Dance moves centre stage for more young people thanks to new link between schools and the dance world
60/08
24 June 2008
Body popping, polka and pirouettes will be available for many more young people across England, under plans to develop stronger links between schools and dance providers, Culture Minister Margaret Hodge announced today.
More than £100,000 has been set aside to enable Youth Dance England to continue their work as part of the PE and Sport Strategy for Young People, providing greater dance opportunities for young people. The Dance Links Scheme enables more schools and specialist colleges to link with local dance schools and professionals to provide a variety of dance experiences for their pupils.
Speaking at an event to celebrate the National Youth Dance Festival, taking place in London from July 5th-13th, Culture Minister Margaret Hodge said:
“Dance is a fantastic form of exercise and a brilliant art form that combines creativity with rigorous training.
“Young people love to dance. It is already the second most popular form of exercise in schools and its popularity is increasing thanks to programmes such as Strictly Come Dancing.
“Today’s announcement means that more young people will be able to experience high-quality dance opportunities, whatever their background and wherever they live so that they may go on to be their generation’s Darcey Bussell.”
The plans build upon the £5.5million announced earlier this year to improve dance through a range of initiatives. This included the strengthening of Youth Dance England, who have been charged with providing leadership and focus for dance both inside and outside of schools, as well as delivering a national strategy for dance across both sectors.
The National Youth Dance festival’s public performances and screenings will take place across the capital. It is anticipated that 34 groups and more than 500 young dancers from all over the country will perform in the National Youth Dance Festival, some at prestigious London venues The Peacock Theatre and the South Bank Centre. However, there will be a host of other workshops and classes in which young dancers from all over England may participate.
Two pieces of dance have been commissioned by Youth Dance England to celebrate the festival. Entitled ‘Margaret’s Minute Moves’, these two one-minute solos have been specially created and performed for this reception by exceptional young dancers James Cousins (aged 19) and Stevi Garwandoe (aged 19).
Linda Jasper, Chief Executive of Youth Dance England said:
“This newly-announced £100,000 for Youth Dance England will be used to allow more dance artists and providers to relate their work to schools, building links and increasing the amount of high-quality activity available to young people. The funding will be focused on School Sport Partnerships that have still to meet the Government’s 5-hour offer.”
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Notes to Editors
1. A £5.5 million boost for dance was announced by Culture Secretary Andy Burnham and Schools Minister Andrew Adonis on 17 March 2008. 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 art form 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.
2. 86 per cent of pupils participate in at least two hours a week on high quality PE and school sport in a typical week - up from an estimated 25 per cent in 2002 (Source:2006/07 DCSF sport survey).
3. Dance was the second most commonly offered activity - (96 per cent of schools) (Source: 2006/07 DCSF sport survey).
4. Participation in dance has increased by 83 per cent over the last four years (Source: Arts Council England).
5. Dance is second only to football as the most popular activity of school children (Source: PE and School Sport Club Links scheme).
6. 17 per cent of participants in Youth Dance England’s current projects are from backgrounds other than White British (compared to 10% BME population figures for the UK).
7. The number of students taking GCSE dance has increased by 125 per cent from 7,003 in 2001 to 15,750 in 2005
(Source: The Assessment and Qualifications Alliance).
8. For further information about Youth Dance England or the National Youth Dance Festival, please contact Martha Oakes at Martha Oakes PR on 020 8854 5460 / 07798 626555 or martha.oakes@btconnect.com.
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