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Latest Dance News From IDS
Discover the latest dance industry news and articles in our IDS blogs, which are full of tips and useful information.
First Pointe Shoes
The first pair of pointe shoes is a huge milestone for any ballet dancer. There is so much care, preparation, training and time that goes into the process of learning pointe work, so to ensure the longevity of a dancer’s time en pointe it is important they work hard and not cut corners. Read More
English National Ballet School announces partnership with CW+
English National Ballet School has announced a new partnership with CW+, the official charity of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, to share the School’s performances to patients both in-hospital and isolating at home. Read More
Image Credit: "Chelsea and Westminster Hospital" by duffs100 is licensed with CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, click here
Dancing for Life
For any aspiring dancers amongst your students, their passion for dance means their parents or carers must also be invested, to enable the student to follow their dreams and help make them a reality. Read More
Image Credit: "Galit and her Classic Ballet Class" by Flavio~ is licensed with CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, click here
Returning to Dance after a Break
It might be possible to think of a life in which you did not dance. However for many dancers and teachers, a break from their passion is exactly what they need. Stopping dancing for a period of time could be due to a number of reasons, the most common being injury. Read More
Working Hard in your Dance Classes
Young or old, old or new, it is important that dance students work hard in their classes, be it tap, ballet, modern, and everything in between. A new dance class will inspire increased concentration and commitment due to the novelty of the new technique, teacher and class mates. Read More
Sadler’s Wells announces new Artist Residencies programme
Sadler’s Wells has announced an open call for a new Artist Residencies programme, available to artists with five years’ experience or more, and artists who have recently embarked on a career in dance. Read More
Support for dance teachers
As the UK is gradually edging out of its lockdowns, there are still many instances of support available for dance teachers and their businesses. Read More
Returning to Dance after an Injury
Injuries, for dancers or teachers, are the worst things that can happen. Using your body for your craft means that any ailment that is detrimental to this can have huge repercussions. If you do sustain an injury which prevents you from dancing, it is important that you do your upmost to repair the body fully and return in a safe and sensible manner. Read More
Image Credit: "strengthening" by tenobre is licensed with CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, click here
Beginning a Dance Course
For many, the beginning of a dance course, either at college or in higher or further education will spell an exciting time. It will mean lots of hard work and dedication to the course, however there are certain things fresh new students can do to enhance their learning and enjoy the new course as much as possible. Read More
Image Credit: Teo_ladodicivideo is licensed with CC BY-NC-ND 2.0. To view a copy of this license, click here
Dance: The Benefits
Dance, and exercise generally, have many obvious physical benefits, however less attention is paid to those mental benefits that occur as a result too. Read More
Stretching The Limit
Dancers are renowned for their flexibility, and to many non-dancers, the main aspect that defines 'a dancer' is whether they can do the splits or not! It is without question that dancers have an increased range of movement in comparison to the average person, and often dancers coincidentally have a natural flexibility aside from that as a result of their training. Read More
Motivating Your Dance Students
The choice to dance is a very conscious one: as a hobby or as a profession, dance requires huge personal effort. Usually this effort is one we don't even acknowledge as our passion for dance makes the effort so natural, however sometimes that effort required can be too much. Whether for personal, physical or economical reasons, sometimes dance can fall to the bottom of the priority list for dance students. Read More
Ten Professional Ballet Schools Pledge Continued Support For Students
Following a joint statement issued in summer 2020, ten of the UK’s leading professional ballet schools have announced a unified message of support and reassurance as hundreds of prospective students consider applications for places on programmes starting in September 2021. Read More
Barre for Rehabilitation
For young dancers the ballet barre can be an unappealing place, without realising that it provides the basis for all their work as they become better dancers. The barre continues to support dancers even when their training or performing has become stilted, perhaps through injury, providing rehabilitation back into normal working practice. If you are recovering from an injury, have an ongoing condition, or just want to add gentle, low-impact movements to your fitness regime, a ballet barre workout could be ideal. Read More
Scottish Ballet Brings the Health Benefit of Dance in 2021
Scottish Ballet has launched an expanded programme of ballet classes, community engagement programmes and health resources to bring the benefits and joy of dance to everyone this new year. Committed to connecting with communities, Scotland’s national dance company is offering a range of ways to improve physical and mental wellbeing, help alleviate stress on the body, and use creativity to inspire audiences of all ages. Read More
Goals For The New Dance Term
The new dance term is back with a vengeance for all students out there. Whether it is online or in the studio, the ‘back to school’ feeling has truly settled and dance students should now be hitting into their new term of classes. Many students like to set themselves personal goals for the term or year ahead, something to aim towards and set their sights on for their own sense of achievement. Read More
Training For Dance
When you think about a dancer, what might come to mind? Physically fit, athletic, stylish, skilled. Despite these positive accolades, more and more dancers - both amateur and professional - are realising they cannot just be fit to dance. Cross-training for dancers is very much in vogue, encouraging them to increase their overall fitness as a way to complement their work and increase their ability. Read More
When Should Difficulty Override Execution?
It is widely argued that difficulty should never come before the execution of a dance move or combination. Whilst high level competitions demand more and more from competing dancers, ultimately it is more important to execute the movement well and with high quality, rather than struggle with something that is too challenging. Read More
Becoming a choreographer
In the role of a choreographer, the main responsibility is to create movement for a certain brief, be it personal or professional. A choreographer might be commissioned to create routines and movement sequences for singers, bands or even dance companies, creating effective work to suit the subject matter. Many dancers aspire to create and become choreographers, preferring this to performing on stage. Read More
Using yoga to become a better dancer
Many dance students supplement their training with alternative practices, in order to aid their development as a better and stronger dancer. A popular practice is yoga, providing many benefits for dance students, and may be something you already offer as part of your timetable. Read More
Dance studio dilemmas
Any dancer can feel the pressure within the dance classes they take, from beginners right up to professional levels. These pressures can be formed as a result of the dancer's own anxiety, from their peers and even their dance teachers. Pressures can be a result of injuries, aspiring to an 'ideal' body shape and even changes in the behaviour of dance teachers. Read More