dance and dancesport genres. Licentiate holders are eligible to apply to become an Approved Dance Centre (ADC) or to become a recognised tutor with an ADC. For those wishing to progress onto the DDP, holding the Licentiate qualification exempts teachers from Unit 4.
“I think it’s important to always keep learning and moving forward, the Fellowship training in itself is hugely rewarding as a teacher, so to achieve the exam on top really feels like a huge achievement.” Louise Mellin, FISTD, MT, TD
“I actively recommend Licentiate and Fellowship to industry performers as a way of refining their teaching practice and gaining a professional qualification.”
“The Fellowship gave me higher standing, especially among newer teachers, and much greater knowledge of the subject. It built confidence as proof of my ability as a teacher and hugely as a personal achievement.”
James Butcher, FISTD, ARAD
Carole Watson, FISTD, LDDP, Examiner
Yolande Parkin FISTD
Prospec Your jour n
tus 21/22
ey throug h dance
i For further information on all these courses please visit the website and download the ISTD teaching qualifications prospectus: www.istd.org/teach/ make-dance-teaching-your-career. For course enquiries please email: hqualifications@istd.org ISTD Pros
pectus 21/2
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Business
Relight the fire We look at ways to re-ignite your students’ passion for dance.
I
t goes without saying that finding new ways to re-engage young dancers post-Covid is a challenge. Dance students may be suffering from a loss of stamina, a shorter attention span and the need for reassurance. As their teachers, we must try to find ways to remind our students of what they have always loved about dance, to rekindle the enjoyment and sense of wellbeing, to re-build self-confidence, stamina and technique, and to focus on the benefits of engagement, successes and personal achievements. One way this could be achieved is through the consideration of our complementary broader exam portfolio and the many shorter, non-regulated qualifications that students could enter for quicker successes and reassurance, whilst continuing to work towards the longer accredited qualifications. Examples of these are below.
We must focus on the benefits of engagement, successes and personal achievements. Right Some of our new-look dancesport medals
Sample selection of ISTD non-regulated qualifications Imperial Classical Ballet Faculty Class exams can be taken in tandem with grades or as a stand-alone Whilst they were primarily designed for recreational students, they can really support progression in vocational grades as these exams emphasise artistry and musicality. We are running refresher courses in class exams this spring and summer. Class exams start at Pre-Primary and go through to Class Exam 8. They were created to fit alongside the grades and supplement students’ learning, or as an alternative to grade exams. The differences and benefits are as follows. The teacher accompanies the students into the exam and instructs them throughout. This is compulsory for the lower levels and optional for higher levels. This can make the exam experience like a regular class and may help put students at ease. It is a very good way to introduce students to exams and many schools choose this option, studying Pre-Primary or Primary class examination, before entering for a Primary Grade exam. Students are entered for exams in
groups of four, and the ISTD fees are lower than for the grade exams. The supplement for studio hire, music operator or pianist costs can be spread over more students. All exercises are set so there is no free work given by the examiner. The percentage of marks awarded for technique is less than the equivalent grade exam. Marks are awarded for the mime and music section (up to CE2) and interaction between dancers in their group enchaînement, as well as performance and response. Character work is included in the higher levels, which creates opportunities for dancers to express different styles. Characteristics of folk and national dance are often integral to much classical ballet repertoire, alongside partner and group work. There is plenty of opportunity for students to be expressive, with a dance choreographed by the teacher, a group mime, and group enchaînement with simple steps in patterns. In class examinations 7 and 8 students can perform a piece of their own choreography.
Tap Faculty Bronze, Silver and Gold awards These awards were created to promote an appreciation and enjoyment of tap dance, through both understanding and performance. Whilst the syllabus is designed to be used by those who wish to study tap dance for recreational purposes, it can perfectly augment the training of the student who may wish to pursue a career in dance. The dance vocabulary is aligned with the various graded and vocational levels.
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Since returning to the studios after Covid restrictions, the class examinations and medal tests may be a popular choice for many schools as dancers get back to full training and their confidence builds.
i Modern Theatre Faculty Primary class exam and the bronze, silver and gold jazz awards The class exam provides the building blocks of movement and performance for the grade work through an exciting and creative class. The three jazz awards promote an appreciation and enjoyment of jazz dance, by developing the skills and understanding of varying styles in an expressive and artistic way. The work is fun and stimulating and incorporates dance vocabulary that aligns perfectly with the grade syllabus, encouraging a wide range of rhythms and music. Courses are being designed for this year that look specifically at how teachers can use these syllabi in classwork, to support and encourage individuality and expressive skills in our young dancers.
Dancesport Medal tests Members are eligible to enter pupils for our medals and awards in the full range of ISTD dancesport genres. These medal tests are a valuable part of your pupil’s dance journey, developing technique, musicality, quality of movement and showing passion and enjoyment for the chosen dance style. Whatever the level – beginner or more experienced dancer – your pupils can take part. Read more about our new-look medals on page 56.
In our Spring Programme (4–22 April 2022) We are offering online courses, such as the following for Imperial Classical Ballet: 04 Apr Early years focus on non-syllabus ideas and refresher of Pre-Primary class examination syllabus with Joanne Fletcher 06 Apr Focus on Primary Class and Standard 1 class examinations with Joanne Evans 22 Apr Focus on class examinations 2 and 3 with Maddy Jacques There will be more higher levels available for you to refresh and learn during our summer programme, see www.istd.org/events
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Membership matters
Log in to our Member Area today to re-watch the talks in full and browse vital resources provided by our guests. Keep an eye out for some exciting guest speakers throughout the rest of 2022. www.istd.org/ membershipmatters
Lucy McCrudden, Founder of Dance Mama
‘Membership Matters’ events Last year, we introduced our ‘Membership Matters’ events, monthly webinar meetings with special guest speakers. Our aim was to create a forum for discussion, talking about topics and issues that impact dance teachers, their businesses, and their wellbeing.
In March 2021, Kenneth Olumuyiwa Tharp CBE kicked us off with a talk on making dance an inclusive and welcoming art form for everyone. Drawing on his experiences, Kenneth shared his personal reflections on some of the issues at play in the dance industry and covered some of the key points of awareness. In May, we were joined by Natasha Britton and Erica Moshman from Parable Dance, an organisation that provides inclusive dance training and workshops for people with disabilities. In ‘Addressing Inclusion and Access in Dance’, we discussed accessibility in dance classes and heard practical tips
around communication, access, adapting movement, performance and progression. June saw former dancer, psychotherapist, and counsellor Terry Hyde approach mental health and what it means, equipping us with simple tools to use to support ourselves and others in our practice. Multi-talented actor, dancer and West End star Layton Williams joined us in July, discussing his dance training, varied musical theatre and TV career, and the opportunities and challenges that he faced along the way. Later in the year, we welcomed Joyce Gyimah-Distefano, Co-Founder of Black
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Jessica Allen
Janine Bryant
Joyce Gyimah-Distefano
Terry Hyde
Dr Peter Lovatt
Anna Olejnicki
Kenneth Olumuyiwa Tharp CBE
Dr Susan Tasker
Layton Williams
The events cover a range of versatile topics and give attendees the opportunity to ask questions, gaining knowledge on a broad range of subjects from influential industry experts.
Artists in Dance. Joyce looked at how teachers can approach and celebrate diversity in their dance environments, continuing some of the conversations that came up in our Talking Dance: Improving Racial Equity symposium earlier in 2021 (www.istd.org/talkingdance). Other visitors and topics include ‘How dance and movement can reenergise people in a variety of ways’ with Psychologist Dr Peter Lovatt, ‘Supporting Pre and Postnatal Women in Dance’ With Founder of Dance Mama Lucy McCrudden, ‘The Ageing Process and the Impact it has on Range of motion (ROM)’ with Janine Bryant of Safe in Dance
Natasha Britton (left) and Erica Moshman (right) from Parable Dance
International, and ‘Mental health and the risk of burnout when being a dance teacher’ with Dr Susan Tasker, Professor at the University of Victoria, Canada. Most recently, professional performer Jessica Allen joined us in February to share her lived experience concerning the treatment of trans and non-binary individuals in our society as well as the world of dance. Don’t miss our ‘Trans Awareness: The Basics' course led by Gendered Intelligence in May (www.istd.org/trans-awareness). As this issue goes to press, Artistic Director of Hype Dance Anna Olejnicki is visiting to talk about broadening
access to dance through sport. Anna is also running a practical CPD course on 10 April, looking at how to use sport as a creative tool for dance: www. istd.org/sport-as-a-creative-tool Our Membership Matters events are organised by our Education and Training team. Free for members, the events cover a range of versatile topics and give attendees the opportunity to ask questions and gain knowledge on a broad range of subjects from influential industry experts.
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Membership matters
Our priority for the coming year will be to continue to support you and your businesses.
More member benefits We hope you have renewed your membership into 2022 to keep all the benefits on offer. Our priority for the coming year will be to continue to support you and your businesses. We will be launching an improved Find a Dance Teacher website, practical tools, and resources to help you promote your business and encourage students to take examinations, and we will be bold advocates in promoting the benefits of dance to new audiences.
Partners Our corporate partners are brilliant resources for running any company, equipping you with tools that allow your business to thrive the way it deserves to. As an ISTD member, you can enjoy a range of discounts and benefits to help your business run smoothly. To learn more, visit www.istd.org/partners
Update your details Make sure all your details are up to date, including your DBS certificate information. If you do not have a certificate in place, you can apply through Due Diligence Checking (ddc.uk.net). Find out more here www.istd.org/DDC If you have any additional questions about your Membership, please contact the team Monday to Friday, 9–5pm. membership@istd.org +44 (0)207 377 1577
DanceBiz DanceBiz is the perfect tool for dance teachers who struggle with streamlining their business admin. We know that, as rewarding as being a dance teacher is, some days it simply doesn’t feel as if there enough time to do it all. DanceBiz will help you to manage your class bookings, management and admin. As a Society member, you’ll receive a 14-day free trial PLUS your first month
free – and you’ll also get a special discount on their text messaging service, to test out whether the software is right for you. Visit https://bit.ly/DanceBiz or email info@ thinksmartsoftware.co.uk to get started.
Hospital and Medical Care Association (HMCA) Are you paying too much for your present private medical plan? HMCA offer discounted rates for your medical plans, dental plan, hospital cash plans, travel plan, income protection and vehicle breakdown products. You can transfer to HMCA at any age and without a medical examinaton, offering a medical plan with a 40% discount for ISTD members. There is also a 14-day money-back guarantee. Find out more at www.hmca.co.uk/istd
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Graduation Ceremony 2022 Thursday 27 – Friday 28 October Royal Geographical Society, London
For more information graduation@istd.org We are excited to confirm the return of the annual ISTD Graduation Ceremony. This event is a celebration of all the achievements of our graduate teachers, Imperial Award winners, and members. All teachers who have completed or will complete an initial or higher qualification between January 2020 – Summer 2022 will receive an invitation in due course.
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International update
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Astrid Sherman International Representative for North America
North America Astrid Sherman showcases a new business pas de deux.
asherman@istd.org
Canada’s Ballet Bloch dances with North Shore Academy of Dancing into a new decade of community collaboration and exploring diversity. These two Vancouver based Canadian schools share how a community-thinking collaboration and fusion of diversity under one roof has created a more sustainable and dynamic business model for both enterprises. Both schools individually offered ISTD examinations as core foundational technical training with Ballet Bloch Canada (director, TracyLea Bloch) focusing on Classical and Contemporary Ballet and the Imperial Classical Ballet qualifications, while the North Shore Academy of Dancing (NSAD under Dylan Steyns) is more industry-based with Hip Hop, Jazz and Broadway styles of dance offered the Modern Theatre qualifications. In 2017 Tracy-Lea wanted to create a more community-based Nutcracker that would attract a more diverse audience. “I had always admired Dylan’s hip-hop groups and choreography, so I approached him – he loved the idea!”. The two directors went to work on how to integrate ballet and hip hop and created a ‘Battle Scene’ with soldiers en-pointe and rats in sneakers. “It certainly brought an exciting vibe to a new Nutcracker that has a bit of a beat” says Tracy-Lea. Asked how mixing the genres made this collaboration a success, Tracy-Lea commented that: “The most amazing thing that transpired was the connection amongst our young dancers who came from different dance backgrounds.” Friendships flourished as students discovered they knew each other from school or the community. “Our best memory was gazing down the hallway at the theatre and seeing
Above Dylan Steyns (left) and Tracey-Lea Bloch (right)
all our kids interacting: chatting, helping and supporting each other during dress rehearsal – that’s when we knew for certain we were a good fit!” After collaborating in various performances for three years, Tracy-Lea and Dylan recognised that coming together in one shared location in 2020 could further strengthen their collective voice. As discussions had begun well before Covid struck, Tracy emphasised that Covid did not necessitate this union, but rather it helped navigate the pandemic. “We were already embarking on a new venture together, so were more open to accepting how our new business model would need to take shape.” Dylan confessed that this wasn’t easy. There was constant adapting both to how classes were offered and how they were
taught. He says the technology involved with computers, online classes, cameras, lighting, streaming was expensive and extensive. Both felt the biggest Covid challenge was how to keep the dancers engaged and for the parents to value what they are offering. A Blackbox Theatre was created within their studios with theatre lighting and proper camera gear. With this shared investment, they were able to provide some normality for the dancers and keep showing their families and community the excitement of the arts during such difficult times. Dylan adds: “We learned how to engage in more creativity within the studio and digitally; we became more artistic, within ourselves and our community, we used all avenues and essentially our partnership has come out stronger.”
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The most amazing thing that transpired was the connection amongst our young dancers who came from different dance backgrounds. Both Tracy-Lea and Dylan feel now, that with working under one roof the most beneficial change is the dynamics from within their shared communities. With the professionalism and hard work of ballet and the intense dedication needed for industry-dance, each community now sees and respects the focus and passion of the other. Tracy-Lea comments how, “we are seeing this beautiful blend of support, friendship, and community united.” When I asked how they managed to keep their separate identities whilst flourishing from the unity, both spoke of respect, admiration, trust and common values. Tracy-Lea said both her and Dylan have very strong visions for their individual schools yet admire each other’s design. “It was clear from the start that we were not trying to merge schools, rather to create the possibility to coexist and support one another.” Dylan in return said that they both knew that by being open and honest with each other, together they could both achieve their individual visions.
Special report from Mexico Militzen Yuen has learnt a lot about inclusive dance from teaching her student Nicolle. For me it has been an incredible and enjoyable experience to have inclusive dance enhance my teaching skills. I have had an enriching opportunity to guide my student Nicolle who has Down’s syndrome and had thrombosis as a very young age, which affected her left leg. She came to me three years ago at the age of 17. She is a delight to have in class and is very interactive with the rest of the class. She is gifted musically and has an excellent memory and can now jump and turn on her own. My biggest challenge as a teacher was including her into class with the other students. A year and a half ago I attended a course given by the ISTD in inclusive dance, which helped me quite a bit and I have also reached out to teachers who specialise in inclusive dance. We had a virtual festival at Lomas Studio, and Nicolle was able to participate, showing her happy enthusiasm. It was an enlightening experience for her classmates, the parents, and for me as a teacher. Dance is for all; it can open a world of peace and happiness.
Militzen Yuen is a ballet and modern theatre dance teacher, working at Lomas Studio, Plaza Carso, Mexico City. She is head of RAD Ballet and ISTD Modern Theatre and Contemporary Dance. Lomas Studio, which started 50 years ago, has a swimming pool for students with special needs and offers a wide range of classes including music therapy for children with autism spectrum disorder. The Studio’s goal is the wellbeing of their students of all ages and nationalities.
Left A flyer for Lomas Studio’s production of Alice in Wonderland featuring Nicolle
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International update ~ continued
Jess Walker
Australasia
International Representative for Australasia
Jess Walker looks at how we move dynamically forward.
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jwalker@istd.org
Whether it happens by chance or circumstance forces it upon us, change is inevitable. While they say that a change is as good as a rest, it can be daunting and hard to implement. We can all probably agree that Covid has taught us to adapt to a new landscape quickly and in ways that had never crossed our minds. But we have all had to do it to keep our businesses viable, to keep dance alive and to keep progressing forward into a new way of life.
With students doing Zoom all day for school, they were ‘Zoomed out.’ The first obvious adaptation was moving to online dance classes. This was new and a way of teaching that most of us had not encountered before. Teaching classes of all ages, taking professional development courses and even streaming live professional events – everything moved online. Who would have thought it possible? But we are dancers, and we know hard work, so we dug in and made it happen. If we didn’t, we would not have survived. In speaking to many teachers in the region, even once we returned to faceto-face classes, it was an environment unlike before Covid. Small adaptations of one-way systems so that groups did not cross over between classes, sanitising in
and out of the studio and social distancing became the norm. We have mused that even our teaching methodologies have had to change. Dance and the teaching of it is a physical art form. We have all always used physical correction with our students – no matter the age. But in an era where distance must be maintained and contact is a big no-no, we have all had to learn to use our words more effectively than before. We have become more descriptive, with stronger analogies as we must create the feeling for the students without physical contact – different from how we were taught. And that is a good thing – we are becoming strong teachers. The restrictions in every region regarding Covid have also forced some very creative solutions. One teacher in New Zealand explained that for a long period of time exercise groups were able to meet outdoors only. So, the studio picked itself up and moved entirely to the local park. It certainly was a new
The studio picked itself up and moved entirely to the local park. experience to have to put sunblock on to go to work as a dance teacher. Students were dancing in sunhats, sunglasses, sneakers or barefoot on the grass and it was fabulous. It certainly was a better option for the students, teachers, and the studio’s viability to teach this way, rather than prolonged time on Zoom. With students doing Zoom all day for school, they were ‘Zoomed out’, lost
Above and right Ballet in the park dancers
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Chua Zjen Fong International Representative for Asia chua@istd.org
concentration and therefore interest. This option gave them sunshine, fresh air and a sense of normality to be in their regular classes. It was truly inspiring to see adaptation at its finest. All in all, we have learnt that we absolutely cannot be stuck in our ways, we must look to make things better, to improve, to be more sustainable to meet the demands of the current society – whether it is pandemic restrictions or just the youth of today. We should think outside the box. And we must know that just because things have always been done a certain way, does not mean that we should stick with it, or that method will be available in the future. We must challenge ourselves to grow, to question and to keep moving forwards.
Asia Chua Zjen Fong asks how we can ensure the sustainability of a dance school.
Without doubt, the pandemic had affected every single sector in the economy. With the roll out of the vaccines, some businesses are slowly making a comeback while some aren’t. What about the dance industry? Many organisations and dance teachers have embraced virtual classes and examinations as part of the ‘new normal’. Physical classes have resumed in some countries and some are still taking place remotely. But what if another pandemic like this were to happen again in the future? Can our current business models sustain us after the damage that Covid has inflicted? Is relying heavily on physical classes future proof, or is it a thing of the past? Some dance teachers have created mobile apps for dance classes to be made accessible anywhere in the world at a minimal cost. But what about the rest of us who are not tech savvy and don’t have the budget for developing a mobile app? If only there were an app like Airbnb that dance teachers could use to host their dance lessons. Studios who focused only on performances or competitions prepandemic had all their classes stopped, and suffered too because of the change in consumer behaviour, with some choosing not to resume dance lessons due to the prolonged time away from the practice. Others have chosen to opt for a more sustainable business model, where 50% of revenue is focused on remote classes. This could reduce the damage if another wave of pandemic were to hit us, and it is then easy for students who attend physical classes to temporarily transfer to remote classes, while waiting for the recovery. However, there is no doubt that standard operating procedures must be
planned properly before executing remote class programmes. Teachers may have a hard time delivering certain content, but this can be achieved if proper procedures are set in place. For example, teachers can now record videos of dance moves in two or four different directions, with counting, allowing them to physically make note of the figures, name of dance, level and more. These media files can be shared to a safe platform, such as a Facebook private group, where only students of that class have access to them. There are many other ways to sustain your dance business, some more advanced which require financial investment, and some that are free, which may take a little time to get used to. Whatever you choose, planning your dance business sustainability is key.
Offering dance examinations is one of the key factors that is helping dance business owners to survive the pandemic. Dance | Issue 495 39
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International update ~ continued
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Delia Sainsbury International Representative for Africa and the Middle East dsainsbury@istd.org
Africa and the Middle East Delia Sainsbury encourages us to focus on reinvention, engagement and collaboration.
Dance teachers and practitioners throughout the world have experienced an incredibly difficult two years. Responses to the pandemic have been varied, and it is interesting to observe the schools, companies and organisations in the South African and UAE regions that have not only thrived but regenerated, and those that have only just survived or even closed. For several dance educators, companies and schools the concern is how they sustain a business at all, and how they view their business model. I looked at my own college and carefully considered how we had survived and how I had to fight to sustain the Waterfront Theatre School as a business as well as a vocation and passion. I have a permanent staff of 17 teachers, two administrators and 7 security/domestic staff. We did not receive the financial assistance from
government that was enjoyed in the UK or parts of Europe. After talking to many practitioners, I realised that those who are surviving may have several factors in common – reinvention, engagement, increasing skills, and collaboration. Without reinvention, dance teachers might find themselves teaching the same genres in the same way for many years. Covid has forced us to be engaged in a competitive market, so we need to up our game. In the case of my own college, we had already introduced the street dance syllabus and we then embarked on the contemporary dance syllabus. In the drama department, we introduced acting for film and television. To have a sustainable career as an actor, the ability to self-tape and acquire the necessary skills is now crucial. Most of the work being offered was for Netflix and other channels, as theatres were, and
Absolute engagement with your target markets is crucial. largely are, closed. Dance auditions too are now largely being done by way of a showreel, and sent to the choreographer. Knowing how to advise your students in this new world is crucial, and we as a staff had to upskill ourselves in many areas. Engagement with your students and parents has been important. Nicki Rayepen, who was trained at WTS, now has a thriving school in Port Elizabeth, our first really established ISTD school in the Eastern Cape. She opened her school during Covid and it is going from strength to strength. I quote Nicki: “Absolute engagement with your target markets is crucial. I advocate a combined model of seeing talent through to industry level, making sure your business has a strong financial foundation, and being very active in your local dance community. I teach both physically and online and take advantage of all learning channels in order to continually upskill as a teacher. I collaborate with other teachers, and I am actively involved in festivals. I have never choreographed so much on Zoom!” Nicki also showcases her students for promotions in shopping malls and in festivals to keep the profile high. Dirk Badenhorst who is the Director of Mzanzi Ballet Company and training
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Below left Waterfront Theatre School Below Nicki Rayepen's studio Right Mzanzi Ballet Company
school, has also had a most difficult few years. Dirk is a great innovator and created the South African Ballet Competition, which now attracts entrants worldwide. Dirk believes that in order for a studio to be competitive, the training of teachers to a level of excellence is paramount. He says: “A teacher needs to be continually creating new shows, keeping up with the latest trends in dance and again collaborating with supporters. In Africa, the challenge is to continually find ways to include and train our previously disadvantaged communities whilst maintaining a business model.” This is where sponsorship becomes crucial. Sponsorship has always been a challenge and collaboration with big business is often necessary to obtain funding for individual training. For WTS, I personally approach a sponsor to see one student through their training, rather than try for a lump sum, which assists many but can then be withdrawn. It is often surprising the number of businesses that will assist in your community. There’s no harm in asking with a good motivational letter. It can also assist with their tax in some cases. For a different approach, I asked Minette Landman, the owner of Rhythmic
Arts Academy in Durban, how she has managed to not only sustain, but grow her studio in these very difficult times. Minette expressed her opinion as follows: “In the business of teaching children, the level of satisfaction per income stream is determined by both the parents/guardians and the child. This can also be extended to a third party should the tuition be sponsored. If you do not identify the problem or potential problem, you will have a low student retention. Once a teacher becomes really engaged with her students and fully understands their background, you are creating a high level of retention.” Minette believes that a careful analysis of the child should be made before categorising them as a high or low retention student. If a child is a late bloomer, or has difficulty picking up syllabus or choreography, the teacher should make provision in a different class or more personalised approach to the child. In other words, engagement is the key to show to the parent that every child is individual and important. Remember that statistically, 80% of
your income is generated by 20% of your loyal customer base. Minette quotes a Forbes article from May 2021, which stated that ‘transparency is no longer an option, it’s a must.’ With this in mind she offers an observation class for the parents at the end of the term to see and discuss progress. She ensures that both the parent/guardian, the dancer and the teacher are all on the same page regarding realistic goals and avoid unnecessary expenses. In other words, keep those lines of communication open. She also presents showcases of work on a regular basis. Whether a recreational or vocational teacher, a full time college or a dance company, the entrepreneurial teacher sees their dance school as a business and not a hobby. There is a continuous desire to upskill, create and embrace new challenges. Easier said than done when we are all in danger of having our business closed at the drop of a hat, or our hours and number of students restricted. We must remember that as a dance studio or company we are creating a brand. So don’t wait – innovate! Dance | Issue 495 41
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International update ~ continued
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Carole Ann Watson International Representative for Europe cwatson@istd.org
Europe Carole Watson looks at the value of collaboration for building a bright and inclusive future.
The last two years have been challenging for us all. Many businesses have suffered due to the pandemic and people worldwide – from all generations – have been fighting to come through successfully. Dance teacher Simona Carofiglio and her family run a Masseria didattica e fattoria sociale, a large farm with educational and social purposes. Their farm is in the charming Apulian countryside, Southern Italy, and for many years they have partnered with a juvenile prison, helping reintegrate prisoners, former prisoners on probation, and disadvantaged people into society. During the pandemic, Simona and her colleague were given a unique, opportunity to teach dance inside the prison walls.
Above Simona Carofiglio
Simona described this unique experience: “I felt a strong desire to try a new experience with a strong emotional impact that would give me new stimuli and somehow test my ability to adapt my teaching approach to non-standard situations. “I had the opportunity to teach dance at the Fornelli Juvenile Detention Centre in Bari. Motivation, needless to say, plays a fundamental role but once I started teaching I totally forgot that I was inside a prison. I was welcomed with respect by everyone and felt their willingness to collaborate, so much so that I could connect with them. Inside there, for one hour no one felt judged by anyone, not even me. “This experience allowed me, in one go, to get to know a reality that was totally unknown to me, to share my world, to be a source of motivation for someone who decided to put themselves to the test by trusting me, with the desire to learn from each other. And last but by no means least, I needed them. “I was aware that I could not upset their routine, yet – with imagination, empathy, humanity – I could find a narrow path to start a new journey together; that of trusting someone and feeling able to do things. “It would be useful to give each prisoner the means to see the world differently and (re)discover their dignity as persons. “I deeply believe that this path should be done not only inside a prison but especially outside, as we live in a sterile society in which judgments, pressures, ephemeral relationships flourish. We live in a sick society only because we are no longer able to imagine a new one. We don’t even give less fortunate people the chance to mingle with us. We leave
During the pandemic, Simona and her colleague were given a unique opportunity to teach dance inside the prison walls. them to themselves, abandoned and marginalised. I have understood how much each of us can play a fundamental role in life, and how often we are not able to value life by protecting or helping those who perhaps are a little less fortunate. “It may seem crazy and paradoxical, but I felt safe and useful in there. “Today I am aware that dance is about unity, sharing, and beauty even when all seems lost. Dance is art and, like all art forms, it should not be seen as something being there for its own sake; it would be limiting it, reducing it. Dance is a universal language capable of conveying emotions and messages. Dance means society, culture, integration, communication, and – in my experience – a sound way to create bonds and connections where confinement is real, evident, and perfectly ordinary.” Dance as a means to help inmates (re)discover their dignity, reintegrate them into society and change their lives forever – what a powerful thought. Such an empowering takeaway for all dance teachers. I am grateful to Simona for sharing this unique and inspiring experience with us.
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Focus On
Cecchetti Classical Ballet Moving forward after lockdown – where do we go from here? Committee member Julie Cronshaw spoke to ISTD members Sarah Du Feu, Kate Simmons and Angelina Spurrier. Over the past two years, countless dance teachers across the country and in most countries across the world, have had to change how and where they teach to adapt to the various global restrictions. Online classes have developed from a relatively unknown quantity to a welcome addition to a dancer’s training, providing an economic lifeline to teachers when their studio classes could not take place. Now that live classes have resumed for many, the online portals have not disappeared and, where it is impossible to travel to attend a class in person, these options continue to offer a workable alternative. One of the benefits of being able to hold online classes is to link up with fellow Cecchetti teachers across the world, to continue ongoing professional development and exchange ideas. For example, the online Cecchetti Summer School reached students and teachers from America to Japan, and access to hybrid courses (in-person and online) is set to continue throughout the year. Then, in December 2021, KS Dance invited teachers to watch the Cyril Beaumont Scholarship via an online portal if they could not attend in person. As we celebrate the centenary of the Cecchetti Society in 2022, we can 44 Dance | Issue 495
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Philippa McMeechan Head of Faculty Development for Cecchetti Classical Ballet cecchetti@istd.org
Far Left Sarah du Feu in action Left Angelina Spurrier on Zoom from home with her daughter
now connect and share the innumerable facets of this wonderful method with our fellow teachers more easily than ever. I felt readers would be interested to learn how some of our members, who run their own dance schools, have moved on following the disruptions of the past two years. Sarah du Feu and Angelina Spurrier describe their online projects and Kate Simmons, director of KS Dance, shares her experiences of the past few months and her optimism for the future. Sarah du Feu is an enterprising Cecchetti teacher with an online initiative called The Ballet Coach. She offers online sessions for all ages, from 2 to 92. Sarah explained: “I have danced since I was three years old, so it is thoroughly my passion. Being able to pass on and encourage the joy that dance can bring to people around the world is such a pleasure and something I feel incredibly fortunate to do. “The Ballet Coach online programme is an idea that actually started around four years ago following a conversation with my husband, who had just come to watch me teach our niece who was visiting us for the weekend. She really enjoyed joining in the ballet lesson, though sadly where she lives there isn’t a huge amount of dance classes for her age. Ballet wasn’t an easy option for her without travelling quite a distance every Saturday morning. We knew how brilliant it would be for both parents and children to be able to access a regular, live dance class from the comfort of home, regardless of where in the world they might be. “I always say that as long as you have the ground underneath you, you can dance!” Sarah taught online during the lockdowns, streaming free, live ballet classes via Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. The Ballet Coach online dance membership was launched in
July 2020 to cater for all ages and levels of experience. Dance members receive a variety of new classes taught by Sarah each week, with access to a private Facebook group to share pictures and videos and develop their own dance community. Sarah adds she was happy to see dancers trying out ballet for the first time and for parents to join in with their children at home. Her ethos is that dance should be something fun for everyone to enjoy, no matter what. She commented: “As difficult as the past two years have been, I think we all have to see the positives and know that if we have to, we can still get together, albeit virtually, and dance. Fun music, props we can find around the house and enthusiasm work a treat; ‘What item can you find in your house beginning with the letter P for our pliés?’ was always a winner with my younger students! “Going forward, I plan to continue improving and working hard for The Ballet Coach as well as my own dance school, Du Feu Dance in Woking, aspiring to offer my online members and dance school students the best possible learning experience. Allowing people young and old the freedom to enjoy dance and all it has to offer, including promoting a healthy lifestyle, good posture, flexibility, coordination and above all confidence, is what I strive for.” Angelina Spurrier runs her own dance centre in Docklands at Canada Water, London. She launched an online festival in November 2020 inspired by a two-day event held annually called Festival of the Girl, which her daughter attended. The festival was split into different sections, workshops, speakers, activities and addressed every aspect of the ‘girl’ so it seemed very transferable to ‘every aspect of the dancer’.
Angelina thought that a similar event for Cecchetti pupils would work, too. She says that by the time of the second lockdown in November 2020, online classes were ready to go again, though the next big challenge was to find ways of motivating and inspiring pupils to continue with them. She believed that something special was needed to keep their love of dancing alive during those difficult times and came up with the idea of the Festival of the Dancer. The day after the second lockdown was announced, 25 teachers (mainly Cecchetti-focused) collaborated to create three weeks’ worth of free children’s online sessions which formed part of the festival. Everyone volunteered their time to create 27 half-hour free online workshops, including Ballet and Creative Dance, History of Dance, Boys and Dance, Body Conditioning and interviews with dancers from The Royal Ballet and the Paris Opera. Angelina explained: “We had approximately 800 session participants. We organised this safely and efficiently in under eight days – and we worked fast! The festival sessions were available to the schools who collaborated. We had some wonderful guest presenters, and made festival sessions available to teachers, and pupils, who were unable to teach online due to personal circumstances. “We were absolutely delighted by the response to the event, receiving over 100 truly heart-warming testimonials. I wish we could have extended our festival sessions to a wider audience but with only eight days to develop and launch this initiative, we were limited as to how much we could do”. Whilst it has been challenging for the after-school dance class providers to maintain their businesses over the past two years, there have been at least as many obstacles for full-time colleges. Dance | Issue 495 45
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Cecchetti Classical Ballet ~ continued
ALL GOD'S CREATURES
Sustainable dancewear Helen Banks, Brand Director at Imperfect Pointes Future Friendly Dancewear, shares her top tips on becoming more sustainable.
Kate Simmons tells us how her staff and students are moving forward, particularly after the disruption to the first few months of 2021. She explained: “I was determined that the start of the academic year, September, should run as smoothly as possible. Though we had made the most of performance opportunities, including turning our theatre studio into a ‘studio theatre’, the students and faculty all craved the chance to get back on stage. “The start of any year at KS Dance involves establishing and aligning the students’ placing and technique but when we were told that we could have the Brindley Theatre for hire in the last few days in October, we jumped at the opportunity. We had mothballed La Sylphide in March 2020 and had the production moved three times! It was a huge task to get the students ‘performance-ready’ in seven weeks, with costumes as well.
“Our Juniors were supposed to perform The Willow Pattern at the same time, so they got to dance too… most of the costumes were too small, but Tracey Moss’s determination and clever tweaks made it work! “The past 22 months have been trying and testing times for all of us, changing our studios, making them Covid safe, testing students, putting up with isolating and so on. I could go on! But we must remind ourselves that dance is what we do, it is part of our lives, it is how we survive, it makes us better people. “Let us all try to turn negatives into positives with a can-do, will-do attitude! Keep going, it will come good in the end. Children will always want to learn dance and audiences will always need entertaining. All the best for 2022!”
It has been almost two years since the start of the pandemic, and this forced a huge lifestyle change for many of us. As the mum of an up-and-coming ballerina, I was frustrated that, within the multimillion-pound dancewear industry, very few brands are focusing on sustainability. It may not surprise you to know that the number of garments made from oil-based synthetic fibres has doubled since 2000 (Greenpeace) and that £140m of clothing goes to landfill every year in the UK alone (WRAP). The dancewear industry is largely based on the principles of fast fashion and with high throw out and new collections sold online every week, that is a huge amount towards these statistics. As I was already training to be a sustainability advisor and consultant, I decided to launch my own sustainable ballet wear brand, Imperfect Pointes, in order to make a change. The good news for dancers is that the last few years have seen an explosion in new and exciting dancewear brands focusing on more sustainable options. Within dancewear, it can be a challenge to find the right fabrics to make leotards, unitards, tights or skirts that create less environmental impact and have a lower carbon footprint. Finding durable sustainable fabrics that can stand up to the most rigorous ballet rehearsal means that price can sometimes be perceived as premium. At the same time, dancers are starting to want transparency, and there has been lots in the media about greenwashing – when brands make vague or unsubstantiated claims about their ‘eco-friendly’ practices in the name of selling more products. Furthermore, the concept of ‘sustainability’ encompasses both social and environment aspects and following on from the work of the Black Lives Matter movement, we hope that dancers with black and brown skin tones will see much needed greater inclusion and representation, both on and off stage. After customer feedback and social media
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imperfectpointes.com everything is made using ECONYL. This innovative material is made from recycled plastic waste from landfill, ghost fishing nets and industrial waste. Dansez also use ECONYL for some of their UK made collections and contribute to the Healthy Seas Initiative. • Look online at brands’ sustainability and environmental policies. If the brand doesn’t have much to say, they may not be taking much action.
campaigns, several brands have put greater emphasis on skin toned pointe shoes, such as Freed of London and more recently, a major campaign from Bloch.
We can all change something to help the planet – one leotard at a time. We all know, we can act more responsibly in our daily lives by taking small actions such as switching to metal drinks straws, carrying a reusable coffee cup, and cutting down on our single use plastics. But what can we do to help our students become more proactive in their dancewear choices? Beyond unpicking pointe shoe ribbons and salvaging for the next pair, what else can we do? TOP TIPS Here are a few thought-provoking tips for becoming more sustainable without really having to make much of an effort. • When you’re shopping for dancewear or simply browsing online, ask yourself ‘do I really need this item?’ If you want something, wait 24 hours, and
see if that burning desire to purchase is still lingering! The biggest way to be more sustainable is to cut back. • Spring clean your emails. Unsubscribe to all the fast fashion (fast dancewear) brands you signed up to pre-Christmas. If brands are constantly emailing you with heavily discounted offers, they are unlikely to be built on a sustainable business model. • Invest in dancewear produced in more equitable ways. Look for small or local brands where dancewear is being produced consciously in small batches, made to order, or sewn by the owner themselves. Freda Silk ballet skirts and Designed by Alice make handmade dancewear. • Always check the origin of the dancewear you buy. What country is it made in? Who do you think made the dancewear? The plight of garment workers is often overlooked. If the leotard is cheap, the chances are it was not made by someone receiving a fair wage. Ethical manufacturing is high on the agenda of much-loved label Singapore based Cloud & Victory and Seoul based, SMK.
• Some brands are making commitments to support good causes and charities their customers care about. Yumiko has recently committed to joining www. onepercentfortheplanet.org and giving 1% of profits to this impact organisation. Imperfect Pointes donates £1 per order to Ditch the Label, the youth empowerment and mental health charity. • Choose compostable and biodegradable packaging and mailers. These are increasingly popular, and all of the above brands are making strides in this area. There’s never been a more pressing time to switch to sustainable dancewear. No-one can do everything, but we can all change something to help the planet – one leotard at a time.
Above Left KS Dance production of La Sylphide in October at the Brindley Theatre Above and Right Imperfect Pointes dancers photographed at Victoria Baths, Manchester
• Get used to checking the label to see what your dancewear is made from. The majority of dancewear is made from virgin nylon that comes from fossil fuels. You can find out more at www. fashionrevolution.org plus lots of resources in return for a small donation. • Look for brands using recycled materials. At Imperfect Pointes https:// Dance | Issue 495 47
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Classical Greek Dance
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Pippa Cobbing Head of Faculty Development for Imperial Classical Ballet, Greek and National EG PHOTOGRAPHY
classicalgreek@istd.org
Left Participants of 2019 Ruby Ginner Awards
Broadening access to Classical Greek dance in mainstream education Committee member and ISTD Fellow Lucy Pohl asks: “How do you know if you like something or see its benefits unless you can try it?” Dance is an art form. It can be studied and learned at all levels in education, from early years to vocational level. Classical Greek dance encourages feelings, tells stories, demonstrates strength and power, connects people, celebrates spiritual as well as ritual work, encourages performance and, like art and music, offers individual experiences in a way that words sometimes cannot. Dance is fundamentally linked to our early physical development. Young children naturally experiment with movement and respond to nature and the emotions of the world around them. When introducing Classical Greek dance to new pupils in our dance school, we link these classes to their ballet, modern or tap class as an extra genre of dance to study. More often than not pupils enjoy Classical Greek dance once they start to study the syllabus and continue until vocational level. Pupils often join Classical Greek dance classes after our annual summer showcase having seen the group dances, which display a wide variety of themes and
creative ideas. Classical Greek dance is often included in holiday courses, summer schools and days of dance. Introducing Classical Greek dance into mainstream education provides every child with a wide range of dance experience to raise their awareness that there is more than one way to dance, and that no one method is better than the other. It enables children to see dance is something that anyone can do, but also equips them to understand and appreciate the importance of technique, co-ordination, musicality, and expression that is an integral part of dance and the curriculum. Classical Greek dance has a wealth of cross-curricular links, which makes it ideal for mainstream education, ticking many boxes of the national curriculum simultaneously. Physical education, games, creative arts, history, English, music, biology and even maths can be linked from Early Years to Key Stage 1. Lesson plans need adapting to suit each school’s needs and the use of props to encourage quality of movement is highly recommended if students are lucky enough to have weekly classes. So – how do you know if you like something if you have not seen it? The key is to diversify the settings in which teachers can operate and reach out with their knowledge of Classical Greek
dance. Teachers do not solely need to rely on the health of their own schools. Branching out into mainstream education is not only rewarding but exciting to see how much children enjoy and benefit from Classical Greek dance with all it has to offer.
Introducing Classical Greek dance into mainstream education provides every child with a wide range of dance experience. Dance | Issue 495 49
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Classical Indian Dance
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Lisa Harrison-Jones Head of Faculty Development for Modern Theatre and Classical Indian classicalindian@istd.org ALEKSANDRA WARCHOL
Left Sujata Banerjee Dance Company’s Hemantika Dance Festival, November–December 2021
Dance is my profession Committee member Sujata Banerjee MBE gives her perspective on the value of dance as a career. Just before I had surgery several years ago, the anaesthetist asked me what I did for living. I told her that I was a dance practitioner, to which she scoffed in disbelief by saying, “Dance? Are you serious? Can you make a living from dance?” There are many such ignorant remarks dancers hear throughout their careers – they are generally misguided at best, or spiteful and patronising at worst. The general societal perception of dance is that it is not vocational or skilled enough to be considered a profession. However, people forget that dance careers are multifaceted, deeply rewarding and extremely challenging. The reality is that dance is not a very straightforward profession. In a lot of professional careers, one undertakes a period of education, graduates and applies for a job. Dance careers however,
and particularly Indian dance careers, do not follow a conventional career path – as One Dance UK have highlighted in their extremely useful Guide to Careers in Dance: “Everyone’s route into their dance career is a story in itself.” In addition to having strong dance skills, prospective dancers need to be adventurous, creative (even in how they work), skilful, have strong interpersonal skills, be willing to endure adversity and be adaptable risk-takers. Continuing Professional Development (CPD) really is continuous and a willingness to learn should be a part of a dance practitioner’s DNA. So, dance as a profession may not suit everyone. I have been a teacher for over 40 years and have seen many talented dancers hesitate to embark upon a dance profession because of the perceived lack of opportunities, or because salaries are not competitive with those from other professions. It is a well-known fact that arts budgets are often first to cut by government departments. However, we need to ensure that talent is not lost or dissuaded from entering the profession. Dance may not be the most financially rewarding, but it is one of the most fulfilling professions, in my opinion. It keeps me not just physically engaged but also intellectually challenged with the highest sense of awareness of my surroundings. I am an averagely talented artist, single mother, who landed in a new country in the early 1980s and restarted the profession. If I can sustain this for 40+
years, then anyone can with the right level of persistence and tenacity. I believed in dance and dance trusted me. You get what you put into any profession, and although we are not dancers for personal reward, we should work hard in the pursuit of knowledge, creativity and in the spirit of sharing. It is impossible to quantify the impact of a dance career and it cannot be measured in purely financial terms. I am often reminded of a wellknown quote from Buddha: “Happiness is a journey, not a destination.” Dance is the best journey I could ever have hoped for and has given me more than I ever asked for. Turn to page 20 to read Sujata's advice on building your business.
Dance is the best journey I could ever have hoped for.
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Contemporary Dance
Interview with Luca Silvestrini We caught up with Luca, the Artistic Director of Protein. ALICIA CLARKE
In 1994, while I was studying Performing Arts at the University of Bologna, I received an Erasmus scholarship to carry out research in London for my final dissertation in Dance History. I was already 28, but the vast and vibrant dance sector in London convinced me to give full time training a go before it was too late. The following year, I moved to London and completed a one-year Independent Study Programme at the then Laban Centre (now Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance), which led to me joining their graduate company, Transitions Dance Company. Trinity Laban provided new opportunities enabling me to meet many incredible people, including Lea Anderson, who invited me to join her leading contemporary dance companies The Cholmondeleys and The Featherstonehaughs. Simultaneously my peer, Bettina Strickler, and I created our first duet, Duel, which we premiered at The Place’s 1998 Resolution Festival, marking the beginning of Protein. 52 Dance | Issue 495
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Michaela Stannard Head of Projects and Strategic Events mstannard@istd.org
FOTEINI CHRISTOFILOPOULOU
For a few years, I combined my time as a dancer for The Featherstonehaughs with developing Protein as a company. However, with Protein rapidly growing, it was soon time to focus exclusively on my own work. Bettina and I were excited to create work that people could relate to, that commented on society with an element of satire. At the time, we felt that the British dance scene was quite ‘serious’ and humour could help convey important messages and emotions. We wanted to focus on people’s everyday lives and turn the ordinary into extraordinary work. Following our first two duets, Protein developed into group work, which was well received by promoters and critics alike. In a short space of time, we became an in-demand emerging company both nationally and internationally. Although I started as both maker and performer, as the company grew and Bettina moved on to pastures new, I realised that it was time for me to stop performing. From 2005 I became the sole Artistic Director and choreographer of Protein. In 2012, the company became an Arts Council of England National Portfolio Organisation (NPO) and began a residency at Greenwich Dance at Royal Borough of Greenwich’s Borough Hall. Protein remained based there until the building’s sad closure in 2018. From there, we stayed in the borough and
We believe that dance is a transformative experience that can change lives. Protein’s key ethos is that anyone can participate. moved to University of Greenwich’s Bathway Theatre in Woolwich. Shortly after, it was announced that a new cultural district was to open in Woolwich. As a long-standing Greenwich-based organisation we were invited to become a resident company. Protein decided that this exciting step was worth pursuing and at the end of
2021, the company moved to Woolwich Works in the Royal Arsenal. A beautiful space with incredible facilities, Woolwich Works is fantastic for both the local area and the whole of London. We are delighted to be based there amongst the other resident organisations; Chineke! Orchestra, the National Youth Jazz Orchestra, Punchdrunk and Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair. Now settled in our brand-new home, we are focusing on deepening our connections with local people and places in Greenwich whilst continuing to expand our national and international profile. We are better placed to create opportunities for people to take part in dance and make new work. Being based in such an important place for the arts gives us a sense of validation. How do you engage with the local community? We believe that dance is a transformative experience that can change lives. Protein’s key ethos is that anyone can participate in dance. One of the most essential elements of Protein’s work is the engagement and participatory aspect of each project. The opportunity to build relationships with local communities and connect with its people is important to us and how we work. Ultimately, we want dance, culture and the arts to be accessible to everyone however they choose to engage. Protein has always been interested in connecting with local community dancers and those who are passionate about taking part in dance. We have developed different strands of dance opportunities, such as taking work to different places and working with people in different settings, creating intergenerational works and engaging people from all walks of life. We bring people into the process of creating work from the very start as part of a community of ‘friends’. In En Route, our recent work developed in Woolwich, we created Open Fridays, a day a week dedicated to engaging local people in different ways. A part of the day was a picnic where the ‘friends’ shared their ideas and thoughts on living in Woolwich.
Left En Route performance Dance | Issue 495 53
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Contemporary Dance ~ continued
Protein’s projects have often begun with action research workshops where various groups and individuals join my initial investigation into the work’s themes. I find it incredibly satisfying to have the opportunity to include people when beginning a creative journey. It is vital to first connect and learn from people outside and beyond Protein’s dancers and artists. These participants’ lived experiences bring a huge amount of humanity and plurality of opinions and ultimately impact on the capacity of the final work to reflects people’s lives. Whether they come to see the show or not, these people have helped to create it and this is what we think deep engagement is.
What does it mean to be based at Woolwich Works and what impact has this had on the creative process and sustainability of the company? I see our move to Woolwich Works as an opportunity to both enhance and develop who we are and what we do. To have a home in such an exciting new centre for the arts means we can deepen our roots in the borough, establish new collaborations and develop important new works and projects. It’s a partnership based on supporting each other’s goals with a mutual passion for creating opportunities and cultural experiences to take part in and attend. Our first public performance at Woolwich Works was in December 2021 with our family show The Little Prince and we presented 20 workshops
with local primary schools. We hosted two matinée performances for primary schools in Woolwich and over 900 children came to see the show. Working in partnership with the engagement team at Woolwich Works enabled us to expand our capacity to reach out into the community in a much bigger way than we could have done alone. There is a sense of security in having a home and knowing where our core work base is. We benefit from being together to develop as a team, supporting one another as we grow. The vibrancy and richness of Woolwich Works will have a strong impact on how we progress as a company in the future. Right May Contain Food performance Below The Little Prince performance
MAYA YONCALI
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ALICIA CLARKE
Luca, what advice would you give teachers wanting to source a local regular rehearsal space? I would advise teachers to go and talk to local arts organisations, studios, theatres and community centres and consider what they can offer to them. The venue might have lots of ideas about how their space could be used but might not know how to make that a reality. Often, they are looking for opportunities to connect with people and open the space and you could be exactly what they are looking for. Frequently they have the capacity to support and connect people, so this could benefit both parties. In terms of what to look for in a space: • Always visit and check a space before booking • Daylight is very important in the dance space • Good flooring is vital, and a sprung or semi-sprung floor is ideal • Consider accessibility to ensure everyone can feel invited and not excluded • A warm environment that allows people to feel comfortable and welcome • Consider how people are met when they come into the building. To feel welcomed gives people a sense that they belong in the space
i Luca Silvestrini Luca Silvestrini is founder and Artistic Director of award-winning Protein, one of the most distinctive voices in British dance theatre. He is known for his unique style combining choreography, text, humour and social commentary to present the everyday in revealing and subversive ways, on- and off-stage. Through Protein’s Real Life Real Dance programme Luca has created ground-breaking participatory performance opportunities for disadvantaged and disengaged people in alternative provision schools, care homes, hospitals and refugee centres. He has created large scale intergenerational and participatory productions including the acclaimed (In)visible Dancing. He has won a Jerwood Choreography Award, a Bonnie Bird New Choreography Award, The Place Prize Audience Award and received a Rayne Fellowship. He has recently been awarded the prestigious Premio della Critica by the Italian Associazione Nazionale Critici di Teatro for his work in dance. Protein is a Resident Artistic Company at Woolwich Works and Luca is an Affiliate Artist at The Place. Dance | Issue 495 55
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Disco, Freestyle, Rock n Roll and Street
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Amanda Tapp Head of Faculty Development for Disco, Freestyle, Rock’n’Roll and Street dfr@istd.org
Above A selection of new ISTD medals
The new ISTD awards Our medals were given a fresh new look in September We appreciate how important the Medal Test system is to our teachers and their businesses. As we designed the medals, we also had to carefully consider our carbon footprint and the amount of plastic that was being produced, distributed, and ending in landfill. Do you use the medal tests within your studio? If you are an ISTD member, you are eligible to enter your pupils for the ISTD medals and awards in disco/freestyle, rock n roll, country and western and street dance. We are very proud of the inclusivity that our syllabus has to offer. These medal tests are an invaluable part of your pupil’s dance journey, developing technique, musicality, quality of movement and showing passion and enjoyment for the chosen dance style. We have a variety of levels for our medal tests, so whatever the level – beginner or more experienced dancer – your pupils can take part. Introductory tests: a different ‘colour’ medal for each category along with a different coloured ribbon for each level, suggesting progression and enabling the students to ‘collect’ the different colours. Each centre has the new Society logo, along with the genre that it is relevant to. Bronze, silver and gold medals: for higher examinations and presented in a luxurious velour case, a sophisticated offering, as we move away from plastic trophies. Look out for promotional material we will be providing to help you promote the medal tests in your schools.
Why take an ISTD exam? • Progression – working towards new goals enables your pupils to achieve their true potential through excellent dance training in a safe environment • Achievement – provides your pupils with a sense of pride and the confidence to progress and improve their dancing • Improves technique – each exam level explores the many foundations of dance, which provides your pupils with the strength and ability to progress onto the next stage and realise their individual potential • Rewards – the ISTD medal tests enable your pupils to collect an exciting array of awards that they can proudly display to celebrate their achievements
Above Dancers from Boogie Shoes Dance Academy with their new awards
• Working towards goals – provides focus and promotes a sense of self-achievement and motivation when they are attained • Confidence – developing dance skills and skills for life • Fun! – taking part in exams is exhilarating fun for dancers of all ages. For more information, please email dfr@istd.org
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Imperial Classical Ballet
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Pippa Cobbing Head of Faculty Development for Imperial Classical Ballet, Greek and National imperialballet@istd.org
Above Shirley Agate-Proust
Above Sandi Baca
Above Suzanne Plante
Reflections from North America Imperial Classical Ballet examiners Shirley Agate-Proust from Calgary in Canada, Sandi Baca from Seattle in the USA and Suzanne Plante from Ottowa in Canada, share their perspectives on the impact of technology in supporting our examination activities in a global context. The global Covid pandemic has altered our lives in so many ways (unimaginable even two years ago) and the arts have been dealt a devastating blow. However, being the dynamic, creative forces that we are, we dancers (and indeed so many of our fellow artists) have transformed ourselves, our work and our art in new and innovative ways. For its members and examiners, the ISTD has been a crucial innovator in this transformation. We believe we speak for all the teachers and examiners around the world in commending the ISTD staff for their heroic efforts to keep teachers and examiners informed and involved throughout the Covid pandemic. The speedy transference to Zoom, Totara, Panopto and Microsoft Teams has allowed students and teachers to resume examinations and training throughout the lockdowns and enabled examiners to continue to fully participate in meetings, standardisation activities and examinations in real time or through recordings. As overseas examiners, we do not have regular opportunities to
So many of our students have returned as adults to let us know how greatly the examinations have impacted their success in various professions.
meet personally with our colleagues in the UK, so the remote professional development sessions have been extremely valuable for us. We believe this format will help us to keep abreast of changes in a more effective and time sensitive way and to engage with fellow examiners in more regular conversations about high quality assessment. Despite all the difficulties of internet disruption (whether it be music being out of sync, or dancers and studios not easily adapted to camera angles), so many teachers have continued to present their students via these new technologies. We sincerely congratulate all the teachers worldwide for valiantly pressing forward with their students while maintaining their standards and their own professional development. In some remote areas where teachers may only have a small number of candidates, and traditional examination tours are not available, technology has offered the chance to participate in the examination process and become valued members of our large extended family. It Dance | Issue 495 59
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Imperial Classical Ballet ~ continued
We sincerely congratulate all the teachers worldwide for valiantly pressing forward with their students while maintaining their standards and their own professional development. could also lead to many additional students participating in the future. Clearly, utilisation of remote collaboration technology will be an instrumental tool for all genres from now on. In time, we look forward to further simplification of the technologies and increased understanding of the differences in functionality worldwide, offering members greater guidance in navigating the ever-evolving systems that frequently function slightly differently country-to-country. This could help to address the challenges teachers and examiners sometimes encounter when dealing with online entries, videos and scripts.
There is absolutely no doubt that teachers and examiners miss the personal connection and energy of our traditional examinations. Our students learn so much more than the dance syllabi from the in-person experience. They learn to overcome their nerves and handle themselves with poise when under pressure, in front of a stranger who may not even speak their language, which is especially true in countries where examinations for the arts are not the norm. So many of our students have returned as adults to let us know how greatly the examinations have impacted their success in various professions. The rapport between examiner and candidate
is so important, both for candidates and examiners, and leaves a lasting impression on those who participate. We all long to resume travel, when students and teachers can gather for courses and examiners can return to the studios. As a conclusion and more specifically for teachers; know that as examiners, we do understand the huge challenges you are facing. We have all been, or presently are, teachers as well, and we genuinely understand how much your students and your schools mean to you. We wish you all the very best – stay safe and keep dancing!
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Focus On
Latin American, Modern Ballroom and Sequence
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Malcolm Hill Head of Faculty Development for Latin American, Ballroom, Sequence latin@istd.org, ballroom@istd.org and sequence@istd.org
TOMASZ REINDL PHOTOGRAPHY
Above 2022 WDC Professional Championship winners
Above Isla Islam with her teachers Alexander and Jade Shindila, Ben Milan-Vega and Morgan Noelle
Dancing live Modern Ballroom committee member Warren Boyce caught up with Isa Islam and Alexander Shindila about the 2022 WDC Professional World Championships and the spectacular opening ceremony that welcomed the world back to dance in Blackpool. After nearly two years of waiting for this highlight in the dancing calendar to take place, the Ballroom Dancers Federation and British Dance Council should be truly congratulated on this huge success that followed on from the fantastic British National Championships. Alexander Shindila explains: “Life as an ISTD Professional dance teacher and competitor is never easy, maintaining a high standard of competitive training together with running a dance school, as well as continuing a high level of teaching and coaching for pupils to participate in ISTD exams and competitions throughout the year. November is always a very challenging month due to medallist Grand Finals being only two weeks apart from one of the biggest competitions of the year for competitive professional couples, the British National Championships. “In 2020, dance events, training and coaching had been suspended due to Covid, which is why 2021 felt like such a special occasion for the return of ballroom and Latin dancing. Thanks
to the BDF and WDC British National Championships, 2021 were followed by WDC World Professional Ballroom Championships the next day, which made the return of ballroom dancing even more special and spectacular. “The preparation for the British Nationals is always tough, due to requirement of both good stamina to withstand non-stop dancing from the first round and a good mental state to be able to perform your best possible technical and mechanical skills. This year’s British Nationals presented British couples with three strong rounds of consistent dancing, which is always a test of dancer’s resilience and will to succeed. “Jade Shindila and I became British National Professional Ballroom Vice-Champions and Ben Milan-Vega and Morgan Noelle were placed fourth in the British National Professional Latin Championships. We’re all proud of our achievements and look forward to continuing to reach our goals and dreams in the world
of ballroom and Latin dancing. “On the 21 November, a day after the British National Championships, Jade and I were one of the nominated couples to represent Great Britain at the WDC World Professional Championships 2021. It was a huge honour for us to represent our country and shows that all the hard work during the year has been recognised by the British Dance Council (BDC). “Traditionally the Ballroom Dancers Federation (BDF) runs the WDC World Championships once every few years, straight after the British National Championships. It is a prestigious event that requires a huge amount of preparation and hard work to guarantee that all the representatives from around the world feel as welcome as possible. “One of the biggest parts of the WDC World Professional Ballroom Championships is the opening ceremony. The honour to create and to perform the Opening Ceremony 2021 was awarded to DanceMatic. As teachers Jade Shindila, Ben Milan-Vega, Morgan Dance | Issue 495 63
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Focus On
Latin American, Modern Ballroom and Sequence ~ continued
Noelle and I welcomed the challenge with open arms, and in a very limited time, choreographed an opening ceremony number and called it Back to Life. The number was 15 minutes long and consisted of different dances, different tempos, different costumes, and most importantly all ages, from very young juvenile couples to competing adults. “DanceMatic is proud to say that almost every single dancer in the opening ceremony had an ISTD dance examination. The ISTD provides a fantastic path for dancers of all ages to achieve success in the world of ballroom and Latin dancing. “After performing Back to Life, the dancers received a standing ovation from the audience and the top ballroom
Almost every single dancer in the opening ceremony had an ISTD dance examination. and Latin professionals. BDF organisers said the DanceMatic dancers performed one of the best opening ceremonies they’d seen. A very proud moment.” Our students today are the stars of the future. Isa Islam is a young dancesport student from DanceMatic. She describes the wonderful experience of being involved in the opening ceremony: “When I heard that my
dance school had been invited to do the opening show of the World Professional Ballroom Championships centenary, I was excited. Not only was it an honour to be part of such a prestigious event but after spending so much of my ballroom and Latin experience in lockdown, it felt amazing to have the opportunity to perform in person. “Six short weeks of practice later, as we stood in our starting positions on the dance floor of the Empress Ballroom waiting for the music to start, the theme of our routine couldn’t have been more fitting. The voices of news reporters, prime ministers and even the Queen rang out, snippets of information about Coronavirus from a time of fear and uncertainty, when the whole world was shutting down and life as we knew it was gone. But as the Queen said in the recording: ‘Better days will return. We will be with our friends again. We will be with our families again. We will meet again.’ And there we were, doing exactly that. Even though I was a bit nervous before it started, I felt so proud and happy to be a part of it. As I stood in my starting position waiting to begin dancing, I saw lots of people in the audience, all dressed up and watching. It was silent. Maybe everyone was thinking about what we had all been through these last couple of years. “Suddenly, the lights shone, and the music started. A medley of hits for a medley of dances, all chosen to tell a beautiful story of overcoming the challenges of the pandemic to dance again. The Contours’ Do You Love Me? kicked it off and we began dancing the best we ever have. And I loved it. “Each section was expertly choreographed and linked together by our talented teachers. Ben and Morgan even performed with us, which was very special. Jade and Alex were representing the United Kingdom in the competition, and they cheered us on from the audience. Left Alexander and Jade Shindila
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“I could not stop smiling. It was such an incredible feeling as we all ran into our finishing positions at the end of the routine, where we froze while trying to catch our breath. Suddenly, there was a huge eruption of cheering and clapping from the audience which made me so happy. “It was amazing to be back dancing at Winter Gardens, Blackpool, with the DanceMatic family, and so exciting to have the British Dance
Council and some of the best dancers from all over the world watching. “It was also fun meeting people and making new friends during rehearsals. DanceMatic is a really supportive dance school, but we don’t often get an opportunity to spend a lot of time all together, especially where we aren’t competing, so I really enjoyed socialising and getting to know people better. “After we bowed, we had the privilege of taking part in the flag
ceremony for the World Championship. I had to walk out first and lead everyone around the ballroom, which I was so nervous about but enjoyed so much. I got the honour of carrying the sign for Austria and I had to stand up straight and hold the sign high and steady. All the competitors I met were kind and friendly and we were lucky enough to stay and watch the competition. Everyone danced beautifully, but I think Alex and Jade were the best.”
The growing sector of Pro-Am dancesport Modern Ballroom committee member Stephen Arnold gives his perspective
Above Pro-Am competitions in full swing
Ballroom and Latin dancesport competitions in the UK have seen a big growth in the sector of ProfessionalAmateur (Pro-Am) over the last five years, and it is now becoming a key sector within the dancesport industry. This type of competition is unique in its basic design as it forms a dancesport partnership of a fully qualified professional dancer (usually the teacher) partnering an unqualified amateur dancer (usually the student). They will compete together against other Pro-Am couples in dancesport competitions specifically tailored to this niche market. Occasionally some partnerships make it all the way into the open professional competitions. Pro-Am dancesport competition has been around for a while, especially in what could be considered the flagship country for holding such events, which is the USA. Events of this type have
been running in the America for over 40 years, and it has become an intrinsic part of competitions, as well as an essential part of the business for organisers and professional dancers. This base concept of a Pro-Am partnership is also the formula for Strictly Come Dancing, a television programme that started in the UK and has extended to countries around the world under the name Dancing with the Stars. Until recently, Pro-Am competitions in the UK were not a big part of the dancesport industry. Participants from the UK would have to travel far and wide to compete in an overseas dancesport competition that catered for them. Although rewarding for many of them, it is expensive. At the time of writing, the Covid pandemic and associated travel restrictions have also made attending overseas events extremely difficult.
Pro-Am dancer Lena Jones explained: “I was lucky enough to experience one of the first overseas Pro-Am events in Miami with a large contingency from the UK. It was entering a world we hadn’t even realised existed, and we were lucky to enough to watch the professionals compete. Learning to dance and compete in international and domestic Pro-Am events has been so satisfying. It’s a wonderful, social world to be part of.” Fortunately for Pro-Am competitors in the UK, the growth of UK-based Pro-Am dancesport competitions has accelerated greatly in the last five years. We are now seeing many dancesport competitions taking place that now include Pro-Am as part of their programme, or events that are being set up to cater specifically for Pro-Am competitors. For example, the Blackpool Dance Festival, held annually since Dance | Issue 495 65
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Latin American, Modern Ballroom and Sequence ~ continued
1920 and attracting dancers from all over the world, recently expanded to include Pro-Am events. Numbers have steadily increased, and in 2019 the Pro-Am aspect of the festival had grown to 843 entries from 20 different countries. This is likely to continue to grow as the world emerges from tight travel restrictions. Pro-Am dancesport has been on a steady rise in the UK. The inclusion of ProAm at a global event like the Blackpool Dance Festival has helped raise the profile of the genre, and events are now commonplace at dancesport competitions up and down the country. The benefits to organisers are quite evident, and it’s obvious that including Pro-Am events in a programme can bring in another stream of revenue not previously seen. The growth of Pro-Am competitions in the UK has been welcomed by participants. Ruth Whitehouse is a Pro-Am competitor who has danced in events across the globe. She commented: “For me, the privilege of participating in Pro-Am competitions with a top professional partner, before highly qualified judges, to well-selected music (occasionally even live music) in quality venues cannot be overstated. “Until the last few years, this experience has only been accessible to those willing and able to travel abroad. These are undoubtedly costly and complex events to run, so recent efforts to hold them in the UK are welcomed and much appreciated.” The benefits of a growing Pro-Am dancesport category aren’t just limited to the organisers of such events. The professionals competing with the amateurs will usually have a financial arrangement with their student in order to partner them together at an event, alongside the lessons they will take in order to prepare. In well-established Pro-Am dance economies like the USA, this can make up the bulk of a professional dancer’s income. Furthermore, they can also win financial incentives at competitions and obtain awards such as the ‘Top Teacher’ award, the winning dancers usually competing in around 200–300 events at one competition over a number of days. There are also the incidental financial beneficiaries of a growing Pro-Am dancesport industry which should not be underestimated. Dance shoe manufacturers, dress designers, tailors, photographers, hair and make-up
specialists all benefit from the increasing number of competitions taking place and the number of dancers attending. The link between increasing Pro-Am dancers and competitions and a growing dance economy is a logical and understandable link. What is perhaps the more important question to ask is what would happen to these dancers if there were not the Pro-Am events available to them?
The goal of the dance industry is to get as many people involved in dancing as possible. For many amateur dancers, being able to compete is what gives them drive, focus, and the incentive to continue to take lessons and invest in the dance world. Many of the people who currently compete in Pro-Am events in the UK have followed a path through the medal structure and have reached a point where they are looking to take themselves deeper into the competition world. Speaking to student competitor Amanda White, she told me: “I started competing in Pro-Am events to give me the opportunity to dance with a highlevel partner in a competitive setting, as well as the chance to dance in multiple events across the same competition. After several years, they continue to give me a focus for my training. “The fact that Pro-Am events are often wrapped up in a package of hospitality is great for me, and appealing when rounded off with a dinner dance, which has a celebratory feel to it after a couple of days of hard competition.” This opportunity to continue to dance at more and more events in the UK doesn’t just stop at Pro-Am. The inclusion of solo competitions has followed a similar trajectory to Pro-Am events. Solo events have been popular largely in the Juvenile and Junior age categories and cater for dancers who currently don’t have
a partner. Traditionally, open ballroom and Latin dancesport competitions have always catered for partnerships. Finding a partner can be a big challenge, and prior to solo events, these dancers had very limited chances to compete. This can be demoralising for young dancers, and many dancers have stopped taking lessons and given up because of this limitation. Becoming a good competitor takes a lot of practice, and now the dancers who don’t currently have a partner but have huge enthusiasm for dancing can continue to train with great focus. One such young dancer is 13-year-old Autumn Hansford. Although her main aim is to get back on to the competition floor with a new partner, she is using the opportunities available to her to hone and perfect her competition skills. She commented: “Having competitions Pro-Am to solo has helped boost my confidence to perform in front of lots of people, with or without a partner. Pro-Am has helped me learn what it is like to be led by a very confident dancer, and solos have helped me progress and get better without having to worry about not having a partner. It has also helped me to understand my body and how to move.” For dancers with determination to continue, improve and perform, it is important that they have a mechanism such as Pro-Am or solo competitions to channel their desire to dance, and it should be commended that they continue to drive forward with or without a full-time partner. When they do eventually find a partner, they have the necessary skills to compete. For the industry, the business of Pro-Am and solo events can be very beneficial. The immediate financial gains to competition organisers and professionals are evident, but looking beyond this, retaining people in the dance industry that would otherwise be lost is hugely important. The busier the dance industry remains at all levels, the more appealing it will be to potential participants and the higher the standard of dancing can become. The goal of the dance industry is to get as many people involved in dancing as possible, and the growth and inclusiveness of ProAm and solo competitions can go a long way to achieve this aim.
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worn by zia james & petar daskalov www.internationaldanceshoes.com | @idsdanceshoes
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Modern Theatre Christina Ballard retires Fellow teachers celebrate their inspirational colleague
Christina Ballard retired from the ISTD as a Modern and Tap examiner last autumn. Many congratulations to Christina for sustaining a wonderful career in the world of dance – a world that she loves so dearly. A sincere thank you from all the committees that she has served on but a special thank you from the Modern Theatre Faculty, we are forever indebted to her and wish her a happy and fulfilling retirement. After graduation from Bush Davies in the late 1970s, Christina became a vital member of the Modern Theatre committee and creative team, where she developed the new Modern Theatre syllabi, as well as examining across the UK and internationally. Throughout her time as a teacher and examiner, Christina was instrumental in organising the Janet Cram Awards and Chichester Summer Programme, which inspired many generations of students and teachers. After the tragic loss of her son Rees, Christina became involved in the Wilderness Foundation’s TurnAround project in 2016, which helps vulnerable and 68 Dance | Issue 495
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Lisa Harrison-Jones Head of Faculty Development for Modern Theatre and Classical Indian modern@istd.org
disadvantaged young people. She is now an ambassador for the foundation and continues her fundraising activities and awards the Rees Ballard Memorial Award each year to a worthy recipient.
the most human of human beings. It is this humanity that makes her teaching and creative work speak so eloquently to us all and compels us to dance.”
Tributes from colleagues
“My first experience of Christina Ballard was at the Janet Cram Awards in the mid-1970s at Cecil Sharp House. I had gone as an observer to get ‘a feel’ for how realistic a dance career would be. I shared a connection with her love of music and reflecting its emotion through dance, in all its simplicity and splendour and knew at that point I wanted a career in dance. Christina has an inborn love of dance, of selfless sharing which creates a connection with those she communicates with, and has since inspired my students in the same way that she inspired me all those years ago.”
“I’m sure that any words that I write will only echo those that resonate so dearly with every pupil, teacher, lecturer, examiner, and lucky person across the world who has had the pleasure of precious time spent in Christina Ballard’s company. We are all so grateful for the time and wisdom that Christina has invested in us and that she will continue to be a shining star, encouraging love, passion, and artistry in all we do.” Ruth Armstrong, Committee, Teaching Team and Creative Team
“I was first introduced to the wonderful Christina Ballard by Sue Stephens at an ISTD Congress. From that very moment she took me under her wing, inspiring me to push myself further than I ever thought imaginable. Christina helped to create welcoming and inspirational events, that made hundreds of ISTD members feel valued and part of our ISTD family.” Jackie Barnes, Lead Examiner and Teaching Team
“As a fairly new examiner and recruit to the Teaching Team, I sustained an injury that was serious enough to stop me working for several long months. It was in the middle of an arduous day that I received a phone call from Christina enquiring how I was progressing. This was the first of many phone calls that always seemed to arrive just when I needed them. These acts of kindness were overwhelming at the time. Since then, I have come to know Christina better, and realise that these caring gestures are second nature to her. So, whilst I can appreciate her brilliance in the world of dance, I believe this brilliance is rooted in the fact that she is
Valerie Jones, Committee and Teaching Team
Penny Meekings, Lead Examiner and Committee
“I first met Christina properly when I had the pleasure of being a demonstrator for what was then the new Grade 2 Modern syllabus. That was the moment I knew I wanted to teach dance. When pursuing my teaching career, Christina was there as my mentor and was incredibly nurturing and supportive. A truly unique lady whom I will always be so grateful to have met, an inspiration and one of the reasons I am where I am today, sharing a passion and love for dance.” Jessica Morgan-Beale, Teaching Team
“Christina has always been a huge inspiration to so many. Her choreography, her humanity, her wisdom and innate sense of style and elegance is something that as her colleague, and more importantly, friend, I have appreciated and recognised for decades and will continue to do so for as long as I teach, choreograph, and examine, she truly is unique.” Lyn Richardson, Lead Examiner, Committee, Teaching Team and Creative Team
“Over the years, Christina has had a profound influence on my ISTD journey for which I will always be grateful. Christina’s passion for artistry and musicality within dance is close to my heart and anyone who was fortunate enough to be tutored by her came away enriched by her knowledge and love of dance.” Cathy Stevens, Teaching Team
“Mrs Ashcroft named Christina the first of her ‘Star Babies’, she was the first of the next generation to carry the mantle and continue the legacy of the Modern Theatre Faculty after Mary Archbutt, Daphne Peterson and Doreen Bird. She has encouraged numerous students, teachers, and examiners throughout her career. A strong advocate for ‘work/ life balance’ she will no doubt continue to inspire all who meet her in her everyday activities in retirement.” Tereza Theodoulou, Lead Lecturer, International Ambassador and Creative Team
“My first experience of Christina Ballard was at the Summer Congress of 1974. I was a naïve teenager who had hardly ever experienced a ‘free’ class and floundered around at the back trying to keep up. I still remember one of the movements from that routine, the “Zigger Zagger”, invented by Christina. Some years later in the mid-1980s when we were both young Modern examiners, we were invited by Murielle Ashcroft to join Daphne Peterson and Doreen Bird in creating Intermediate Modern. That was followed by Pre-Elementary (now Intermediate Foundation) and then the Grades. As a long-standing committee member, she was insistent that the committee kept the interests of the small, local dance school at its heart. My special favourite out of all her creations is the Grade 3 Lyrical Amalgamation; simple, expressive, musical, a little bit of magic – just like its choreographer.” Sarah Wilson, Creative Team and Teaching Team Dance | Issue 495 69
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Modern Theatre ~ continued
Project-based learning Dance training and the transition from student to artist
GARY ROWNTREE-FINLAY
Introduction by Lisa Harrison-Jones As all teachers know, a dancer’s growth is a product of a variety of simultaneous factors; great technique and artistry, as well as being authentic, flexible, and resilient both mentally and emotionally. Technique is paramount and enables students to explore their bodies in depth, allowing for choreographers and dancers to work seamlessly together in the studio and performance spaces. The development of the artist within is about being open, curious, and willing to explore creative range and inner expression. The movement director and choreographer Jamie Neale explains that dance graduates who are successful, “have taken the risk and exposed their emotional creativity to the outside world. Failure can be a good thing”. See his article on the One Dance UK website: www.onedanceuk.org/top-ten-dancetips-for-entering-the-industry-duringpost-lockdown-for-new-graduates Although daring to fail can be nerveracking, it is a necessary step for our students. It is when they make errors in training that they learn something new. These ‘failures’ are key to expansion and growth both technically and mentally. For
in Northern Ireland, gives her perspective on how her college has adopted a project-based learning approach.
longevity in the dance industry, dance artists must embody all these inner and outer facets to progress their careers. So, how do we support and train our dance students to become these creative and open dance artists? One pathway is looking at the integration of performance and creative opportunities within dance training. This gives dancers the chance to work alongside professionals in a supportive environment. Here, Sarah Collyer, who works as a course coordinator for the arts at the South Eastern Regional College (SERC)
Course coordinator Sarah Collyer shares her perspective from Northern Ireland At South Eastern Regional College (SERC) we adopt a project-based learning approach to the delivery of the curriculum on our Level 3 and HND dance courses. In essence, this means we have created a simulated work environment throughout their time with us on the course. We develop the dancers’ technical skills by incorporating the ISTD Modern Theatre and Ballet curriculums into practical work, using this to prepare the students for professional work in the future. However, we felt that in addition to a well-rounded technical curriculum it was important that our graduates were also prepared for the world of work, with many more transferable and meta skills that the industry requires. To facilitate this, we reconfigured the delivery of the curriculum to ensure that students experience both professional and semi-professional work aligning the curriculum to performance opportunities. So how does that look in practice? Well, all our students are automatically employed by our company, The Glass Umbrella Theatre Company, working on a profit share basis where company profits are reinvested into upskilling students by providing workshops, educational visits and more. They work on a planned programme of performances throughout the year. Each performance will then put the technical skills and syllabus work into practice and contextualise Above, centre Sarah Collyer Left SERC dance showcase 2019 Right The Glass Umbrella Theatre Company performers
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All our students are automatically employed by our company, The Glass Umbrella Theatre Company. the theory elements of the course. For example, just before Christmas 2021, they all performed in the company pantomime for the public which was sold out across nine performances. This let them experience the demands of dancing in a run and the level of commitment both personally and physically required to perform in nine shows across a week. The company also takes on professional paid commissions from external stakeholders, which gives the learners invaluable experience of responding to a commission in a supported environment: learning how to budget for a performance, how to communicate effectively with clients and manage their expectations, how to work to a time bound brief and how to value the worth of their work, which is something I know we all struggle with at first when we start working in the dance industry. The students take on many roles within the company in addition to performing such as online and offline marketing activities, financial control, and event management, all skills that are invaluable for a future in the dance industry. Another area of employment that many young dancers do not initially consider is Community Arts, but through work experience in community arts projects, many of our students have gone on to work in this field. We work with local schools, Police Service of Northern Ireland and local charitable organisations to provide commissioned performance pieces that align to a curriculum subject, or theme chosen by the external partner. In the past we have created dance pieces for Tiny Life to highlight premature birth, the PSNI on Cyber bullying, and with local schools on pieces about climate change and online security for children. Our dancers devised these pieces independently mentored by the teaching staff. This helped develop the creativity skills that need refining to become a future choreographer, such as working in response to a stimulus and refining material to be appropriate for the audience.
In addition to the work within the company, many of our dance lecturers still work freelance within the industry and often recruit from the final year students for external contracts. The inclusion of the ISTD syllabus within technical work ensures the dancers are of a high dance standard and the work with the student company means they are well rehearsed in the expectations of a professional contract. One of the teaching team was commissioned to provide a group of professional dancers for the Foyle Maritime Festival event in Londonderry. Of the 10 dancers, 3 were recruited from our final year students. It was invaluable for them to interact with the other professional more experienced dancers learning to network, and seeing the level of professionalism, resilience and stamina required when working. Having these opportunities allows them to take those initial steps into the world of work with a choreographer who knows them. When you are new to the industry you learn from your mistakes very quickly, so to do this in a supported environment whilst being paid is a unique opportunity for the students. We have an excellent relationship with our local professional contemporary dance company Maiden Voyage, who kindly allow us to watch their performances and often come in to work with the students on their latest pieces. This gives the dancers the opportunity
to contextualise the performance and learn sections of repertoire, as well as talk to the choreographers and professional dancers to further understand the expectations of employers in the industry. In today’s dance industry, it is so important that we not only prepare the technical and performance skills of our students but that we develop their work ethic and resilience. I know that these opportunities I have talked about have enhanced the dancers’ skills in problem-solving, organisation, emotional intelligence, and time management, preparing them for whatever pathway they chose to progress to.
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National Dance
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Pippa Cobbing Head of Faculty Development for Imperial Classical Ballet, Greek and National national@istd.org
None of the other schools in my area offer national dance, making it my school’s unique selling point. A brighter future Committee member Jayne Wing sees that there’s a light at the end of the Covid tunnel and that classes are re-building.
I’m not going to pretend that, since we have returned to classes face to face, they have suddenly boomed, especially when my studio is in an area that was in lockdown for almost a year. But I would like to share with you some of the strategies I used to keep the students in the classes and to encourage new pupils to take up national dance. The aim was to develop a positive atmosphere in the school, and to create classes that would become cost effective. The ISTD National Faculty is small and the genre an unusual, lesser-known form of dance, so I am very happy with the numbers in
national dance classes at my school. The ideas I used can easily apply to the other genres too. The birth of these ideas started in lockdown, when I was hoping to encourage new students and help existing ones keep their enthusiasm for national dance alive. With national dance being so reliant on a partner, I had to think of ways of keeping it going online, with a view to creating an easy transition from Zoom into the studio. Initially I worked on the fact that national dance was very helpful for homeschooling. Its focus on different cultures makes it ideal for cross-curricular learning, and it was fun to give students tasks and project work to do at home with their families. However, I did have to focus on the fact that I not only needed to retain these students, but also to think about ways of attracting new ones. One strategy was to give challenges and prizes to children who created impressive and informative project work. My school works on a package payment scheme, so as an incentive for joining Zoom classes, I offered students the chance to try a new genre online free of charge, which a few did take up. None of the other schools in my area offer national as a genre, making national dance my school’s unique selling point. It was natural to focus on national dance when offering the free classes. When we returned to face-to-face teaching, the students continued to attend the classes and I was delighted to find the classes were a little larger than they were
pre-lockdown. I can partly attribute this to the fact my description of national dance as an ‘enjoyably social form of dance’ was attractive to the children. Having missed social contact during the pandemic, the children were keen to experience it fully on their return to face-to-face classes. This ‘carrot’ helped to maintain their interest, and alongside the visible educational benefits, their parents became aware of how valuable this form of dance could be. I also provided incentives for them, including prizes for project work, quizzes and the possibility of competition work. For obvious reasons, I couldn’t continue to offer the class free of charge, so I was delighted when all the students had enjoyed the lessons so much that they wanted to continue. A combination of all my encouragement and regularly keeping in contact with the parents helped to sustain the class numbers. The children have recently taken their exam in national dance, and because they could take it remotely, they were motivated to learn and get the work correct. I was over the moon that all the children gained distinction marks for their examinations. The parents and students are extremely happy and satisfied, which encourages them to continue with the class today. Fortunately, national dance is thriving in my school, partly due to the enthusiasm I have for the subject and my determination not to lose the values it has for both physical and educational needs. Dance | Issue 495 73
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Focus On
Tap Dance Keeping it popular Andrew Hindley, ISTD Regional Representative for Preston, asks how can we ensure that tap dance remains a popular choice for students and parents in an everexpanding dance market?
I, like many others started my training attending a local school that offered a staple diet of tap, ballet and modern dance. At the time there was no choice to study one without the others. Classes were twice weekly with the majority held on a Saturday and each of the three disciplines was taught in equal measure. Fast-forward to the present day and the dance market is a very different place. Dance teachers today cannot rely solely on ballet, tap and modern to attract and retain students. A range of additional genres have exploded in popularity, and the internet and social media have made it so much harder for schools to attract new students, as well as compete for business 74 Dance | Issue 495
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Jason Di Mascio Head of Faculty Development for Tap tap@istd.org
Left Andrew Hindley teaching
with other schools. In recent years, there have been new syllabi developed in contemporary and commercial dance, and there are now more festivals, competitions and performance opportunities than ever before. Many dance schools are now offering acrobatic dance, GCSE dance, and street dance classes alongside the other three disciplines. In many ways, the choice now presented to those attending dance classes will have a positive effect, and it mirrors the demands of the industry for those wishing to pursue a professional career. However, all of this choice comes at a cost to both the parents and to the students. Dance is a popular hobby for many children and is perhaps one of many recreational activities that they attend. Some parents will have to think carefully about what is affordable based on their financial circumstance, and it may not always be possible to fund all classes on offer. There are also increasing pressures on older students to achieve high grades academically that may result in them having to make choices about which styles they continue to study based on enjoyment and the career benefits that each style brings. So how can we ensure that the benefits of tap dance are communicated to parents and students, and how can we make sure that tap remains a popular choice when decisions are being made? We are fortunate to have a syllabus that has evolved with changing trends,
incorporates a range of styles, is challenging and enjoyable, and develops both technical skill and performance. The syllabus provides an excellent basis for training tap dancers to the highest standard, whilst also offering opportunities to develop wider skills such as musicality, creativity and expression. In my opinion there are several ways in which we can promote tap dance, but we must first recognise the benefits that it offers as a recreational subject as well as training for a professional career. From my own experience students love nothing more than to explore their own creativity and move away from syllabus work from time to time. I find the most successful classes are those that are fun, incorporate a short rhythm game, cover some syllabus work and sometimes allow for group or individual choreographic tasks. We too often focus on preparing for the exam and don’t allow enough time for additional content and creativity.
i Andrew Hindley Andrew is Dance Principal and Curriculum Leader at Preston College Dance (PCD). He holds his Tap Fellowship and DDE Imperial Ballet and National, and is the ISTD Regional Representative for Preston.
In order to maintain tap as a popular choice we should continually reflect on our teaching and adapt our classes based on the students in front of us. We should highlight to parents and our students the unique benefits that tap dance has to offer, and we should make every effort to deliver classes that are challenging but more importantly that are enjoyable. We should take opportunities to shine a spotlight on the genre wherever possible by featuring it in showcases, social media posts and peer to peer observations. Tap has a rich history dating back over 150 years and it continues to gain in popularity. I have no doubt that tap dance will continue to thrive and evolve, and in another 150 years’ time, there’s a great chance it will be as popular as it is today.
We are fortunate to have a syllabus that has evolved with changing trends.
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Tap Dance ~ continued
Let’s talk business – with our feet Committee member Carole Moseley gives her perspective on teaching tap in Portugal.
Above Teachers (including the ISTD's Carole Moseley and Paddy Hurlings) and students at EDAM (Escola de Dança Ana Mangericão)
As teachers of dance, we have many aspects to our work, teaching dance being the first. For many, we are also businesspeople, running our own schools. Embarking on any business venture can be exciting as well as challenging. We continuously strive towards keeping all classes enjoyable, interesting and thriving. Having travelled to Lisbon in August 2005 to lecture teachers in the new modern grades, I was asked by Ana Mangericão if I could help two of her students who were working on Grade 4 Tap. Sara and Bea were keen tappers and enthusiastic to learn. The only source of teaching available to them was the Grade 4 DVD. They had learnt the work well but needed some polishing and correction before taking their exams later that year. Coaching occurred during
lunch breaks over four days, but to ensure they could continue with my teaching after I left, we recorded my classes onto video, which they used when on their own. Success was gained and both girls received distinctions. What is more, Ana and I had noticed a gap in the market and a new venture was born. Sixteen years later, tap is a thriving part of the classes given at EDAM (Escola de Dança Ana Mangericão). Children now start in Primary with all grade and vocational exams, having been taken through to Advanced 2. It started slowly at first but once the word spread and children heard the beating, rhythms, and music coming from their feet it quickly became a huge part of their dance education. Every class has several sessions when I
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Once the word spread and children heard the beating, rhythms, and music coming from their feet it quickly became a huge part of their dance education. attend, which we video while I teach, ensuring all exercises and dances are filmed. Ana checks each class as they practice with my video and there have been quite a few FaceTime sessions over the years. Since starting these classes, I have learnt to speak Portuguese, although I let my feet do most of the talking and the children follow my instructions. Every child who attends has their own shoes and once they are in the studio the sound of tapping feet can be heard around the school. Knowing that they are learning something not given at other local dance schools is a large part of why pupils want to learn tap. To help sustain the interest in the classes, I give the younger pupils small challenges to work on in between my visits to Portugal. Making up their own poems or songs to go with the rhythms of set exercises and free work keeps everyone on their toes, keen to practice and improve their dancing. Before I return home, and to help maintain the continuity in the classes, we allow parents in to watch. They get to see the work, how their child is progressing and can be reassured in the knowledge that as a subject, tap dancing is not just challenging but also a lot of fun to learn. In 2017 I gave some adult classes – something that had not been given before. There was a lot of laughter and excitement with pupils helping teach their own mother, father or even grandparent. These classes brought further interest and more adult classes were then requested. Tap is now an established part of the school’s curriculum. During the pandemic, Zoom classes were held with many parents happily supplying wooden flooring for their child to dance on, some even joined in in the background.
When I travelled to Lisbon back in 2005, I never imagined I would become a part of a business venture that would evolve the way it has. What started as a small gesture of help to a lady who has become my irma (sister), introducing a dance subject that no other school offers, has enabled many pupils at EDAM to learn tap. Not speaking Portuguese did give me some concern at first, but this quickly passed. Once inside the studio and with tap shoes on, pupils now know the fun and joy gained when learning how to talk with their feet.
Below Carole Moseley teaching a tap class at EDAM (Escola de Dança Ana Mangericão)
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Calendar
What’s on
Wayne McGregor: Atomos Ideal for a rainy day where you want to hunker down with a cup of tea, Atomos is the perfect blend of bodies, movement, film sound and light. You can watch the entire 70-minute film online and immerse yourself wholly into the unique experience. Performed by the dancers of Company Wayne McGregor, directed by McGregor and long-time collaborator Ravi Deepres. Watch time: Approx 1 hour 10 mins www.bit.ly/WMatmos
Dates for your diary
Staging Schiele
We are maintaining our programme of online events, exams and courses in line with government guidelines. The most up-to-date information is on www.istd.org/events
What’s on in the industry Always online Antarctica: The First Dance Feeling uninspired? Madeleine Graham, Royal New Zealand Ballet star features in this stunning performance by choreographer Corey Baker and is quite the inspiration. In the first-ever dance film shot in Antarctica, Graham performed in temperatures ranging from -2.4 to 16°C, over 12 days out on the ice. The film’s aims to highlight the threats of climate change. Commissioned by Random Acts for Channel 4 and The Space, a digital development agency supported by the BBC and Arts Council. Watch time: 5 mins www.bit.ly/antarcticadance
Above Shobana Jeyasingh CBE, ISTD Patron
Inspired by the Austrian artist Egon Schiele, Staging Schiele is a Southbank Centre commission, supported by DanceEast and choreographed by ISTD Patron Shobana Jeyasingh CBE. Four dancers inhabit his unusual world of eccentric perspective, expressive lines and warm colour. A truly unique performance. Watch time: Approx 1 hour www.bit.ly/SSchiele
Freedom: Opening up dance expression for disabled artists A short film created as part of Dance Passion, a celebration of dance on the BBC, this documentary features the amazing Lisa Simpson, a professional artist, mentor and trainer who supports others with a revolutionary technique that enables people of all abilities to choreograph their own work. Watching time: 6 mins https://bbc.in/3LrUW3v
About the Elephant Meeting as finalists in BBC Young Dancer 2015, Kathak dancer Vidya Patel and Contemporary dancer Connor Scott collaborate on a unique piece that intertwines their two respective dancing styles. With music from renowned musician and composer Shammi Pithia. Co-commissioned by Sampad South Asian Arts & Heritage, Serendipity Arts Trust and Midlands Arts Centre. Watch time: 27 mins www.bit.ly/AboutElephant
i
Teacher Training Bursary – applications are open! Applications close 12pm BST on 12 May 2022 www.istd.org/bursaries-and-funding
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Our events May–Aug 2022 Check www.istd.org/events for the most up-to-date information on all our events.
Cecchetti Day 22 May The Royal Ballet School, Covent Garden
Invest in your CPD
Classical Greek Dance
To book contact coursebookings@istd.org
Classical Greek Festival 2022 8 May Live finals (including groups) at the Gordon Craig Theatre, Stevenage
08 May Intermediate Modern with Greek Translation 09 May Trans Awareness: The Basics 30 May–01 Jun Half Term Specials in London Studios 25 Jun–10 Jul Online Weekend CPD Specials 26 Jul–19 Aug ISTD Summer Programme (online and in London studios) Talking Dance Science Symposium 31 Jul In partnership with IADMS and SiDI Cecchetti Classical Ballet Cecchetti Bursary Award Online Selection Event 2022 16 May Adjudication results
Classical Indian Dance Online Bursary Awards Selection Event 04 May Winners announced Disco Freestyle Rock n Roll See www.istd.org/events for all DFR area competitions. Imperial Classical Ballet Solo Performance Awards 2022 16 May Video submissions deadline 27 Jun Winners announced (via ISTD website and YouTube channel)
Sue Passmore and Broadening Access to Dance awards Are you a Society member who is passionate about providing opportunities for people to engage in dance? Do you have a new project idea, or have you already started a project that you would like to develop, which broadens access to dance? If the answer is ‘yes’, you could receive up to £2,000 by applying for these funding initiatives. Applications open 11 August and close 1 November 2022 www.istd.org/teach/bursaries-funding/ project-funding-opportunities
Imperial Classical Ballet Day of Dance 25 May booking closes 5 Jun Arts Ed, Chiswick, London Modern Theatre Dance Janet Cram Awards 2022 (UK teachers and competitors) 15 & 22 May Online class heats 19 June Live Final at The Greenwood Theatre, London 01 Jul UK Award winners announced (via ISTD website) International Modern Theatre Awards 2022 (online) (International teachers and competitors only) 16 May Ticket booking closes and video submission deadline 01 Jul International Award winners announced (via ISTD website and YouTube channel) Left Freedom: Opening up dance expression for disabled artists
Graduation Ceremony 2022 27–28 October See page 35
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What’s trending online
Join the conversation on social media
Bringing you the most recent highlights from our social media over the last few months. Get involved and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. @istddance #TeachDance
Make dance teaching your career Looking to start your journey to becoming a dance teacher? Visit our YouTube channel, Facebook and Instagram pages to hear from current students about their learning experience. Download our prospectus here www.istd. org/make-danceteaching-your-career
Membership matters We were so grateful to have performer and activist Jessica Allen join us in January to talk about her lived experience as a trans woman. Read more via our website www.istd. org/membershipmattersJA and watch the recording by logging into MyISTD.
Equity, diversity and inclusion We stand with fellow organisations BBO, IDTA, RAD in recognising the importance of racial equity in dance education, and we are committed to working collaboratively to address this issue in our sector. Learn more at www. istd.org/EDIHub
Our genre stories Have you been enjoying our genre series over on our Instagram stories? Each month, we explore the history behind one of our unique dance genres, with fun facts and pop quizzes to test your dance knowledge. Head over to our Instagram highlights to see the genres we’ve covered so far, including tap, ballet, and street dance. Follow us @istddance Our awards, competitions and events We want to keep you up to date with our learning and performance opportunities. Check out all the performance opportunities for your students via www. istd.org/events
Your stories Keep tagging us in all your posts, videos, TikToks, and more! We love to see your successes and your students enjoying dance. @istddance #TeachDance #ISTDdance #ISTDExams
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Summer Programme 25 July–19 August 2022 You can look forward to a packed programme across our extensive range of dance genres to support your teaching and inspire you to develop your practice.
Invest in your CPD, pick up something new and support your dance business. Take advantage of convenient, online dates as well as in-studio at our new space in London. Full details available online in May.
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THE INTERNATIONAL VOICE OF THE IMPERIAL SOCIET Y OF TEACHERS OF DANCING
Enjoy the benefits of a global community Take advantage of ISTD membership and become part of our worldwide network. Our membership provides teachers around the world with the best advice and training in dance education. We provide access to CPD courses, teacher training and qualifications and work with a range of industry leading partners to provide members with products and services designed to help them at each stage of their career. As a member, you can watch webinars with industry professionals for free, gain exclusive access to helplines and insurance services, receive discounts for business management tools and more.
MAY – AUGUST 2022 ISSUE 495
Find out about all the benefits of membership at www.istd.org/membership
Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing 22/26 Paul Street, London EC2A 4QE istd.org @ISTDdance
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