15 September 2025
From panel discussions to visits to leading vocational training providers, Ginny has been engaging in conversations about how we can give the future generation of dancers tools for versatile careers. Here, Ginny shares her reflections from these experiences.
Vocational Visits
On 24 July 2025, I was pleased to attend the YFX symposium, hosted by Sadler's Wells East, where I participated in a panel discussion about pathways and progression routes for young dancers. This felt timely and necessary given the impact that the demise of dance within state education is having on the number and diversity of young people who have the opportunity to learn and progress in dance.
I was struck by the reflection of a fellow panellist – a recently graduated independent dancer – who said that the dream of gaining full-time employment with a dance company was in the past and that, these days, dancers needed to be versatile and able to teach alongside their performing careers. This resonated with me as it's a conversation I've been having with several vocational dance training providers this summer.
I’ve recently had the pleasure of meeting with Laine Theatre Arts, Bird College, Trinity Laban, London Contemporary Dance School, and Northern School of Contemporary Dance where I learned about their current courses, and we explored how ISTD might contribute to their future offer.
It has been a bleak year for dance in higher education with an unprecedented number of dance degrees closing. Read more: Weathering the Storm – Dance Informa. Commonly cited reasons for this decline are the drop-off of dance within statutory education, and government rhetoric about dance being a ‘low value’ subject. Yet, against the odds, these courses are flourishing.
Laine Theatre Arts has just successfully achieved validation for their degree from the University of Portsmouth, with an intake of 120 students per year. Bird College is welcoming their largest cohort to date this September and is in the midst of a curriculum review with plans to expand provision further. London Contemporary Dance School has refreshed their degree responding to the needs of the performing arts sector by offering elective industry pathways. Trinity Laban is extending their international reach and is seeing particular growth in their musical theatre degree. And Northern School of Contemporary Dance has just achieved degree awarding powers.
Having also seen many of these courses’ end-of-year shows, it's clear that they are producing performers of the highest quality. But, with arts funding under such pressure, will there be sustainable performance careers for all these young dancers? As the YFX panellist reflected, it's critical that graduates have more than one string to their bow.
ISTD’s Commitment
My experience at ISTD has reinforced my belief that teaching dance is a viable alternative pathway, which can complement a performance career. Each year we qualify in the region of 500 dance teachers, who go on to careers as freelance teachers, dance school owners, examiners, and HE lecturers – making ISTD the largest dance teacher training provider in the UK. But we are ever mindful of the barriers to accessing and progressing in dance and the financial pressures associated with dance training. So, we want to ensure that as many dance students as possible can graduate with a teaching qualification alongside their degree, thus strengthening their future career prospects and building the future dance teaching profession.
To further our commitment to creating an inclusive and diverse dance profession, we have also recently launched the Diploma in Teaching Community Dance, designed to support the planning and development of creative projects whilst also ensuring safe and inclusive practice. This is currently being delivered by ISTD Academy: More info here. This will soon be available for delivery by other providers.
