Strictly youth dancing
Dance - one of the fastest growing subject for GCSE and A level students in England - is to receive a £5.5 million boost from the Government, Culture Secretary Andy Burnham and Schools Minister Andrew Adonis have announced.The announcement follows a review of youth dance by Royal Opera House Chief Executive Tony Hall.
The new investment, plus a support structure, will boost dance opportunities for young people - both in school and out of school hours. It will help young people dance for fun and fitness, and support talented young dancers move into the profession - finding the next 'Billy Elliot' and maintaining Britain's world-class status in dance.
Funded through the Departments for Culture, Media and Sport and Children, Schools and Families and Arts Council England, the initiative will include:
* For the first time in dance, an organisation - Youth Dance England (YDE) - which is charged and funded to develop a national youth dance strategy across both school and youth dance sectors.
* A pilot of dance co-ordinators in schools supporting the provision of dance - both as an artform and within school sport.
* Six new Centres of Advanced Training (CATs) between now and 2011, training and supporting around 1,500 more young people inspired to take dance to the next level
* A new leadership from a joint DCMS/DCSF Dance Review Programme Board. For the first time, it will bring together stakeholders, agencies and funders from education and dance sectors and young dancers themselves.
Culture Secretary Andy Burnham, said:
"Ballet or ballroom, hip-hop or Highland, dance is something we're really good at in this country.
“It also combines physical activity, creativity and beauty in a way that appeals to all. So it's right and good that Government support for the dance world should be put on a new footing, and I look forward to seeing the next generation of dancers - and the one after that - benefit from it."
Schools Minister Andrew Adonis added,
"Young people love dance. After football, it is the most popular kind of formal exercise in schools. But of course it is so much more than that - it is physical communication, artistic expression and social recreation. That is why we must provide more chances for young people to experience high quality dance opportunities, both in and out of school.
"I'm delighted to be able to announce that we will be rolling out six new Music and Dance Scheme Centres for Advanced Training. Alongside the five already in existence, they will provide a nationwide network for some of our most promising future talent.
"I will also be asking Youth Dance England to do a small-scale pilot of dance co-ordinators within the school sport structure. This will look at how to maximise dance opportunities on offer at a local level.”
Culture Minister Margaret Hodge said,
"Dance is one of our oldest art forms and one that people can take part in, or simply watch, at just about any age or degree of skill and experience. Dance is also triumphantly eclectic, drawing in styles and forms from all over the world and from every tradition. I am thrilled that young people will now have access to a higher standard of provision, and that the dance sector itself has now got the further recognition it so richly deserves."
Chief Executive of the Royal Opera House, Tony Hall said.
"My review aims to do one thing - and this is to get young people dancing, wherever they live, and from whatever background they come. Dance answers lots of the issues young people face from expressing their creativity, to working in teams, tackling obesity, or just having fun. I am delighted the Government is acting on our ideas.”
New Patron of Youth Dance England, Arlene Phillips, said: "I am thrilled to be a patron of YDE at this exciting time. Dance can be life changing, dance can make a difference to every young person and I welcome this increased support for youth dance training."
Alan Davey, Chief Executive Arts Council England, said:
"Youth Dance takes a great leap forwards today. Dance already plays an important part in the daily lives of many young people. Now, the opportunity to take part in and learn about dance will be there for even more aspiring dancers across the country.
"Arts Council England is pleased to be part of this first step towards consolidating youth dance provision across the country. Our investment means that Youth Dance England will become an Arts Council England Regularly Funded Organisation. This is in direct response to Tony Hall's call to set up a properly funded, powerful national youth dance organisation for England."
Leedon Lower School, Leighton Buzzard worked with YDE on a dance project. Head teacher, Mrs Frances Godfrey, said, "The dance activity project that took place at our school was a fantastic way of engaging more pupils in dance and raising the skills and confidence of the people teaching it. We need additional dance resources in schools to ensure we deliver a diverse range of high quality dance to all pupils, as it is a great way to keep fit, raise self-esteem and improve creativity."