What good is the sparkle of Strictly if young people in Britain aren’t getting the chance to dance? | Shirley Ballas
R.The government has promised Put the creativity again At the heart of school life, and people in the arts sector who were carrying out campaigns to change the curricula for years, they will soon learn how dangerous it is. For those who work in dance, post Temporary review report In the coming weeks, it will be a particularly big problem – or at least, it has the ability to be.
Every day we are lucky enough to see how dance changes life – how it makes us more healthy, healthy and more confident, and how it takes us to new worlds, gathered together, keeps us active, physically and mentally. the The social value of movement and dance The report found that participating in the highly dance mental luxury of 1.2 million participants, and resulted in less than GP visits and psychotherapy by 430 million pounds in the field of physical and mental health. Decally, movement and dance are found to reach girls, women, women and those with disabilities equally or better than any other forms of activity.
Throughout my life, first as a child’s dancer, then as an adult competing all over the world, I saw how dance inspires creativity and turns people’s lives, but there is a cost. People have always told how my mother worked her fingers so that she can get the wonderful layers and costumes that I need to participate. It was hard after that, but, in many ways, it is more difficult for children today – not only because of the financial cost, but because of less opportunities. As Minister of Culture, Lisa Nandi, He said last year: “Talent everywhere, but the opportunity is not.”
For all the clear benefits that bring It comes in accurate danceDance in Britain today is in a stagnation, and a generation of young people is deprived of the experiences of promoting life that brings it. Dance may flourish in the private sector, with large numbers constantly from Young people shareBut all of this disappeared in the sectors of legal education and meanings. Only 16 % of schools decreased only students for GCSE dance and its entries by 59 % since 2008, to 6723 posts only in 2024. Likewise, dance entries at the A level decreased by 58 % to 960 posts only in 2024. Dancing is a phrase The legal part of the PE curriculum in the main stage 1 and 2 (5-11 years), but it is not often taught, and where dance is usually presented by the non-specialist.
It is usually understood that focusing on “basic topics” and “knowledge -based approach” led to the erosion of creative and practical topics, especially dance.
The government can put this right by providing a curriculum that allows dance to do what it does brilliantly – inspire unique opportunities for creativity by making children try the movement and use their imagination to create and interpret stories in new ways. For me, this means promoting it to a basic topic capable of attracting the attention of the curricula from the schools he deserves – and students – really.
But the realization of the dance power is not only related to the development of a curriculum. The government’s policy and funding must go further to recognize these broader opportunities to influence the lives of people and the nation outside the world of education – from Mental health improvementsTo Enhance confidence For young people, Preventing cardiovascular diseaseHelp Weight loss and Reducing social isolation. Dance It was described as a great power This is exactly what is for me and many other people.
The dance sector should also play its role. This is why I act as president of the imperial association for dance teachers (ISTD) by urging the sector – and everyone who understands the dance power and its capabilities – to meet with its growth and future development.
ISTD is one of the largest dance councils in the UK, but we do not have all the answers. Therefore, we are committed to cooperation with dance agencies, companies, places, schools, policy makers and financiers, to learn from what he succeeds, and to innovate to build a dance sector in which everyone can, regardless of who they are, access to dance. We are ambitious because we want to make the entire Britain on its feet and dance.
There is a lot that we can, as a sector, to do to build on these aspirations by drawing maps of everything that is already happening in dancing, and improving the world’s use of the benefits of what we do. Throughout the country, we see studios become dance centers, and teachers who work together, build relationships and conduct links with schools and community groups. We can build on these wonderful foundations by practicing our own creativity, and reaching new exciting ideas.
Those who are interested in dance must demand a commitment from the government to develop a wide and balanced school curriculum that recognizes and appreciates its creative and physical benefits. We want to see every child provides an opportunity to try a high -quality dance performance before reaching the end of the main stage 3 to inspire both dancers and fans in the future. Schools It must be supported to communicate with local dance experts and institutions. Each school must have a specific dance policy in its place, monitor dance education, and provide opportunities for children to achieve dance qualifications with clean, safe and appropriate facilities for the purpose.
We look forward to the results of reviewing the curricula and working with the government to help in realizing the full range of what we know can really provide: Britain equipped, healthy, happier and more confident.
