Exploring a new dance leadership qualification

English Dance and Song Winter 2022

This article appears in English Dance and Song, the magazine of the English Folk Dance and Song Society. The world’s oldest magazine for folk music and dance, EDS was first published in 1936 and is essential reading for anyone with a passion for folk arts.

Consultation closed on 31 January 2023. 

Over the last two years, the English Folk Dance & Song Society has been working on a new qualification in dance leadership – and we want your feedback. Laura Connolly, Dance Development Manager, reports.

Approaches to Leading Dance in Community Contexts is one of a new suite of qualifications for dance leaders of any genre working within the community. It has been developed by Participatory Arts Qualifications (PAQ), a new organisation established in 2021 by People Dancing (the Foundation for Community Dance), working in collaboration with a few key organisations, including EFDSS.

EFDSS and PAQ have worked together over the past few years to create an offer that would be the best possible fit for folk dance practitioners – including teachers, leaders and callers. In doing this, EFDSS is responding to many calls from the folk dance community over recent years for appropriate training for practitioners. We must emphasise however, there are no plans to make this qualification compulsory for anyone working in folk dance. Rather, we hope this qualification and accompanying course will support the strengthening of practice and provide a nationally recognised qualification (Ofqual accreditation is pending) for those who wish to achieve one – potentially opening doors to working beyond the folk dance scene, such as in community settings and schools.

Qualification modules

The Level 4 qualification (the same level as the first year of an undergraduate degree but not the same ‘size’) comprises eight modules covering areas such as Inclusive Practice, Teaching and Learning Theories, Safer Dance Practice and Creative Approaches to Dance with Groups of Diverse People, which was created with folk dance practitioners in mind. All eight modules are also available as individual awards.

The modules are:

1) Legal Compliance for Participatory Arts Practitioners – eg insurance; safeguarding; duty of care; health and safety.

2) Professional Practice for Participatory Artists – includes codes of conduct; creating project proposals; CVs; budgeting; income generation; marketing and applications
for work.

3) Inclusive Practice for Participatory Artists – principles and practices for counteracting discrimination faced by people outlined in the UK Equality Act 2010 who have ‘protected characteristics’ (eg age, disability, gender, race). Topics include cultural awareness; identity; language; modelling positive behaviours; resources.

4) Teaching and Learning Theories for Dance in Community Contexts – introduces relevant teaching and learning theories, styles and strategies.

5) Structure, Planning and Progression for Dance in Community Contexts – planning and structuring a dance session in a community context, which enables progression for participants.
6) Assessment, Reflection and Evaluation for Dance in Community Contexts – using self-reflection, assessment and evaluation as mechanisms for raising standards of participatory dance.

7) Application of Safer Dance Practice – knowledge, skills and understanding of safe and effective practice in relation to dance in community contexts with a specified group or individual. Covers basic anatomy, physiology and biomechanical principles; dance leader safety; risk assessment; hydration; nutrition; fatigue; overwork and active rest; minimising injury risk and managing injury; identifying health issues.

8) Approaches to Dance with Groups of Diverse People – the management and delivery of dance activities when working with groups of diverse people. This was developed with EFDSS to reflect that folk dance activities often involve people of different generations and abilities and in varied contexts. Content includes disability and cultural awareness; gender stereotyping; building trust and empowering participants; safe practice; environment and context; creating access, including use of language, images, pace, communication; resourcing
and supporting delivery; the principles of managing diverse groups of people.

Modules will be assessed by PAQ in a variety of ways such as:

• Online multiple-choice questionnaire – eg questions about professional compliance and safe practice.
• Written assessments ranging from 1,000 to 2,000 words – eg a project proposal including a budget and risk assessment.
• Filmed examples of work – eg learner delivering a warm up or cool down activity demonstrating safer dance practice in relation to their dance style.
• Designing documents – eg creating marketing materials such as a web page, social media post, paper flyer and e-newsletter, which the learner would use to advertise their dance sessions.

Pilot course delivery centre

We are delighted that EFDSS has been invited by PAQ to be a pilot course delivery centre. This means that for the initial cohort of learners, the assessment will be free, saving £600 per person. We are also working hard to make the cost of the supporting course as reasonable as possible. Our pilot course will involve a small cohort of around six learners and will be delivered as a blended model of face-to-face learning, online tuition and self-directed study.

We are currently consulting with the folk dance sector as to the level of potential interest in this qualification and supporting course. We would be very grateful if you could spend a few moments to complete our online survey. Your thoughts and ideas will contribute to how the course develops in its next stages. 

Photo by Brian Slater: Erin Mansfield calling at Family Barn Dance promoted by the English Folk Dance and Song Society.