Shall we dance?

A report on Vocational Dance Training in Ireland

by Anna Leatherdale Victoria Todd

CONTENTS Page

Section 1 Introduction 8 1.2 Process 8 1.3 Terms of Reference 9 1.4 Structure of the report 9

Section 2 Pre-vocational training 10 2.1 General context 10 2.2 Theatre dance styles 10 2.3 Teachers 10 2.4 Cost of tuition 10 2.5 Examination fees 10 2.6 Performance opportunities 11 2.7 Irish Junior Ballet 11 2.8 Northern Ireland 12 2.9 Opportunities for professional development 14 2.10 Non-syllabus classes 14 2.11 The Billie Barry School 14 2.12 Traditional Irish dance forms 15 2.13 Advanced training 16 2.14 Dance in schools 16 2.15 Irish Youth Dance 16 2.16 Ulster Youth Dance 17 2.17 Siamsa Tire 19 2.17.1 Siamsa na nÓg 19 2.18 Summary 20 2.19 Recommendations 20

Section 3 Full-time training provision In Ireland 23 3.1 Historical perspective 23 3.3 The College of Dance 23 3.4 The Gibson-Madden School of Dance 24 3.5 Firkin Crane 24 3.6 Inchicore Vocational School 27 3.7 Sallynoggin Senior College 27 3.7.1 Course structure 28 3.8 The Dance Studio Bangor 29 3.9 University of Limerick 29 3.10 Overall considerations 32 3.11 Summary 32 3.12 Recommendations 33

Section 4 Full-time training provision abroad 34 4.1 Context 34 4.2 Issues pertaining to full-time dance training 34 4.2.1 The issue of age 34 4.2.2 Focus on educational attainment 34 4.2.3 Relevance of course choice 35 4.2.4 Course choice 36

4.2.4.1 Central School of Ballet 36 4.2.4.2 The Laban Centre 36 4.2.4.3 Laine Theatre Arts 38 4.2.4.4 London Contemporary Dance School 38 4.2.5 Training in an international context 38 4.2.6 Opportunities for performance experience 38 4.3 Incentives to return home 39 4.3.1 Shawbrook 39 4.4 Northern Ireland 40 4.5 Summary 41 4.6 Recommendations 41

Section 5 Funding 42 5.1 The cost of courses 42 5.2 VEC courses 42 5.3 The private sector 43 5.4 Career guidance and information 43 5.5 Sources of funding - Northern Ireland 43 5.6 Ireland 44 5.7 Arts Council bursary scheme 44 5.7.1 Use of funds 44 5.8 Parental contributions 45 5.9 The Interim Funding Scheme 45 5.10 The Dearing Report 46 5.11 Potential sources of funding in Ireland 46 5.12 Summary 47

Section 6 Monitoring and Accreditation 48 6.1 The Council for Dance Education and Training 48 6.1.1 Initial criteria 48 6.1.2 Relationship to the profession 48 6.1.3 The process 48 6.1.4 Cost 49 6.1.5 Relationship with funding 49 6.1.6 Number of courses and applications 50 6.2 Accredited foundation courses 50 6.3 Difficulties related to the accreditation process 50 6.4 Options for Ireland 50 6.5 TEASTAS 51 6.6 Transition Year Programme 52 6.7 The Leaving Certificate Applied 53 6.8 Dance in Education 54 6.9 Summary 54 6.10 Recommendations 54

Section 7 Opportunities for Ireland 55 7.1 Historical context 55 7.2 Need for action 55 7.3 Future provision 55 7.3.1 Students 56 7.3.2 Teachers 56 7.3.3 Course Director/Artistic Director 56 7.3.4 Course content 56 7.3.5 Physical infrastructure 56

7.3.6 Administrative support 57 7.3.7 A music policy 57 7.3.8 Resources 57 7.3.9 Finance 57 7.3.10 System of public accountability 57 7.3.11 A recognised qualification 57 7.4 Short-term recommendations 58 7.5 The private sector 58 7.6 Youth Dance 59 7.7 Long-term recommendations 59 7.8 Location 60 7.9 Teacher training 60 7.10 Qualifications framework 61

Section 8 Conclusion 62 8.1 A continuum of practice 62 8.2 Recommendations 63 8.3 Northern Ireland 64 8.4 Joint recommendation 64

Appendices 1 Providers of written and oral evidence 65 2 Documentation 67 3 Example questionnaire to professionals 68 4 Example questionnaire to students 69

Figure 1 Bar graph prioritising student's reasons for course choice 35 Figure 2 A continuum of practice 62

Acknowledgements The issue of full-time vocational dance training occurring in Ireland and Northern Ireland is one that is important to the dance community at this time. This has been clearly reflected in the supportive and generous way that all participants have assisted in this study. We are extremely grateful to all those who have contributed to this process. Our particular thanks are extended to Gaye Tanham, Dance Officer at the Arts Council and her colleagues for accommodating our many meetings and requests. We also wish to thank Ciaran Woods who facilitated our safe journeys between the islands. We hope that this report will provide the Arts Council, the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and the Dance Community with realistic and accessible options for a way forward so that vocational dance training can be developed to support a thriving and distinctive dance culture.

Biographies Anna Leatherdale has a broad range of experience across the fields of performing arts and education. Trained initially in classical ballet she worked as a community dance and drama teacher in Devon before undertaking an MA in Dance Studies at the Laban Centre in London. While studying she recognised the difficulties faced by dance and drama students in Britain to secure funding for vocational training. She extended her studies to include politics and education while at the same time pursuing a vigorous campaign on behalf of students seeking to obtain discretionary awards. On the completion of her MA she was employed by the Council for Dance Education and Training (CDET) for her expertise in research and policy writing. While working for CDET she put her knowledge of dance, education and politics to good use on the revision and implementation of CDET's accreditation system and on lobbying for changes in government policy She now works as an independent arts consultant with ViTAL Arts.

Victoria Todd was Director of the Council for Dance Education and Training UK for five years until January 1998 when both she and her colleague Anna Leatherdale set up an independent arts consultancy - ViTAL Arts. In the past she has worked in a number of international arts organisations namely, the United Kingdom Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works, The Tate Gallery and UNESCO. From her training in dance as a child through to her directorship of the CDET she continued to pursue her passion for dance. During her time at CDET she worked closely with leading practitioners in the dance world to develop a new system of accreditation, carrying out extensive research to determine the needs of the profession in order to improve the standard of education and training in dance. Her most notable achievement within CDET was to raise the profile of dance at parliamentary level and successfully lobby for changes in government policy leading to a more secure funding structure for the training of young dancers in the United Kingdom.

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 In May 1996 the Arts Council agreed that developments within the professional dance community within Ireland were being constrained by the lack of vocational dance education and training available to young people seeking to enter the profession. They agreed that without adequate education and training to resource that development, a thriving and distinctive dance culture would be limited in its effective development.

To address this concern the Arts Council in collaboration with the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, decided to engage in an independent appraisal of current provision. We commenced this study in the winter of that year. The Terms of Reference for this appraisal are set out at the beginning of this report.

This appraisal follows on from the work undertaken by Dr Peter Brinson and Andy Ormston which culminated in 1985 in the report The Dancer and The Dance1. In this report Brinson stated that There cannot be a significant development of classical ballet or modern dance in Ireland without a national school of good quality2 Yet, twelve years later, no national institution exists for the training of professional dancers. Aspirant dancers still go abroad to find their training and many do not return. This outpouring of talent, the reasons behind it, and its effects on the dance profession in Ireland, combined with thoughts on possible future courses of action, have formed the basis of our work.

1.2 Process We were asked to consult widely within the dance community in Ireland and Northern Ireland and to consider the views and opinions of course providers abroad. We have held group meetings with dance teaching society representatives from the theatre dance and traditional dance forms; visited dance training providers across Ireland, Northern Ireland and within the UK; held meetings with representatives from the theatre dance sector of the dance profession in Ireland; talked with students and their parents; recent graduates; youth group participants and representatives; teachers; representatives from TEASTAS, the Arts Council, the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Irish Actors' Equity We attended the contemporary section of the Arts Council bursary auditions; viewed classes in selected training institutions; attended the Shawbrook summer project; and received written submissions from interested parties. A full list of those consulted are listed in appendix 1.

In addition we undertook background research from a range of publications (listed in appendix 2) and sent questionnaires to Irish students in full-time dance training in Ireland and overseas. The student questionnaire return rate was 94%, thus providing us with a sound basis from which to draw information. Questionnaires were also circulated to members of the dance profession currently resident in Ireland. Questionnaires in this category were returned from 72% of the targeted companies and individuals.

A brief interim report was presented to the Arts Council in May 1997 outlining key issues that emerged in the initial stages of the investigation.

1. Brinson, P, Ormston, A The Dancer and The Dance The Arts Council/An Chomhairle Ealaion (1985) 2. ibid. p.46

1.3 Terms of Reference 1. To identify the nature, provision and standard of vocational dance training related to dance performance and dance teacher training in Ireland and Northern Ireland. Consideration will also be given, where appropriate, to training available to Irish students within European Union Member States. 2. To identify potential systems of funding for full-time dance students whether studying at home or abroad. 3. To identify potential systems of monitoring and/or accreditation for full-time courses within Ireland. 4. To consider the existing physical infrastructure currently available within Ireland and Northern Ireland and its appropriateness in relation to full-time training provision. 5. Within the context of vocational provision, identify systems of pre-vocational training that provide applicants for full-time courses, noting the nature and standard of provision. 6. Within the context of vocational provision, consider the influence of dance in education and community/youth dance programmes operating throughout the country and the influence of traditional dance forms on the vocational choices of past, present and intending students. 7. Refer as appropriate to the professional Irish dance performance community working both in and outside the country. 8. To make recommendations with particular reference to appropriate systems of full-time training and related funding systems.

1.4 Structure

The report is presented in eight sections:

Section 1 is the introduction setting out the methodology and the Terms of Reference that underlie this report.

Section 2 describes the level, fields and geographical location of pre-vocational training available in Ireland.

Section 3 describes the level, fields and distribution of the full-time dance training provision available in Ireland.

Section 4 outlines the level, fields and cost of the most frequently selected full-time vocational dance training programmes chosen by Irish students studying overseas. Issues pertaining to full-time dance training in an international context are also discussed here.

Section 5 discusses the cost of current courses and funding options for students studying at home and abroad.

Section 6 discusses the work of the recognised monitoring and accrediting bodies including the work of the Council for Dance Education and Training (UK) (CDET), the National Council for Vocational Awards (NCVA) and TEASTAS. The place of the study of dance in relation to the education system, notably the Leaving Certificate Applied and the Transition Year Programme, are also discussed in this section.

Section 7 outlines the requirements necessary for a successful vocational dance course and discusses possible courses of action in relation to the development of a full-time vocational dance programme for Ireland.

Section 8 provides a conclusion to the report and plots a potential structure for supported development.

An appendix lists those consulted during the course of the work, together with a list of material referenced as part of the study.

Anna Leatherdale, Victoria Todd November 1997

2. PRE-VOCATIONAL TRAINING

2.1 General context Vocational dance training is a specialised activity undertaken by a select number of talented young people committed to pursuing a career as part of the professional dance community. The training required to become a dancer, choreographer or teacher in the field of dance requires many years of rigorous training. Across Europe students in the classical ballet genre usually commence training between the ages of five and eight. Those intending to study it as a serious career option will usually have entered full-time training by the age of sixteen. Those pursuing dance in the contemporary or modern dance genres may start a little later. Most seeking to enter the profession will undertake consistent training on a weekly basis with lessons rising to twice weekly and more frequently as their technical skill and versatility increases. This pre-vocational training is usually acquired in a variety of ways, depending on the dance forms which the young people wish to study.

2.2 Theatre dance styles Pre-vocational training in classical ballet and modern dance is available in many areas throughout the country with a predominance of classes available in the east where appropriate accommodation and the availability of pianists, as well as a higher population, make it easier to sustain classes. There are currently 160 teachers (approximately 90 of whom are registered) teaching Royal Academy of Dancing (RAD) and Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD) syllabi and a further 45 teachers teaching syllabi from the International Dance Teachers Association (IDTA). The RAD alone entered 2,923 children for the junior examinations in 1996 - 908 in Belfast and 2,015 in Dublin.

2.3 Teachers Most teachers are self-employed and work alone, often travelling from town to town on a weekly basis to teach children's classes. While travelling incurs additional expenses for the teacher the pressure of travel on potential students reduces attendance in class. Teachers therefore establish classes in church halls or suitable premises within towns which they visit on a weekly basis, thus increasing the likelihood of children's participation in classes. While a number of teachers might teach more than one of the recognised3 syllabi from the teaching societies mentioned above, very few teach contemporary dance or the traditional Irish dance forms and consequently few students experienced a wide range of dance styles outside the teaching societies syllabi range (ballet, tap, modern, national).

2.4 Cost of tuition Children's lessons are paid for by parents. Classes cost anything from £2 to £6 per lesson and are often charged termly in advance. In addition students will have to pay for specialist clothes and shoes as well as money for costumes if their teacher puts on a performance in which they are included. Few teachers are able to offer financial assistance in the form of bursaries or scholarships for talented students due to the low level of income they sustain from teaching classes. Access to dance classes in this way is therefore primarily for those children who are lucky enough to afford it.

2.5 Examination fees In addition parents are also faced with the cost of examination fees which can occur on an annual or biannual basis. Teachers observed that while the dance classes were often seen by themselves and the parents as an important opportunity for social interaction, there was a perceived national bias towards qualifications. Children and teachers were therefore often encouraged by parents to use the examination structures, and teachers were often keen to comply, owing to the clearly pre-defined structure for teaching and learning that they provide. RAD examinations cost from £16.00 for the primary exam through £20.00 for a middle-range examination like Grade 3 or 4, to £38.00 for an examination at elementary level - the first of the major examinations.

3. Under CDET's Registration scheme five teaching societies are currently recognised as providing comparable syllabi. These teaching societies are the British Ballet Organisation (BBO), British Theatre Dance Association (BTDA), Cecchetti Society, Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD), and the Royal Academy of Dancing (RAD).

2.6 Performance opportunities The majority of students undertake dance classes for pleasure rather than in the serious pursuit of a career in the dance profession. Children start to attend classes as young as three or four years old and the majority fall within the six to twelve years age bracket. Society representatives report a sharp decline in the number of students attending classes once children enter their second level education. Teachers stated that the increasing pressure of school work appeared to reduce participation in class. ISTD teachers observed that children were more inclined to give up classical ballet at this age and pursue their modern classes as they perceived these to be easier, less pressured, and therefore more fun, thereby offering a greater contrast to the pressure of school work.

The majority of dance schools run annual shows in which pupils have the opportunity to perform to friends and family In some areas students become involved with the local amateur dramatic society and take part in performances to a wider audience. Few have the chance to work with professional companies and many will not even have the opportunity to see a classical dance performance live on stage.

2.7 Irish Junior Ballet Irish Junior Ballet was formed in 1996 and produced its first performance in 1997. The aim behind the foundation of the company was to give dance students' studying with a local teacher the opportunity to meet and perform with students from other local dance schools, thus furthering the students' knowledge and experience of dance while giving them 'a flavour of what it might be like to pursue a career on the stage.'4

The company is open to children aged 10 to 18 who are attending a minimum of two hours training per week with a qualified ballet teacher who teaches a recognised syllabus. Company members are encouraged to stay with the regular teachers with whom they train. Irish Junior Ballet aims to supplement the students training, providing participants with the opportunity to take a free (non-syllabus based) ballet class and rehearse work which progresses towards a public performance. In this way participants are given the opportunity to extend and develop their technical and artistic abilities.

Members of the company enter by audition and follow either the junior (aged 10-14) or the senior (aged 14-18) programme. The company currently comprises 18 members, all of whom are female, from the schools of eleven different local teachers. Information about the auditions was publicised in Northern Ireland but no applications were received. All those involved in the close co-operation being fostered between the emergent company and the students' regular teachers are to be highly commended. Too many teachers display a closed, small-minded and possessive attitude to their students, inhibiting their growth and development as young people and as artists. While teachers should be naturally careful to ensure that standards are not compromised in external events, it is also essential that students seeking a potential career in any dance form have the opportunity to measure their ability against the standards of their peers. The careful balance between regular classes with local teachers and participation in what is essentially a master class programme is a healthy combination and should be maintained. Participation in the Irish Junior Ballet programmes give students access to a wider dance community both within and beyond Ireland. This in itself is an invaluable step in students' development and should be encouraged.

Most students in Irish Junior Ballet are Dublin-based but some participants attend from as far afield as Limerick on a weekly basis. Parents pay £6.00 for each weekly session and assist in raising finances towards the annual performance. Weekly payments are used to pay the costs of accommodation hire, and the payment of the teacher and the pianist. Travel costs and clothing for rehearsal and performance are also raised from parental sources. These costs are in addition to the students' regular lessons and again stress the fact that those aspiring to a career in the professional dance field must have personal financial resources in order to do so.

The group has no fixed rehearsal base and uses facilities within the Dublin area as and when they are available. The £8,000 (1997 level5) grant from the Arts Council towards the hiring of facilities and guest teachers has been very much appreciated by the group who have been encouraged both by this and by the private sponsorship they obtained towards their first production. The lack of a permanent rehearsal space is an additional administrative burden to what is already an under-funded and complicated process. The students' opportunity to take class with live music and to work in a non-syllabus based class is of essential value as few students are afforded these chances at any other time. Occasional interaction between participants in the master classes arranged by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and members of Irish Junior Ballet might be of additional benefit to all those involved as it would again broaden the participants' knowledge of dance and extend their connections.

Irish Junior Ballet affords its participants an essential link with the professional world of classical ballet that some of the students wish to enter. While some members of the group wish to progress to careers as classical performers and others to careers in teaching, the majority take part in Irish Junior Ballet because they find enjoyment through dance.

Chances for semi-professional public performances for most students are rare. Since the demise of the Irish National Ballet in 1989 there has be no national classical ballet company and the many Irish students taking classical ballet lessons throughout the country have little access to live classical ballet performances. In consequence they have few accessible role models. This is occasionally offset when dancers from Ireland who have trained abroad return for performances and workshops. At their first public performance held in February 1997 the Irish Junior Ballet performed in a mixed programme with dancers from Wiener Ballet Theatre and pupils from the performing group of the Akademie des Tanzes from Heidelberg/Mannheim, with whom Irish Junior Ballet have established an exchange programme. This programme is discussed under Section 6.

In 1985 Brinson and Ormston reported a feeling of isolation amongst dance teachers working under the banner of the teaching societies. That feeling is still prevalent among the teachers we met within Ireland. Since so many of them work alone, often in rural locations, they have little opportunity for interaction with their fellow professionals. The occasional teachers' seminars organised by the country's teaching society representatives are well attended and form a focal point for interaction within the dance teaching community However, these seminars and congresses are usually restricted to teachers who are members of a particular society Some teachers, being members of more than one society, attend more than one of these annual meetings, however interaction is very limited between members of different teaching societies and there is often unfortunate animosity between individual teachers of different societies. Competition for students on a local basis also acts as a disincentive for some teachers to pass on the full extent of their knowledge to their more able pupils. While these negative factors are the exception rather than the rule, they stifle the development of the dance teaching profession as a whole and a students' search for knowledge about the dance profession in its broadest sense is made harder by the self- interests and bias of a few.

2.8 Northern Ireland Assistance with funding from the Arts Council in Northern Ireland has created the opportunity for greater interaction between dance teachers from all teaching societies. By providing a series of master classes for students capable of major examination level work, the opportunity for interaction between emerging dancers of quality is occurring. ACNI have been disappointed that more teachers have not taken up the opportunity for students to meet and participate in classes in this way and have been particularly saddened that more teachers have not taken the opportunity for themselves to see the structure and content of the master classes. This event could have created the opportunity not only to meet like-minded professionals but to extend and refresh their personal knowledge of the professional dance teaching environment.

4. Irish Junior Ballet Programme, Febuary 1997. 5. £18.000 1998 level.

2.9 Opportunities for professional development Regional dance teaching society representatives in Dublin have welcomed the Arts Council's financial backing for teachers' personal development. Since the introduction in 1996 of the Professional Dance Teachers awards6 fourteen teachers have been assisted by the Arts Council for continued professional development. There is, however, no current structure available to facilitate a meeting for teachers of all dance teaching societies. This is something that might be considered by teaching society representatives in the future in order to encourage greater communication, understanding and support for what tends to be an isolated profession.

2.10 Non-syllabus classes Throughout the country there are also dance classes taking place which are independent of the teaching societies. Some of these classes are conducted by people with little or no formal dance training themselves and pose a potential threat to the welfare of young people learning to dance. Others are run by ex-professional dancers.

2.11 The Billie Barry School The most well known and widely respected school run by an ex-professional dancer is possibly the Billie Barry school which operates from a church hall in the north of Dublin. The Billie Barry Stage School was established in 1964 with one primary aim: - to train students for the working world of the theatre. Within six months the school made its television debut on a children's programme called Seoirse agus Bartly Since then children from the school have appeared in RTE's home produced shows and appear on an annual basis in the Gaiety Theatre pantomime. They have also taken part in films, TV and radio commercials, London West End productions and touring musicals within Dublin.

The school aims to produce an all-round performer capable of working in a musical theatre context. Children commence lessons from the age of four when they start by learning action songs. By the age of eight they are streamed into groups reflecting their ability - some will be trained for the chance to appear in professional productions like the Late Late Show, others will pursue theatre arts for pleasure and will have the opportunity to perform in the school show which takes place at the Gaiety Theatre every third year All students are trained not only in a specific theatre discipline but in the skills necessary for success in a professional theatre context. Audition technique, interaction with other professionals, the discipline of working backstage with a stage manager - are all essential parts of training. Pupils streamed for a potential career on stage are expected to attend lessons in every discipline: tap; ballet; modern; singing and acting. These subjects are not taught under the auspices of a particular teaching society but are based on work judged by the principal, Billie Barry, to be related to the needs of the current trends within the theatre.

The strong emphasis towards an all-round training and the focus on the need for knowledge of theatre discipline are issues central to work in the commercial theatre sector. When discussing the needs of this sector of the profession with choreographers, producers, directors and artistic co-ordinators in relation to other projects, we have been informed that lack of knowledge of theatre protocol and an undisciplined attitude have lost technically able applicants the chance to work in professional productions. The broad range of skills required by performers is also a stumbling block for many who are highly talented in a specific area but unable to support their work with an all-round ability across several different fields. The combination of multi-skilled and well disciplined performers is highly prized within the commercial sector.

Billie Barry informed us that producers of shows either contact the school directly when seeking children for a production or arrange to attend classes at the school where suitable children will have the: opportunity to audition. Most pupils attending the school come from the North of Dublin. Some travel from other areas of the city but very few come from further afield. Class sizes are large, particularly for the younger age groups. Students at even the youngest age who do not respond to discipline and show potential are required to leave the school after a months trial basis. However there is a permanent waiting list for places which increases annually after each pantomime run and after exposure on national television. Pupils' lessons are paid for by parents, or in the case of older students, by themselves.

6. Details of this award are available from the Arts Council of Ireland's Awards & Opportunities booklet, published annually.

The school currently has forty to forty-five 'senior' students aged 16 to 22 (with the majority in the 16 to 18 age group) who attend class twice a week. Ten of these students are male - a very high proportion in a dance context, particularly for this age group. The majority of these students will have been learning at the school since before the age of ten. Approximately half of the senior students seek to follow a full-time career within the theatre. Few students choose to progress to a vocational training school abroad although the school has a policy of directing students who show exceptional talent in classical ballet towards a training more suited to their needs. Billie Barry was not aware that students wishing to study on accredited courses abroad could apply for bursaries through the Arts Council. This is unfortunate as students with potential ability as classical dancers or students seeking further training might have had the opportunity to benefit. However, the principal believes strongly in the need for her students to have the opportunity to train in their home environment and has never pursued the development of a full-time training course because of her belief that young people need to maintain a balanced perspective on their potential career and their place within their communities.

Through the on-going interaction with working professionals, the school is able to maintain firm links with the needs of the industry and devise training related to those needs. Some senior students obtain their Equity cards through working with the pantomime and cabaret and this extends their opportunity to work abroad if they decide to do so. A small proportion take up this option. Within Ireland, senior graduates are limited to working in occasional pantomimes and cabaret and a decreasing number of positions in touring West End productions as these shows now bring their own casts on tour. The continued links with community are therefore important for students as most are unable to make a living in the work in which they have been trained.

The school is unique within Ireland. Nothing like it appears to exist in any other part of the country, therefore opportunities for students wishing to study the musical theatre disciplines and excel in the commercial sector are limited. This is reflected in the numbers of students who apply for bursaries to study on musical theatre courses abroad. (Please see Section 5 - Funding.)

2.12 Traditional Irish dance forms In addition to the classes conducted by teachers working in the theatre dance based teaching societies, further dance classes take place within the traditional Irish dance teaching structure. The two major societies - An Coimisiún Ie Rinci Gaelacha and Comhdháil Múinteoiri Cogail - have international followings. Within Ireland there are 400 recognised teachers through An Coimisiun with an estimated 50,000 students receiving lessons. Like the young people learning within the theatre dance sector the majority of students in the traditional Irish forms are under twelve years of age. Teachers recognise the same challenges posed to pupils by the demands of the education system and report large numbers of students dropping away on entering second level education. However, if retained within the system many students pursue the route that leads them to teaching qualifications recognised by their teaching societies. The popularity of Riverdance and Lord of the Dance has been attributed for the increase in interest in the dance forms by male pupils who An Coimisiun believe have been retained by the organisations change in dress code for male dancers - away from the kilts towards trousers and shirts.

Performance at competitions plays a central part in the Irish dance practices fostered by the two organisations. An Coimisiún holds annual competitions in every parish within Ireland with national and international competitions giving dancers the opportunity to meet and consider the work of their peers. Few professional 'theatre style' performance opportunities have been available before the advent of Riverdance and Lord of the Dance and many participants in Coimisiún activities aspire to a performance profession that before would have been unobtainable. The limited number of performers required for these shows and the worldwide participation in training make performance unobtainable for the majority.

An Coimisiún Ie Rinci Gaelacha was established with the aim of preserving and promoting Irish dancing. To achieve this they seek to train teachers to a high standard and encourage participation on local, regional, national and international levels. They also seek to maintain movements appropriate to the specific dance styles. Over recent years they have noticed an increase in the number of students

seeking to bring movements from dance forms such as classical ballet and modern into their own choreography (developments which are not permitted) and expressed the view that they believed that a number of traditional Irish students would apply for bursaries from the Arts Council for full-time dance training in other dance forms if they were aware that bursaries were obtainable.

2.13 Advanced Training Over the last three years there has been a marked decline in the number of students entering the major classical ballet and modern examinations organised by the teaching societies in the theatre dance fields, and a notable decline in the number of passes achieved by students in the these grades. Teachers in some teaching societies have become increasingly concerned over the last twelve months that results at major examination levels are becoming harder to achieve. There is a perception that examinations have become stricter so that standards that would have previously seen students achieve good marks at elementary level are being met with failure. Some teachers perceive this as a bias against the work of teachers in Ireland and are therefore sending their major candidates to take exams in England. This increases the cost of the examination substantially due to the travel fares involved. It is an issue of serious concern as it marks a further disincentive to students seeking to pursue a vocational dance training and future career within the dance profession. The chart below illustrates the teachers concerns:

RAD major examinations: Candidates successful in Elementary examinations: Year 1994 18 candidates 1995 11 candidates 1996 9 candidates

The ability to display an Elementary or equivalent standard on entry is expected by the majority of vocational dance schools in Britain. Few institutions would preclude a student from auditioning for a place if they did not hold the appropriate examination and exceptions would be made for students from Ireland as the difficulties associated with access to training are acknowledged by most principals. However, the perception within Ireland that students may achieve higher marks if major examinations are taken in Britain is detrimental to the overall dance culture in Ireland and marks a downward turn in attitudes towards advanced level dance training. It promotes the perception that those aspiring to a career in the dance profession are better served outside Ireland and encourages young aspirant dancers to look for training elsewhere.

2.14 Dance in schools Access to dance within the school curriculum is limited. Dance on the national curriculum occurs under physical education (PE) on the school timetable. With few state-supported teachers having any depth of training in the subject it is inevitably overlooked in favour of other PE interests. Occasionally traditional Irish dance forms are imported into schools by teachers practising through An Coimisiún but this happens rarely and progress is hampered by lack of on-going support and discussion on a subject which is essentially an art form, not just a physical activity Only 19% of the students completing our questionnaires said that they had any access to dance in school. Notwithstanding the introduction of a Post-graduate Diploma in Dance at the University of Limerick and the imminent arrival of a revised primary school curriculum, the issue of dance development within formal education remains critical. This is ah essential issue that must be addressed at a national level if dance within Ireland is to be encouraged to grow and develop.

2.15 Irish Youth Dance The Irish Youth Dance Company foundered with the demise of the Dance Council of Ireland which administered and sustained it. There is therefore little opportunity for young people to participate in exploratory and creative dance practice. This" seems anomalous when considered in relation to the on-going development of the contemporary dance scene within the country Research shows that almost a half of the original 25 participants in the 1989 Youth Dance Company went on to full-time vocational

training. Of these seven are now active as performers, choreographers or teachers in the dance sector either in Ireland or abroad. The value of the Youth Dance programme was emphasised by former participants that we interviewed and represented a valuable opportunity to participate in the dance in Ireland for those involved. The programme was valued by participants for a number of reasons, notably:

• the opportunities that it offered for participation in a range of dance forms, thus extending their knowledge and experience • the opportunity to present performances to the public • the opportunity to interact with other aspiring dancers with similar interests, aims, standards and ambitions • the limited cost of participation.

It is unfortunate that these opportunities are no longer available and that the work undertaken by the Youth Dance programme has not been adopted by another organisation.

Early in this study a clear inconsistency became apparent: the majority of young people studying theatre dance in Ireland study classical ballet and pursue the examination structures supported by the major teaching societies. However the majority of young people entering professional vocational training and those graduating into the theatre dance profession as performers choose to study and to work in what are essentially the contemporary dance disciplines. Explanations for this transition have been varied. Some respondents link it with the lack of a conspicuous ballet company within Ireland and the subsequent lack of employment opportunities at home once students graduate; some make a connection to the age at which students commence their training; others say that with increased maturity students see more opportunity for personal expression through the contemporary dance mediums. Whatever the reasons, there is a significant gap between initial pro-vocational training and professional practice across the country.

2.16 Ulster Youth Dance Scheme The Ulster Youth Dance Scheme was formed in 1989 with support from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland (ACNI) from a core of twenty young people between the ages of 14 and 22. The Scheme initially operated out of centres in Armagh, Belfast, Craigavon, Derry, Downpatrick, Enniskillen, Lisburn, Newtownards, Omagh, Portstewart and Strabane. Each centre operated under the guidance of an experienced dance professional. Free introductory sessions were offered to anyone interested in finding out more about the dance activities on offer. Tutor's fees and expenses were paid for by ACNI and the local district councils. Classes occurred on a weekly basis and visiting dance-in-education companies like Ludus, Steps Out and Diversions incorporated work with UYD into their touring schedules. A yearly summer school offered UYD participants the opportunity to audition for and participate in a series of workshops leading to a performance piece. This was particularly valued by participants as it provided the opportunity to experience a wider range of teachers and techniques than was regularly available in their regional area. At the height of its popularity in 1994 over 100 participants took part in the summer school performance choreographed by Royston Maldoom.

However, over the last four years participation in the weekly classes has waned and the number of available tutors decreased. There are now approximately eighty participants in the Ulster Youth Dance Scheme, some meeting weekly, others on a regular but less frequent basis in Armagh, Derry Enniskillen, Strabane and Lisburn. Declining numbers and opportunity to take class have increased the difficulties faced by those young people still wishing to participate in youth dance practice throughout the region. Not to be deterred easily, some UYD participants have formed their own student centred/student led committee to address the difficult issues facing them. The groups' concerns necessarily relate to lack of funding. They have no regular venues to meet in as they are unable to afford studio hire fees. They are equally unable to secure teachers to offer them class as they are unable to provide wages. However, they recognise that without these facilities their chances of remaining a potentially active group diminish significantly They are therefore in the process of negotiating with venues and a number of local teachers to see whether they can find themselves temporary accommodation and tutors. In the meantime they are seeking to legally constitute themselves

into a charitable trust or association in order to more readily attract funding. They are also researching potential sources of funding and have submitted applications to a number of leading national and international charities. Minutes are kept of meetings and members at each meeting delegate responsibility for tasks amongst themselves. All of this is being undertaken by the young people themselves who range between the ages of 14 and 22. They are generously supported by members of the professional dance and theatre communities, however, goodwill is no substitute for effective support and structuring.

Some of the young people are disappointed with the apparent lack of support from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. They appreciate that numbers of participants have fallen since the Scheme's inception, however they noted that they were to some extent dependent on ACNI officers raising the profile of UYD in order to attract new participants every year. Without this support and with the increase in charges for classes, the opportunity to attract new participants becomes more difficult. However, staffing arrangements at ACNI have changed since the Scheme's inception. The Director for Performing Arts has a very full agenda. UYD participants might wish to consider approaching their local arts officers to encourage regional development.

In addition they expressed their concern at the way the last funded summer school had been structured. Sixty members of UYD took part in a summer programme together with sixteen members of the Dance School of Scotland who had all transport and accommodation costs paid for by ACNI. Participants from Scotland were full- time dance students trained primarily in classical dance unlike the UYD members who have limited experience of classical ballet and no opportunity to realise the standards available to students undertaking full-time training. As a result, a number of UYD members felt inadequate and unconfident about participating in classes on a programme designed primarily in a dance form in which they had little experience.

We can see the benefits participants in UYD will gain from learning administrative skills, however Ulster Youth Dance was formed primarily to allow young people within Northern Ireland the opportunity to participate in dance. They appear to be being frustrated in this aim due to lack of support at both financial and administrative levels. From the delegation of eight regional representatives that we met only one had participated in dance outside of a UYD context. None had been interested in dance as a performance medium or as a cultural practice before participation in the UYD programme. Six out of eight were considering the possibility of going on to full- time vocational training as a result of their experience. Without deeper research and analysis (which we hope will be provided by the current Dance Audit being undertaken by Maureen Mackin and John Edmund) we are unable to tell how representative these figures are in relation to the number of young people currently participating in the UYD programme. However it is worth noting that a number of young people have progressed from UYD to full- time training colleges like Northern School of Contemporary Dance and the Laban Centre and are now choosing to return to work as performers and teachers in Northern Ireland. UYD has therefore been an important step in the pre-vocational training structures available to aspirant dancers within Northern Ireland.

The Arts Council of Northern Ireland has been providing help and support for the British Telecom (BT) Festival of Dance, thereby showing its commitment for youth dance within the region to this high profile event. ACNI have committed staff, hall hire and publicity costs to the project in which Ulster Youth Dance groups have participated. Information provided by the Festival organisers states that 'The festival, open to non-professional groups of all styles and cultures, celebrates youth dance by providing a national platform for young dancers.'7 A maximum of eight dance groups, selected from video entries, are chosen to appear at Regional Festivals around the country from which one regional representative group is selected to perform at the national Festival which is held annually in the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London. In 1996 twenty-one video applications were submitted by groups in Northern Ireland. Ten of these went on to the Regional Festival held at Stranmillis College. The entry from St Cecilia's was taken to the festival in London and received a standing ovation.

7. BT Festival of Dance Entry Form, 1998

In 1997 fourteen videos were entered and eight groups took part in the final regional festival at the Waterfront Hall with St Patrick's High School from Co Armagh entering the final festival in London. Continued participation at a high standard by youth groups across Northern Ireland show that interest in Youth Dance is still firmly alive.

2,17 Siamsa Tire Though not falling specifically under the auspices of the our enquiry we feel it important to mention the work undertaken by Siamsa Tire, the National Folk Theatre of Ireland. While traditional Irish dance falls outside our original brief we cannot ignore the resurgence of interest created by what has become known as 'the Riverdance phenomenon'. Interest in Irish dance has grown around the world. At the height of its performance season in London, Riverdance (the show) was prompting an average of six calls a week from members of the public to the Council for Dance Education and Training's office in London, from people wishing to learn how they could obtain a training in traditional Irish dance forms and related theatre skills.

At Siamsa Tire, traditional Irish cultural activities like story telling, music and dance have been developed into a performance medium pre-dating the work of Riverdance. In tandem with the development of this theatre craft a training programme has been devised to promote the skills, knowledge and experience related to the specific areas of the art forms. This training system is one of the most carefully structured and well developed systems of training that we have encountered anywhere. That for the most part there is no charge for this training is equally remarkable.

Siamsa's system of training is based on outreach and distance learning in its fullest sense. While the Siamsa Tire company is based in the Town Park in Tralee, there are two rural satellite training centres. One hundred and twelve students between the ages of 6 and 12 were in training in these centres with eight workshop facilitators between them. The buildings where workshops take place are also used by the local communities for a variety of community based events.

2.17.1 Siamsa na nÓg Training is structured on two three-year cycles. The initial training for young people aged between 6 and 12 takes place in their local community on a Monday evening and is called Siamsa na nÓg . For the first three years the training offered is focused towards traditional dance, music and story-telling related to the local region. The dance styles specifically are based on the work of the dance masters of north Kerry. These cultural activities are integrated to create a new theatre form and are combined with general theatre skills in order to realise the productions created. Young people are given a gradual introduction to each skill and arts practice in forty minute classes. The younger children begin with basic theatre games, progressing through the interpretation of folk tales to selected and simplified repertory material from the company shows. All children then have the opportunity of taking children's parts in the company show in Tralee.

After the completion of the first three-year cycle in the satellite centres students work towards a performance given to their local community. The shows are devised and presented by the young people who use the skills that they have acquired in mime, dance, music and story-telling to the local community about subjects that interest them. These shows are intended to be different from the work put on by the company in Tralee and give the children the opportunity to make their theatre skills relevant to their own contemporary issues.

Where possible students receive individual attention and their learning is progressed from year to year. Throughout their initial three years training, students are assessed every term in every area of study by the workshop facilitators who are also the professional company members. Assessment criteria is well defined and has been devised in association with Leeds Play House and Wakefield College. The result of the assessment process determines who will become part of the local amateur performance company and those who will go on to a further three years training. Students can and do fail assessments and are offered support and guidance on what their options are both in terms of further training and ongoing localised activities.

Those who have been successful in completing the assessment process are invited to continue their training and are given the opportunity to specialise in either dance, music, or story-telling. Classes take place in Tralee and young people are bussed once a week to and from their local areas, thereby having the opportunity to work more closely with the paid professional and amateur members of the performance company While classes continue, there is more focus towards the performance repertoire of the company.

At the end of the second three-year cycle students are invited to audition for the company as local amateur company members. To date over one hundred and sixty local company members exist and regularly take part in company performance. Positions in the professional company are advertised nationwide. Local company members are free to apply for these posts and of the seven current members of the professional company five have trained through the outreach system. Together the professional and amateur company members work with local musicians and traditional artists, keeping alive strong links between the traditions of the region and the work of the company.

Siamsa's training system is commendable for a number of reasons:

• it is well structured and well devised • it has a clear written rationale, philosophy and criteria for assessment • it has a clear understanding of the links between educational practices like assessment in relation to the training process • it fosters the appreciation and development of cultural practice in a community context • theatre skills are developed in a performance-related context • it promotes high but obtainable aims and objectives • training is free

Siamsa Tire exhibits a rounded approach and care for the development of cultural practice which offers a good example to the theatre dance community The consistently supported links between the profession, training and community, coupled with a structured system of professional progression, are to be valued and all those involved in the work of Siamsa Tire should be congratulated. We will refer again to this approach within Section 8 of the report.

2.18 Summary Overall the opportunities for accessing pre-vocational training are dependent upon a number of factors: the dance discipline the student wishes to follow; the availability of a teacher teaching the specific discipline within the students' geographical location; and financial ability to pay for lessons.

This financial imperative over-rides all other considerations. If funds are not available to pay for lessons no matter what form they occur in or where they take place, access to training is precluded.

2.19 We would therefore make the following recommendations:

The Arts Council

• should continue to provide financial assistance for Irish Junior Ballet in the hire of facilities while the programme continues to offer students from different locations the opportunity to extend their knowledge and practice of classical ballet in a semi-professional environment.

• should ensure that the Arts Council's bursary scheme is widely advertised. We recommend that this should include advertisements in the national press or relevant dance-related publications.

• should liaise with the Youth Service with a view to re-establishing a youth dance programme to promote participation in contemporary-based dance practice at minimal cost to participants.

The Arts Council of Northern Ireland

We therefore make the following recommendations:

• should liaise with the Irish Junior Ballet in relation to the master class programme with a view to extending participation in the master classes for the benefit of Irish Junior Ballet participants.

• should liaise with representatives from Ulster Youth Dance with regard to the type of activities they would hope to participate in.

• Ulster Youth Dance should liaise with school's based youth groups with a view to forming a broader association and potentially increasing the numbers of participants in Youth Dance activities on a national and regional basis.

3. FULL-TIME TRAINING PROVISION IN IRELAND

3.1 Historical perspective on full-time training in Ireland In the 1979 Benson report8 and again in the 1985 Brinson/Ormston report9 it was noted that those wishing to make a professional career in dance must go abroad for their training. Brinson/Ormston went on to discuss the establishment of a 'National Dance School', stating that 'There cannot be a significant development of classical ballet or modem dance in Ireland without a national school of good quality.'10 While this recommendation was noted by Mr Ted Nealon, TD, Minister of State for Arts and Culture in 1985 and an approach promised to Mrs. Gemma Hussey, then Minister for Education, no Government support to develop such an institution has been forthcoming. Instead, the Arts Council finds itself in the invidious position of having to allocate overstretched resources to send young people away, in order for them to obtain the training they require to fulfil their potential as professional dance artists and teachers.

However the question has to be asked, why do students continue to go abroad? In 1985 Brinson/ Ormston wrote 'There are very few centres in Ireland which train young dancers to a level which would make them competitive in auditions for classical or modern dance companies abroad and it is against standards abroad that we must look ...to measure professional standards in Ireland. Hence young Irish dance talent continues to be sent overseas to complete its training, often ...never to return.'11 This unhappy situation is still true today While an increasing number of institutions provide foundation level courses young people are invariably going abroad to complete their training. Access to companies directly from schools in Ireland rarely occurs.

3.2 Current provision for full-time training The opportunity to attend a full-time dance course within Ireland is limited in the range, level, standard, course content and geographical availability of provision.

Full-time courses can be divided into three basic categories: foundation level contemporary-based courses, teacher training courses and semi-professional training.

3.3 The College of Dance Since the anticipated closure of the Digges Lane site the College of Dance has been located at Meeting House Lane, Dublin, where it has the use of three dance studios. In the autumn of 1996 there were twelve students attending a two-year foundation course paying fees of £1,800 a year. Most students expected to go on to further studies abroad. The majority of students applied for the course after completing their school Leaving Certificate at 18. Some applied in their Transition Year after completing their Junior Certificate, however this is more unusual. On graduation students tend toward the contemporary dance schools in England. Northern School of Contemporary Dance, London Contemporary Dance School, London Studio Centre and the Higher National Diploma course in Newcastle have all been graduate destinations. One graduate went on to work as an apprentice with Irish Modern Dance Theatre.

While the majority of students come from Dublin others come from as far afield as Northern Ireland, thus incurring additional accommodation costs in addition to their fees. Students arrive with a range of dance experience but all are required to undertake a classical barre at audition, together with a brief class of contemporary in order to assess their flexibility. In addition they are required to perform a two minute solo in a dance form of their choice. A physiotherapy examination is also part of the audition process together with an interview to determine commitment and aptitude for dance training.

On the course students receive classes in classical ballet, contemporary, singing, jazz, and tap. Classes are not syllabus based. A range of workshops are also available from visiting teachers, many of whom are Dublin based members of the Association of Professional Dancers in Ireland. This enables students access to dancers who have pursued the professional training route to their current career. Some teachers have no formal experience of teacher training and rely on their ability and reputation as performers to find them employment in the teaching field.12

8 Ciaran Benson, The Place of the Arts In Irish Education, The Arts Council/An Chomhairle Ealaíon, 1979 9., 10., 11. Peter Brinson/Andy Ormston, op cite

Anatomy was initially part of the course structure but limited finances resulted in its discontinuation. The institution investigated the possibility of developing an academic programme running parallel with the course on a balance of 60% dance and 40% academic subjects, however finance precluded this.

While the teachers and Principal of the school, Joanna Banks, are paid for their teaching time, no finance is available for administration. Consequently all teachers undertake administrative duties ranging from student registration to finance. This is, in our view, a major constraint. Without sufficient finance for an administrator, the Principal and teachers are placed under additional stress as they seek to accomplish tasks beyond their knowledge or capacities. The institution has a printed list of subjects to be studied which is given to students on application, however there is no written course description, aims and objectives, philosophy or clear rationale as to why specific subjects are offered in combination with others. This results in the course appearing as separate isolated parts rather than as a coherent, structured whole. Without time for administration and the opportunity to develop course structure in relation to content this will be difficult to overcome. However without adequate documentation course continuity is put in jeopardy When finances allow we suggest that the College should seek to employ an administrator dedicated to the work of the College, with sufficient background knowledge of dance and educational concepts to develop structures and documentation pertaining to the course as a whole.

3.4 The Gibson-Madden School of Dance, Cork The Gibson-Madden School of Dance is located on the riverfront in Cork. Accommodated in a former warehouse it currently has the use of two studios, one of which has fixed barres, mirrors and a dance floor covering; the other being in the process of construction. At the start of the 1996/97 academic year there were seven full-time students on the course. By the summer of 1997 student numbers had diminished to four.

The school aims to offer a full-time vocational training leading to employment in the dance profession. Fees for the course are £1,600 per year. A performance company - Ballet Theatre Ireland - is attached to the school and provides students with the opportunity to participate in performances which are staged at Cork Opera House. The course is just commencing its third year in full-time operation and therefore there have been no graduates from the full-time course.

Most students on the full-time course have studied with the school on a part-time basis for many years. Students are able to attend classes in classical ballet, jazz/modern, contemporary, character and RAD syllabus classes. There are no supporting academic lessons. Quest teachers provide classes in a range of techniques on a regular basis. As with the College of Dance there is no published course structure, content or rationale provoking the same difficulties as discussed above.

While both Eric Gibson and Mary Madden, the Principals of the school, are Registered dance teachers, the course is not, and never has been in receipt of CDET accreditation, despite literature issued by the institution to the contrary It is essential that students and parents are given access to accurate information. Students must be able to obtain an accurate reflection of their potential and advised of the career opportunities which they are likely to have open to them. To find students aged twenty-one who are on their elementary level in classical ballet hoping to proceed to employment with an international ballet company within a year is unacceptable. This situation is all the more worrying when students are working hard to support themselves financially through their training without adequate careers information to place their abilities in perspective. Cork has for many years sustained a strong and diverse dance culture in relation to the national perspective. Access to dance activity is increasing in the area. We would strongly urge both the school and the students to capitalise on the use of local resources.

3.5 Firkin Crane, Cork Situated in the old converted butter market, the Firkin Crane is fortunate to occupy the only dedicated dance building in the country The course provided at the centre is accessed through the City of Cork Vocational Education Committee (VEC) and aims to provide aspirant dancers with the skills, knowledge and experience they need to gain a place at an accredited course abroad.

12. However, the issue of the regulation of teachers (which falls beyond the remit of this report) has yet to be addressed in order to ensure that teachers are appropriately experienced in the essential skills neccessary for a dance teacher.

In January 1997 there were ten first-year and ten second-year students attending the two-year course. All had obtained their Leaving Certificates prior to joining the course. At entry some students have already participated in up to six years of part-time classes in dance; others have had no previous dance experience at all. There is therefore a broad range of ability on the course and students are streamed in accordance with their ability in each subject. Entry to the course is by audition where students take part in classical ballet and contemporary classes. An interview and an examination by a physiotherapist are also part of the entry procedures. The applicant's academic record is also considered. Criteria for the course is set by the National Council for Vocational Awards (NCVA), however it would be possible in theory to have only a limited amount of dance within the content of the course. The current course operating within the Firkin Crane is carefully constructed, well written, and balanced to the best of its abilities within the confines of the structures imposed by the NCVA.

To achieve an award, students are required to pass eight modules. These must include modules in communication, work experience, four mandatory modules and two general modules. Funding is related to the number of completed modules achieved by each student. The course operates as a Level 2 award but extends over a two rather than a one year period in order to provide students with the opportunity to gain the essential dance skills that they need. Students study classical ballet, contemporary, jazz/modern, choreological studies, composition, anatomy, as well as supporting studies. Due to the methods of student assessment each student is required to undertake an extensive amount of written work. Personal logs are kept on choreography, choreology injury and learning outcomes, all of which are submitted in part fulfilment of the student's assessment. While acknowledging the additional work that written requirements bring to the students, course providers state that the association between the physical and academic assists in the learning process as students are challenged to extend their skills of expression in a variety of ways. Logs also provide a valuable reference resource for students in their later training and education periods, particularly those students who choose to pursue a career in teaching.

Owing to the relatively strong dance environment within the Cork area students are able to benefit from interaction with current professionals, some of whom are used as visiting tutors on the course. Firkin Crane also offers professional classes and part-time classes in dance to the local community This interaction places students on the full-time course in a unique position from which they no doubt benefit, exposing them to professional dance artists while grounding them in their local environment. Most students aim to progress to full-time vocational courses abroad in contemporary dance or occasionally in musical theatre.

The course is well structured and reflects both the requirements of the NCVA and the demands of foundation- level vocational training. The clear aims and objectives provide a focus for the assessment of student learning outcomes. Staff give of their time generously, displaying an openness and commitment to student progression which is discussed at weekly staff meetings which the staff attend unpaid. Their commitment to the course and to the students is to be commended.

The association with the NCVA is both a benefit and, in some ways, a hindrance to the course. The requirements of NCVA criteria tie students to a broad vocational education programme which then limits the time available to acquire experience in specialist practice. While a broad-based education provides many additional benefits to any emerging artist, these are sublimated by the need to acquire technical and artistic flexibility which cannot be acquired until a sound grounding has been achieved. Students in Ireland necessarily commence dance training significantly later than their European counterparts. (Please see the issue of age under Section 4.) They are therefore obliged to gain a firm grounding in technical ability as soon as is reasonably possible. Vocational dance training requires approximately 35 hours practical training a week over a three-year period in order to establish a technical basis which can be expanded upon. Students on the Firkin Crane course can access 24 hours per week, much of which is due to the understanding of the professional requirements by tutors and coordinators associated with their course.

In order to achieve a more appropriate balance between practical and analytical/academic elements to their course NCVA would need to develop alternate systems of assessment. These are well developed on other vocational dance courses throughout Europe and assistance might be sought on how appropriate developments might be undertaken. However, it must be remembered that without NCVA approval the course in its present structure would not exist at all. This would be a loss to the dance community in general, and to those students participating on the course in particular.

3.6 Inchicore Vocational School, Dublin Under the department of Theatre Studies, the Inchicore VEC school in North Dublin provides a course leading to the Royal Academy of Dancing (RAD) Student Teaching Certificate. The course aims to give students a thorough knowledge of all aspects and styles of dance, providing a foundation to those students wishing to pursue further studies, while giving them an opportunity to gain the RAD Student Teachers Certificate.

The students timetable includes classical ballet, contemporary, ISTD modern, kinesiology, as well as supporting lessons in music, dance history anatomy and broader subjects including computer studies and communication. Like other VEC courses the number of hours allocated to the course relates to the number of students in attendance. This has major disadvantages for a dance course where it is not possible to have many students in a class. Nor is it possible to attract many people to a course where so little preliminary provision is available within the state education system. The course, however, is successful in attracting students who come from as far away as Wicklow. In order to maximise the number of allocated hours, first and second year students share classes on a regular basis and the timetable has been adapted to extend the usual forty minute periods into lesson lengths more appropriate to the subject form. With further hours the course could offer a firmer foundation in the practical aspects of dance in which students are currently struggling to gain technical competence.

The course provides access opportunities in dance which are valuable, particularly for the students studying on their Transition Year programmes. (This is discussed further in Section 6.) There are currently twelve first year students, some of whom are attending the course as part of their Transition Year programme. Four students are full-time second years. The age of participants on the course varies widely from the Transition Year students aged 15 or 16 years old, to 22 year old post-Leaving Certificate students. The experience and ability range is also broad with some students attending the course with no previous training of dance while others have gained experience from local private teachers and the RAD or ISTD grade examination systems. Few students, if any meet the initial dance requirements for eligibility to the course, which are Elementary standard in classical ballet, however tutors report that students display enthusiasm and commitment to their chosen subject.

Students have a weekly opportunity to participate in teaching practice in local dance schools operated by private teachers. However owing to the range in ability and experience of dance it might be fair to question whether their level of dance ability makes them appropriate role models for younger dancers.

Students have the potential to graduate from the course with a NCVA Level 2 Certificate in Dance, together with the RAD Student Teaching Certificate. Some of the past graduates have gone on to further vocational training while others have pursued a career in dance teaching in the private sector.

The course should, as a matter of urgency, consider relocating classes to the gym or similar accommodation so that all practical sessions are conducted on a sprung floor. Without this, students are at risk of sustaining injuries.

3.7 Sallynoggin Senior College, Dun Laoighre The course was introduced to the College in 1992 as a Foundation course preparing students for the rigours of full-time professional training. Louis O'Sullivan, director of the former Dublin City Ballet, introduced the course to the college. The Vice Principal, Fred Meaney, supported the initiative as he saw it as a way of filling the gap between the need for long-term vocational training and the rising tide of students leaving Ireland to study abroad. Whilst he recognised the shortcomings of the course in terms of the lack of facilities, contact hours and performance opportunities, he now sees it as a first

rate access course, preparing students for full-time training. The course currently receives funds from both the Department of Education and the European Social Fund.

The two-year programme offers technical performance and presentation skills. Students are streamed to dance at the level appropriate to their experience and standard. Admission is by interview and the ability to prove a clear interest in dance. Some students with very little dance training are accepted onto the course although the course prospectus clearly states the need for some previous training in classical, modern or contemporary technique. Students with a broad range of physiques are accepted to the course and applicants are not required to undergo a physical examination. This policy should be reconsidered in order to ensure students have the physical capabilities necessary to complete the course without undue strain or risk of injury.

At present there are twenty three students taking the course. The Course Co-ordinator, Victoria O'Brien, herself RAD trained, believes the students receive a sound training and encourages her more able students to apply for places at vocational schools with CDET accredited course status in the UK. At present the dance course is inadequately funded. The main dance studio has no sprung floor and therefore poses a risk to students' health and welfare. Facilities on the whole are inadequate. It does benefit from state funding by virtue of it being a VEC course in that the three dance teachers are paid by the Department of Education and the facilities are free.

3.7.1 Course structure Initially the course was loosely based around contemporary techniques but after its first year there was a demand from the students for a more rigid structure i.e. syllabus work. There were complaints that the course lacked any training in technique and there was little or no progression without external assessment, namely through the teaching societies examination systems. A year after the course's inception, the Royal Academy of Dancing's (RAD) ballet syllabus and the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance's (ISTD) modern syllabus were introduced. We were informed that students now receive training in syllabus work for three hours every morning and that free style and contemporary are taught in the afternoon. Other than the short course description provided to applicants no course documentation was available at the time of interview. We were, however, informed that students receive a total of twenty-two hours tuition a week. Without a printed timetable it is not possible to say how much of this time is accounted for by practical classes.

A select number of students are put forward for society exams each year. Students generally strive to reach Elementary or Intermediate and at most only six to eight students take RAD and ISTD exams in any one year, often having to travel to exam centres in the UK. The pass rate for the ISTD exams is extremely good (100% pass rate) but exams results for the RAD are less encouraging.

Once a week students are placed with local dance teachers to gain teaching experience as this is the career path a number of the students wish to follow. Fortunately two of the course teachers at Sallynoggin have private dance studios where students are able to gain teaching experience. As with the students at Inchicore, consideration should be given as to whether these students with limited dance ability provide appropriate role models in dance.

The Course Co-ordinator is frustrated by the tendency of a number of private dance teachers who do not encourage their students to 'progress' to other dance courses. She believes there is still a tendency for teachers to want to 'hold on to' their pupils so that the students sit their major exams under the teacher's own name. From interviews it would appear that competition between private teachers is rife and unless they encourage their students to progress onto 'pro-vocational' or vocational training, the standard of dance in Ireland will not progress.

3.8 The Dance Studio, Bangor The only full-time training course available within Northern Ireland is located at The Dance Studio which is run by Graham and Nicola Drake in Bangor. Opened as a full-time course in 1996 in purpose built premises, the course offers an intensive timetable for the six students currently in attendance. Lasting three years, the course offers a broad range of subjects including classical ballet, jazz, tap, contemporary, body conditioning, anatomy and classes associated with the requirements of the teaching societies associate examinations. The course initially made application for accredited status to the Council for Dance Education and Training (CDET) at its inception, however CDET requires courses to have been in operation for a minimum of four years before an assessment can be made. Consequently the Drakes have been unable to apply and students studying on the course are ineligible to apply for discretionary awards or additional funds through the Arts Council of England's Interim Funding Scheme. Students must therefore find the Stg£2,400 per year course fees through some other means.

Entry to the course is by audition which includes a physical examination, ballet class, jazz class, short solo choreographed by the applicant, and an interview. Students are assessed on their current ability and potential. All students are required to study towards the RAD Teaching Certificate and ISTD Associate examination. Supervised teaching practice is therefore an integral part of the course. Students, who are aged between 16 and 18 generally attend classes from between 8.30am to 8.00pm with time off for lunch and occasional breaks. This is comparable with timetables in other full-time vocational courses in England. The course aims to produce graduates who can find employment within the performance sector of the profession, as well as having recognised teaching qualifications as a fall-back position. It is intended that students will also graduate with an NVQ Level 2 in "Activity Delivery to Adults" in relation to Laban technique. This is an innovative way of attracting additional funding to the course.

The one available studio is well equipped but due to the limited facilities the institution does not intend to take more than eight students on the course. This guarantees one to one attention, and student progression from first year to second year level of attainment was clearly apparent from the class we observed. Second year students on the course were significantly more secure in their technical development and further advanced in their artistic presentation than their first year colleagues and showed a standard of attainment similar to students attending the second year of accredited courses in England. It is much too early to say how the standard of student achievement will be affected by the interaction of different ability (first, second and later third year) students within one class. However the well constructed timetable and the clear thought about the balance of course content indicate that these issues had been given consideration.

Students on the course were realistic about their abilities and opportunities within the profession. All students sought to become professional performers but recognised that much depended on their ability to develop sufficiently to compete with international counterparts. Teaching qualifications were seen as a useful 'insurance policy' for later career opportunities.

Students had been attracted to the course from across Northern Ireland with one student commuting home each weekend. Opportunities to see any form of dance performance are strongly encouraged by the institution and students are encouraged to participate in appropriate master classes or performance opportunities. These are, however limited due to the availability of dance events within Northern Ireland.

3.9 University of Limerick In 1997 the Irish World Music Centre under the direction of the Chair of Music, Dr Micheál O Suilleabhain commissioned an independent consultant to prepare a draft course proposal for a Masters programme in Contemporary Dance. The proposal was part of a six-part development being considered by the University into the creation of a Post-graduate Institute for Performing Arts - PIPA.

The consultant's proposal focused on the development of a programme which would function primarily as a performance programme in contemporary dance, with choreography offered as an optional

elective. The programme would include the formation of a student dance company which would conduct public performances, as well as outreach programmes to schools and the wider community. Students on the course would gain access to internationally recognised choreographers and performers through a system of masterclasses and the programme would seek to attract students from an international dance community

In order to establish firm links with the dance profession the course would aim to work closely with Daghdha Dance Company who, together with the Irish Chamber Orchestra, is resident on campus. Similar support would also be available from the artists in the additional proposed PIPA programmes. These would include a dance artist from the traditional Sean nos style who would work in tandem with the proposed Masters in Ethnochoreology Stress was placed on the potential reciprocal benefits to be derived from the presence of a contemporary dance programme in the environment of a contemporary dance company and other complementary arts programmes.

It was suggested that the proposed course would be put before the University's Board for consideration in October 1997 and, if all went well, advertise for students in January 1998. In fact the proposed course has been passed by the Humanities Faculty and has completed the first stage of review under the Academic Programmes Review Committee but it has been decided that to allow time for sufficient development both the proposed Contemporary Dance course and the Ethnochoreology course should not commence before 1999. While neither course exists at the present time this is too significant a development in the Irish dance community to go without mention, especially in the context of this report.

Clearly we cannot begin to comment on the standard of a course that is still being proposed. However we were impressed by the serious consideration that the proposed programme was being given by the Irish World Music Centre. The proposed programme was well structured and the PIPA representatives were prepared to adapt and change in the light of consultation. Their familiar acquaintance with the rigours of third level educational practice, and their vision for a performing arts centre offering the opportunity to inter-relate different strands of practice was exciting and encouraging. The hope was expressed that the development of a post-graduate programme in contemporary dance could have significant implications for the development of dance education across all levels of practice in Ireland and that an under-graduate programme might evolve in time from the post- graduate programme. This is indeed a possibility

We were assured that, although space for such a course is currently limited by the facilities available and in use already within departments of the University, finance for the provision of space might well be forthcoming.

If aspirations for this programme were to be realised it would have a significant impact on dance practice within Ireland. Not only would the physical space required by such a course be a substantial development in the structural facilities within the country, but more significant would be the placement of a vocationally based dance course within the University sector. If the course were to attract not only the international student body it seeks but also the international dance professionals, it would be creating structures comparable with courses in other EU member states which have significantly benefited the dance communities in those countries.

However, this course is, as yet, still only a proposal. We hope that it is seen to fruition as we believe that it has the potential to create, support and nourish the dance community within Ireland. Whether or not an under- graduate programme in dance was to emerge from the post-graduate programme the development of a contemporary dance course through PIPA could provide an essential link in a programme of continuing professional development within the Irish dance community.

While other institutions we visited have displayed some of these characteristics (i.e. structured programming, written assessment processes) it is our experience that more frequently we find essential

combinations of elements lacking. Few institutions have strong links with the profession, a clear rationale supporting course development, and a structured course that values educational elements of the training process. Only the course at Firkin Crane currently has these essential elements in place. 3.10 Overall considerations What can be learned from the provision currently available?

The most striking feature of vocational dance training in Ireland is the lack of Government involvement. Owing to restricted provision within the public sector young people are forced to attend institutions in the private sector where no public accountability is required and where the physical, psychological and mental welfare of students is left to the discretion of teachers, some of whom hold no formal experience of teacher training. The standards of student achievement, quality of learning, course structure, content and management, appropriateness of facilities and student welfare are the responsibility of the course providers who are, for the most part, responsible to no higher authority. While we recognise the need to balance government intervention with the needs of the subject, the total lack of government participation is a sad reflection of the value placed on dance within Ireland.

Only the NCVA courses have connections with any government-recognised body While this has the disadvantage of restricting these courses to the confines of external perimeters (notably numbers of students on the course and the relationship between this and hours available for tuition), it has the advantage of creating wider access to affordable dance training and promoting dance as an acceptable option within the post-Leaving Certificate education field. Government support for dance training is also essential at a social and cultural level. The tendency of dance students to pursue vocational training after completing second level academic studies testifies to this perception of the importance of education within Irish culture and affects not only the dance community as a whole but the individual participants within it. Dance students, like students in most other fields of education, seek validation through a nationally recognised system of qualification. Dance students from Ireland for the most part neither wish to train or work abroad, however lack of opportunity in both fields requires them to do so. Students studying on NCVA courses are advantaged because their course is recognised by state-defined structures. This not only brings the advantage of associated funding to the course but brings recognition that their course of study is valid in relation to cultural and social norms. It is an essential first step for dance and one that we believe must be built upon. To do this requires the co-operation of the Department of Education. 3.11 Summary Full-time vocational training in Ireland is effectively restricted to foundation level courses. Most of these courses occurring in the private sector lack structure and an understanding of the advantages of educational concepts such as assessment. There is little requirement for private courses to offer any form of public accountability for either students' welfare, standards of student achievement or quality of teaching, and students or their parents are largely responsible for their own funding. The standards of student achievement on most courses is variable and bears little relationship to the requirements of the profession in an international context or even to the third level courses which the students seek to enter. Government attention to dance courses is severely limited.

3.12 Recommendations We would therefore make the following recommendations, that: • institutions offering courses in vocational dance training are encouraged to consider the structure as well as the content that they provide. By using educational frameworks to develop curriculum delivery, courses will be enhanced and greater credibility gained with the relevant government departments • the NCVA consider the needs of the vocational dance training field with specific reference to the allocation of hours and numbers of students in relation to funding • the NCVA consider the need for the course at the Firkin Crane to gain recognition from a professional body in the dance field • the Government consider their responsibility for vocational dance training provision. While the majority of dance training that occurs within Ireland takes place at (he-students' expense we question the role of the Government and its responsibility for overseeing the development of courses in relation to the mental/physical/psychological well-being of its citizens

13 Information gathered informally at the European Dance Students Conference (EDsC) in 1994

4. FULL-TIME TRAINING PROVISION ABROAD

4.1 The majority of Irish students seeking to enter (he dance profession follow full-time vocational training programmes abroad. In order to gain information on courses pursued by students in training we interviewed Arts Council bursary candidates and students attending foundation courses in Ireland. In addition we circulated questionnaires to Arts Council dance bursary candidates and students studying on courses abroad and in Ireland. Ninety-four percent of the completed questionnaires were returned. (For an example questionnaire, please see Appendix 3.) The following information has been extrapolated from the data provided.

4.2 Issues pertaining to full-time dance training

4.2.1 The issue of age Dance education and training is a highly specialised area of practice, even within the context of the arts. Because the dancer's instrument of artistic expression and interpretation is their own body the development and refinement of the dancer's physical capabilities is crucial. Dance students who wish to be considered for a professional performance career in the musical theatre sectors of the dance field should be in training no later than 16. Contemporary dance students should start at approximately 18. Training for these young people is necessarily intense requiring approximately 35 hours of practical study per week. Without this, students will not develop the muscle memory required to master the technical aspects of performance which then allows artistic interpretation to be effectively cultivated. Years of training are required before sufficient muscle memory can be developed to allow dancers the possibility of extending their performance skills. Therefore, for the young dancer, the period between the ages of sixteen and nineteen are the most crucial in terms of technical, and subsequently, artistic development. This issue of age clashes significantly with the social and legal requirements pertaining to the Irish education system.

Of those students in vocational or pre-vocational training who completed the questionnaires 3% were under 16 years, 6% were 16, 9% were 17, 16% were 18, 12% were 19, and 50% were 20 years or older. 26% had had no previous training before the age of sixteen. This contrasts markedly with the ages of British students entering full- time vocational training in the UK. There, students auditioning for musical theatre and classical ballet courses are usually between 16 and 17 years and those seeking places on contemporary courses between 17 and 19 years, depending on whether they are wishing to follow a degree programme. The advent of an increasing number of degree programmes in the private vocational dance training sector is influencing the entry age of students to a small extent, however students in the UK generally have access to a wider range of high quality pre-vocational training than their Irish counterparts.

Britain is not the only country where the entry age to vocational dance training is lower than Ireland. Students auditioning for vocational courses in France, Germany, Portugal and the Netherlands13 all have similar entrance requirements. This issue of age, combined with Irish students limited access to pre-vocational training places them at a disadvantage in relation to their European counterparts. They are older and less experienced when they enter training and therefore face a greater learning curve with harder physical challenges. To this may be added the increased risk of injury incurred for those performers who start training at an older age. In addition, it should be remembered that the dancer's life as a performer is relatively short. The later a student enters training the later they will graduate, and therefore the fewer years will be available during the period of peak physical performance.

4.2.2 Focus on educational attainment So, why do Irish students pursue vocational dance training at a later age than their European peers? Information collated from questionnaires showed that 74% of students completing questionnaires had successfully completed their Leaving Certificate and 41% had gone on to complete a third level qualification before pursuing full-time dance training. None had participated in the Leaving Certificate Applied programme. When interviewed students confirmed that they were delaying entry to vocational training in order to complete the standard academic Irish education. Many of the students interviewed claimed that the high degree of work required to complete their academic qualifications had precluded

the additional work required to obtain competitive standards in their chosen dance form. The need for parental support in financing a dance training and parental pressure to complete academic qualifications also affected entry age levels.

Of those students seeking to enter full-time vocational training in the autumn of 1997, 39% were applying fee degree courses at vocational training institutions. While the importance of the qualification offered by the course was not given by students as their primary reason for choosing a course (please see Figure 1 below) interviews revealed that the attainment of a degree was a significant influence in their choice and often held the key to on- going parental support. Given that 72% of students questioned were dependent to some degree on parental support for their training, this is an important factor. It also indicates a marked increase in student interest in academic qualifications; only 17% of those members of the dance profession that completed the questionnaires had degrees in any subject.

We strongly support students' attainment of academic qualifications. The life of a dancer is frequently short and can be permanently curtailed by injury Dancers not only need other options within their life but we believe that to be artists of the highest calibre they benefit from being well-rounded and well-educated individuals. The question must therefore be asked, do the requirements of Irish education necessarily preclude the opportunity of obtaining adequate dance experience for those few individuals who wish to pursue dance as a full-time professional career?

4.2.3 Relevance of course choice Reference to the graph (Figure 1 below) shows that course content, facilities/resources offered by the course, qualifications related to the course and graduate destinations are the primary influences on students when choosing a course. Cost, location, duration of course and knowing someone on the course were less significant factors (although knowing someone on the course was prioritised more highly among students attending foundation courses than for the full-time vocational students). Within course content students were primarily interested in the study of contemporary dance, with classical dance attracting the second highest interest, and jazz dance third. (Very few students expressed an interest in traditional Irish dance although this could be related to the wording of the question - please see Appendix 3.) This focus towards contemporary dance is not only reflected in the course choices taken by the students, but in the interest of Irish dance professionals, 46% of whom consider themselves to be engaged in contemporary dance work while 20% are involved in classical ballet. 82% of current professionals wanted to go into the performance sector at the start of their initial training and only 10% into teaching. This is echoed by the current desires of students who also wish, in the main, to enter the performance sector of the profession on graduation. This information is important when considering current and future options for students aspiring to the professional dance sector. To be relevant to student need, courses should offer contemporary and classical techniques focused towards performance. In this respect students current choices are well founded.

Figure 1 Bar graph prioritising students' reasons for course choice. Figures on the left hand axis indicate the percentage of times the option was prioritised within ranking order.

4.2.4 Course choice 14 Of the eleven accredited courses listed in the returned student questionnaire the four most popular choices were the following:

4.2.4.1 The Professional Performers Course at Central School of Ballet The school was established in 1982 and was developed with the aim of producing thinking dancers with a broad range of dance and performing skills. The school produces well trained classical dancers most of whom are successful in obtaining positions in classical companies in the UK or abroad. In order to give students versatility in performance and flexibility in employment, provision is also made for them to study contemporary dance, jazz dance and musical theatre.

Course intake is approximately thirty-five students per year with between 20% and 30% of the student population coming from outside the UK. The artistic director of the school is also the director of Northern Ballet Theatre and there are close links between the school and the company In their third year students take on tour a programme of dances which represent the range of styles studied on the course. This is a semi-professional tour: they perform in professional venues, take responsibility for setting-up and getting out and meet with their sponsors and guests.

Fees for the course are currently Stg £8,736 per year.

4.2.4.2 BA (Hons) in Dance Theatre at the Laban Centre for Movement and Dance The Laban Centre is an institute of higher education whose degree courses are validated by the City University It offers a wide range of vocational and academic courses in dance at sub-degree, degree and post-graduate levels to students aged 18+. The Centre is named after Rudolf Laban, the founder of European Modern Dance. It has always attracted an international, particularly European, group of students who wish to pursue the academic analysis of dance developed by Rudolf Laban .alongside their vocational dance training.

Irish students are attracted to both the BA (Hons) course in Dance Theatre and the similar Diploma course in Dance Theatre. These courses currently have intakes of 55 and 25 students respectively of whom 10% and 20% respectively are from outside the UK. British students have always been attracted by the Centre's focus on choreography as a means of understanding dance as an art form. In all its courses the Laban Centre aims to balance training for the various dance professions with education of the contemporary dancer, choreographer, therapist or administrator

Transitions Dance Company is the Centre's own performance company which changes membership each year. Students from the three year courses together with other applicants from outside the centre are auditioned for the Advanced Performance Course. After some months intensive work in the Centre with a range of invited choreographers the company goes on tour for 5 months, thus experiencing the practicalities of working and performing in a wide range of venues.

Fees for the course are currently Stg £7,500 per year

4.2.4.3 Laine Theatre Arts - Musical Theatre, Performers and Teachers Course Laine Theatre Arts Ltd is a long established and highly respected college for Performing Arts situated in Epsom which is just south of London. In 1995 it had 213 full time-students over 16 years of age and around 450 children attend classes in the evenings and on Saturdays.

It is the aim of the College to provide students with the greatest possible individual attention from dedicated and highly qualified and caring staff. The College specifically targets the perceived needs of the commercial theatre profession with the intention of preparing graduates for the West End, regional theatre, television, pantomime, summer seasons and all possible high quality entertainment opportunities. The majority of students on courses are from the UK, although Irish students have successfully gained a place at the institution.

Fees for the course are currently Stg £6,846 per year plus VAT.

14. Information on courses quoted from CDET Accreditation reports

4.2.4.4 BA (Hons) degree in Contemporary Dance at London Contemporary Dance School The London Contemporary Dance School (LCDS) was founded in 1966 by Robin Howard as part of his vision of establishing a British tradition of contemporary dance. The London Contemporary Dance Theatre was established soon afterwards and both were based in a large building near Euston called The Place. The Place also includes a theatre which is a major venue for independent dance companies, a choreographic centre and dance services which include The Video Place and The Data Place.

The schools stated aim is to attract to the school the most original, creative and talented students from Britain and abroad and to train them to become outstanding contemporary dance artists. Through the degrees that the school offers it aims to produce dancers with the highest standards of technique compatible with their abilities and also a variety of intellectual and artistic interests related to dance.

The BA (Hons) Contemporary Dance Course has an intake of approximately forty of whom 50% are from outside the UK. The course is validated by the University of Kent. Studios are shared with the Richard Alston Dance Company (RADC) and students have opportunities to see the RADC in rehearsal and performance. RADC company members teach and choreograph on the students and the facilities of the Data Place and the Video Place enrich the provision for students. Many practising choreographers are invited to run choreographic projects with the students or to teach a particular course.

Fees for the course are currently Stg £8,200 per year.

4.2.5 Training in an international context With the exception of Laine Theatre Arts there is a strong representation of overseas students on all these courses. This reflects the international nature of contemporary and classical dance performance opportunities. Graduates from these courses are likely to find employment in a pan-European context and are assisted in their employment prospects by interaction with the range of teachers, students and choreographers who are active on the courses. This contrasts markedly with opportunities available in Ireland where little opportunity for on-going work in an international context is available. The close working relationship with well respected members of the profession fostered by all these institutions through the employment of choreographers and teachers and the interaction with performers who use practice spaces or visit for performances also promotes the international nature of dance. The opportunity to work with these professionals and gain from their experience is of immense benefit to the student population. Not only do they have the opportunity to broaden their range of movement styles but they have the opportunity to see the rigours of a professional dancer's life and balance that with the knowledge and instruction they gain in lessons. For example, seeing the importance of appropriate dress or punctuality in relation to company practice reinforces what may appear to be minor issues when given instruction by a teacher in class. We believe that this aspect of course provision is important as aspirants to the profession must not only become accustomed to working in a range of styles demanded by choreographers from around the world, but working as part of an international student body enables students to gauge their personal levels of skill and ability in a broader context.

4.2.6 Opportunities for performance experience Seventy seven percent of students completing the questionnaires stated that they wished to enter the performance sector of the profession on graduation. Knowledge and experience of performance is therefore essential. All accredited performance courses in the UK have the opportunity for performance built into their framework. Institutions like Central, Laban and LCDS also offer entry to the schools own performance company Irish students attending these courses have successfully gained places in these companies and benefitted from the experience of touring both throughout Britain and around the world as members of a semi-professional company under the supervision of experienced professionals. Again, this opportunity is not available to students studying on courses in Ireland.

4.3 Incentives to return home Thirty-three percent of students who completed the questionnaires stated that they wished to return to Ireland on the completion of the training, however many of those who did not wish to return qualified this by saying that they viewed return as an impossibility as they perceived there to be an under investment in dance by the Arts Council. They highlighted a number of concerns which, after interviews with leading company representatives15, we agree to be well founded.

After the general frustration at the lack of work opportunities available within Ireland, the primary source of grievance was the lack of opportunity to audition for those companies currently funded within Ireland. Students and recent graduates pointed out that the major companies in Ireland were in receipt of public funds via the Arts Council and that the Arts Council were also investing public funds into the training of dancers, yet funded companies were not required to hold open auditions, nor were they required or encouraged to attend events such as the summer school in Shawbrook which acted as a showcase for students currently in training or recent graduates. Their claim that a small pool of professional dancers were consistently employed by all the companies was substantiated by discussion with company representatives. Artistic directors acknowledged that only one company held open auditions, most preferring to re-employ dancers who had been part of previous work. One representative stated that he would be resistant to the suggestion that open auditions should perhaps be a pre- requisite for public subsidy as this infringed his artistic control over a piece. We cannot agree with this last sentiment and do perceive an anomaly in Arts Council practice. Significant sums of money are being invested via the Arts Council in the training of dance students - £71,600 over the last ten years. However there is no incentive for graduates to return to Ireland on the completion of their studies and nothing to encourage funded companies to consider the use of recent graduates within company practice. We are not advocating the automatic right of graduates to a place within a funded company, however we strongly advocate a policy of open auditions. This would allow recent graduates the opportunity to show their abilities to prospective employers, while at the same time gaining experience of audition processes and the style of work required by funded companies within Ireland. Companies should retain the right to employ whoever they choose to work on their pieces, however their outlook might be broadened by greater interaction with recent graduates. Without access to open auditions there is almost no incentive for students to come home at all.

We would also recommend that greater liaison should be encouraged between vocational students in training, recent graduates and company members. This can be fostered in a number of ways which we will go on to mention, and is being developed particularly through the work of Anica Louw and the Shawbrook summer school.

4.3.1 Shawbrook The Shawbrook summer school is an annual summer school which began in 1985 and is located in the unique surroundings of a working dairy farm in the Midlands. The summer school offers multiple courses for some one hundred students, most of whom are aged between 4 and 17. Students within this age range attend the course from a thirty mile wide catchment area and stay on the farm for a week, taking class in a range of techniques including classical ballet, jazz, contemporary, choreography, and general theatre skills. Emphasis is placed on performance and the young people work towards putting on a show at the end of the week.

In addition to the weeks courses for children, a course is run for ten to twelve aspirant professionals who are mostly aged 19 and 20, although there are no fixed age limits and students on this course have been aged between 16 and 30. Entry to the course is by invitation only and the course co-ordinator, Anica Louw, liaises with the dance officer at the Arts Council in order to establish who might benefit most from what the course has to offer. Students currently in full-time vocational training in any dance form, or recent graduates, are invited to the course to participate in daily classical and contemporary classes and work with an internationally respected choreographer towards the creation of new piece. This is shown as a work in progress at the end of the week in the Backstage Theatre at Longford, together with other short pieces that have been created by the course teachers or the students themselves.

15. Discussions were held with representatives from the following companies: Dance Theatre Ireland, Irish Modern Dance Theatre, Mandance, New Balance Dance Company.

The course provides the participants with the chance to work together with other Irish dancers - an opportunity they may not have had since they went away for training. In addition, they are given the opportunity to work with a well respected international choreographer in Ireland. The course also provides a valuable educational opportunity for students to meet recent graduates and learn first hand about issues like auditioning, self- employment and funding options that they might not have considered before. The financial support for participation in the course brings graduates back to Ireland, enabling them to re-acquaint themselves with developments in the dance scene. The course Directors - Anica Louw and Philip Dawson - should be congratulated for successfully pursuing this initiative. They provide a much needed opportunity which would benefit further from basic administrative resources such as computerisation and knowledge of fund raising techniques. Arts Council funding has been of invaluable assistance in the development of the project and we believe it to have been a good investment.

The course Directors invite representatives from all the major Irish companies to attend the performance at the end of the week. This year only one of the company administrators attended. While we appreciate the limited resources of the companies, this lack of interest, enthusiasm and support is unfortunate. This is the only event of its kind that we have heard of in Ireland. It has the potential to act - as a show-case of quality for the emerging professionals, many of whom wish to return to their native country. Artistic directors of companies are losing out by failing to be aware of the developing talent available to them as producers, whether they have the occasion to utilise that talent immediately or simply store away the knowledge for the future.

While we were disappointed to see the lack of support by company members we were encouraged at the number of young people attending the final performance at the end of the week. Many of these had participated in courses at Shawbrook and were eager to support the professional students in their performance while snatching the opportunity to see a dance performance they could themselves one day aspire to. Teachers from the locality who encourage their students to participate in the Shawbrook events are to be congratulated for having the vision to look not only at the long-term needs and ambitions of their students, but to recognise the benefits that students will gain from greater interaction with other dance styles, teachers and emerging professionals.

The issue of communication between students, graduates and professionals need to be addressed if dance in Ireland is to be nurtured. We suggest that companies in receipt of public funding should be encouraged by the Arts Council to have more interaction with students in training and recent graduates. This could either be through the observation of classes during the week at Shawbrook; through attendance at the Shawbrook performance; through attendance at any similar event, should it evolve; or through interaction with students while still in college. Alternatively, if finances allow, companies could be encouraged to employ recent Irish graduates as apprentices or understudies for their work. In this way graduates are encouraged back to Ireland and begin to learn something at first hand of the styles employed by choreographers at home.

Unless some of these steps are taken the continual drain of dance talent out of the country will be perpetuated, and dancers will continue to see little incentive for returning home.

4.4 Northern Ireland Many of the issues faced by dance students in Ireland are magnified in Northern Ireland. Only the course in Bangor run by Nichola and Graham Drake (please see Section 2) offers full-time training and cannot be accessed by many students as it focuses on classical training and is not yet in possession of accredited course status from the CDET. Informal training opportunities through the Ulster Youth Dance are under threat (please see UYD in Section 2), and little interaction between students, graduates and professionals exists in a formally structured environment. The employment of recent graduates as teachers for UYD is a good initiative which should be encouraged as it promotes the links between current and emerging professionals. However, this is not assisted by the lack of funding for UYD.

In addition, young people returning from training abroad are met with difficulties. There is a perception by dance artists in Northern Ireland that they are less likely to be awarded ACNI funding for performance projects if they are without recognised dance qualifications. The Arts Council of Northern Ireland invests funds into 'professional' Northern Irish performance companies providing that they

employ dancers who are of graduate status. Lack of grants for vocational training means that students are often unable to complete their training and therefore ineligible for funding when they return home. This creates cyclical difficulties for young people seeking to enter the dance profession. They must fight to obtain their training and must fight again to find employment at home. Not surprisingly, those who do go across to mainland Europe are more inclined to stay abroad where work is more frequently accessible and available.

A great deal needs to be done for the dance community in Northern Ireland at every level of practice, for without some form of career structure within the dance community there will be little incentive for young people to pursue a vocational training. We hope that the Dance Audit will identify more precisely where the current strengths and weaknesses of the community lie so that targeted policies can be developed.

4.5 Summary The vocational dance training courses chosen by Irish students and pursued by them abroad meet the criteria set by students in their search for an appropriate training. They offer excellent facilities, student support services, and well structured courses with content appropriate to student aspirations. They provide access to dance in its international context and experience of performance and interaction with employed dancers, choreographers and teachers at semi-professional levels.

Opportunities for employment in Ireland are restricted by low levels of employment opportunities due to the limited number of funded projects. This is exacerbated by the closed audition policies of many funded companies who do not avail themselves of ways to keep in touch with emerging professionals.

The development of the course at Shawbrook for emerging professionals is an important link between student and professional practice. It provides an opportunity for students and recent graduates to showcase their abilities and this opportunity should be utilised by more funded company members.

4.6 Recommendations We therefore make the following recommendations, that: • Irish students are encouraged to access training that places dance in the international context in which employment opportunities are to be found. • students are encouraged to participate in performances and where possible bring those performances home. • the Shawbrook workshop programme for emerging professionals should continue to attract Arts Council funding while in its current form. We recommend that the Directors are provided with additional assistance to develop basic administrative resources and systems of good practice. • incentives for graduates to return home are developed by the Arts Council. These could include: • a requirement that funded companies hold open auditions • a requirement that funded companies develop closer links with students in professional training and recent graduates. This could either be through the observation of classes, through attendance at the Shawbrook performance or similar events, or through interaction with students while still in college. • a consideration as to the feasibility of funded companies employing recent graduates as apprentices or understudies should be considered.

With regard to Northern Ireland we recommend that: • The Arts Council of Northern Ireland liaise closely with the dance constituency to avoid misunderstanding regarding the issue of funding for projects involving "professional dancers". We recommend that the appropriateness of a dancer's capability be judged by the artistic director of the company seeking to employ them. • they develop further support systems of interaction between aspirants and professionals.

5. FUNDING 5.1 The cost of Courses Vocational dance training is a labour intensive activity requiring specialised facilities and personnel. Although there is no standardised method of delivery some aspects are common to recognised course provision, notably: • access to adequate studio space with particular regard to lighting, heating, floor surfaces, ventilation and size • adequate specialist resources in studios, particularly barres, mirrors, music facilities • access to appropriate performance rehearsal space • access to appropriate shower and changing room facilities • access to non-performance study areas where the teaching of academic subjects can take place • access to good quality musical accompaniment • text and music library resources and access to videos when possible.

In addition, a specialist dance course must have highly experienced and well qualified teaching personnel who are able to deliver a range of subject interests across the disciplines required by course content. The student:teacher ratio must be balanced to ensure that students learn in a safe and healthy environment. Adequate administrative support must also be in place.

All of these requirements result in higher costs than the average class-room based subject, although costs are favourable in comparison to other activity based subjects and considerably less expensive than courses in subjects like medicine and veterinary studies.

In the UK vocational dance education and training has traditionally taken place in the independent sector where courses are not designated by the Department for Education and Employment. Students must apply to their local education authorities for funds to cover course fees as well as maintenance. Awards for these types of courses are at the local education authorities discretion. Vocational dance course providers in independent institutions must charge students the full economic fee - that is, the actual cost of the course. Even though a number of institutions offering vocational training courses are charitable trusts fees remain high, averaging Stg£8,200 per year for accredited courses.

When these fees are compared with the fees charged by maintained British universities to non- European students for full-time dance courses it is possible to gain a new perspective on course costs. Fees for the 1996/97 academic year to non-European students for the BA (Hons) Dance Performance programme in Middlesex University were Stg £7,200 per year. Similarly the fee for overseas students at Surrey University for the BA (Hons) Dance in Society was Stg £6,310 per year. This again reflects the economic fee of the course to the institution. However courses at maintained universities are generally only able to offer fewer hours practical work and fewer specialist resources to students on dance courses. Courses at independent/private institutions therefore appear to offer value for money

In Ireland as we have seen fees are considerably lower than fees abroad. Fees ranging between £100- £125 on the VEC courses and £1,500 and £2,400 in the private sector. This, however, is reflected in all areas of course delivery Facilities, calibre of teaching staff, access to music, library resources, student support services and administration, together with course content are all significantly reduced in relation to course provision overseas.

5.2 VEC courses Students in Ireland studying on VEC courses have minimal course costs as their courses are financed through the European Social Fund with course accommodation and facilities financed through the local VEC. Staff salaries and rent are paid for by the Department of Education. Students are charged between £100 and £125 per year to cover examination fees, theatre visits, workshop performances and related extra curricular activities related to their course. In addition they are required to fund all personal resource costs (shoes, leotards, music, etc.) themselves. Students are also ineligible for maintenance grants as these are only available to third level students. Students interviewed on VEC courses stated

that course costs were usually covered by parental support although some students worked towards their maintenance costs.

5.3 Private sector For the most part, students attending or graduating from private courses in Ireland stated that their parents provided their course fees. They are not eligible for assistance either from direct government agencies or from the Arts Council as they are not in receipt of accredited status. Some students work in non-dance related areas to generate their own course fees and maintenance. Course delivery in some cases is structured to accommodate this - the timetable of the full-time course at the Gibson-Madden School permits students to work in the middle of the day. This is far from ideal as not only are the available number of hours of study reduced but students then need to warm up and warm down twice as frequently as they would if they were attending a course throughout the day

In addition to their course fees and maintenance, students also have to finance all personal facilities - shoes, clothes, music etc. - together with costumes if they participate in performance opportunities. The cost of audition trips abroad either to vocational schools or for auditions to companies must also be met.

5.4 Career guidance and information Within this chapter on funding we feel it important to raise an issue of concern pertaining to the extent of misinformation regarding vocational dance training and careers in dance which is leading to the wasting of resources.

Students seeking to pursue full-time vocational dance training have severely limited access to appropriate careers advice. They find it difficult to obtain accurate information, even when studying on a preparatory course within Ireland, and are often misinformed about their options and future course of action. The majority of students that we interviewed, or received returned questionnaires from, stated that they had gained information on careers, training and funding options through conversations with friends, or parents. Thirty-five percent received careers advice from their local dance teachers. The lack of adequate careers advice often leads to students wasting precious time and financial resources on courses to which they are unsuited. Some attend courses to which they are ill suited owing to their lack of previous training. Others attend courses which are poorly matched to the career direction that they wished to take.

One candidate who had entered full-time training at the age of 16 had self-financed her way through two foundation courses in England, only to discover that she was still below the required technical entry level for a full-time professional course in classical ballet and would soon be considered too old to commence a classical training. Lack of appropriate careers advice had in her case and in many others resulted in lost finances and wasted opportunities. Of those bursary candidates seeking to enrol in a full-time professional course for the first year a significant number were unsure of the course content and were seeking to attend courses that were mismatched with their desired career direction.

Recent graduates were more aware of the options open to them in terms of professional opportunities as a result from studying on their particular course. All were familiar with the work of the Professional Association of Dancers in Ireland, and those interviewed and working in the contemporary field in England were familiar with the information service provided by The Place Dance Services and Dance UK. Knowledge of the recent work of the major Irish contemporary performance companies was well known, and classically trained dancers were familiar with European companies who might employ classically trained dancers.

The majority of bursary candidates had been informed that funds for training might be available through the Arts Council's bursary scheme through their teachers. However, representatives of the major dance teaching societies stated that they did not believe that the availability of bursaries from the Arts Council was widely known. Dance teachers are often unaware of changes to training options or funding provision and therefore struggle to provide students with appropriate help and advice.

SOURCES OF FUNDING

5.5 Northern Ireland Northern Irish students generally seek funding for courses through their regional Educational Library Boards. Like the local education authorities (LEAs) in England and Wales they have found it increasingly difficult to maintain levels of discretionary awards. Students from Northern Ireland who obtain a discretionary award for £1,250 are now entitled to apply for additional support through the Dance and Drama Discretionary Awards Scheme. This is called the Interim Funding Scheme (IFS) in England and Wales (please see IFS below). We were particularly concerned that adequate information on potential sources of funding have been difficult for the public to access. Students and teachers who might have benefitted from help and advice on issues pertaining to dance training and funding, knew nothing about the Scheme. The difficulties related to the funding of dance training are so well known, and the need for assistance for those few talented students who access eligible places so great, that clear lines of information dissemination must be found. ACNI must ensure that every opportunity is used to disseminate relevant information to the population which they serve. Insufficient information could result in irreparable loss of opportunities for young people dependent on advice and support.

5.6 Ireland Irish students studying abroad fund their training in a variety of ways but for most the Arts Council bursaries are an essential part of their funding picture.

The Arts Council began giving bursaries to dance students in 1987 in response to the need to provide options for students seeking a vocational dance training. Between 1987 and 1995 fifty students have benefited from a total of £71,600. This is a substantial investment, and one that has reaped rewards as twenty-six of those recipients are known to be working within the dance profession.

5.7 Arts Council Bursary Scheme The Arts Council may wish to address issues pertaining to the current bursary scheme. At the bursary auditions that took place in March 1997 applicants were invited to present solos in either the contemporary or classical styles. Classes were also structured on these two dance forms. This placed a strong weighting in favour of students seeking a career in contemporary or classical dance. No clear rationale for this choice of weighting was apparent. Applicants seeking to train in the musical theatre fields were clearly disadvantaged by this system of assessment as they have no opportunity to show their talent in the fields of singing and acting which will form a central part of their training, and also have little opportunity to display their abilities in dance unless they happen to have particular skills in contemporary dance or classical ballet. While classical ballet will inevitably form a major part of their training it is generally perceived to be a more restrictive and technically demanding form of movement than the jazz, modern or even tap dance with which musical theatre applicants may be more familiar. If the Arts Council aims to assist potential dance students irrespective of their dance form we recommend that they review their policy of assessment in the two current fields and publish a clear rationale supporting any future selection policy

The Council for Dance Education and Training formerly conducted assessments for intending students on behalf of local education authorities throughout the UK. They too were faced with the difficulties of , ensuring that candidates had sufficient opportunity to display their potential in the dance forms of their choice. Since ceasing the assessment system CDET has been offering help and advice to LEAs seeking to assess students on their own behalf. Reference to this assessment system might assist the Arts Council in restructuring its bursary auditions if it choose to do so.

Similarly, the assessment of intending students alongside those currently in training would appear to make the job of the bursary assessors harder and possibly less equitable. We would suggest that the Arts Council should request regular reports on each funded candidates progress. If the student is assessed by the course provider as reaching satisfactory standards of achievement and attendance we would recommend that their award is renewed for the duration of their course, without the need for an Arts Council assessment. This would reduce the number of candidates seen in each assessment session and make comparison between candidates easier for the panel members.

5.7.1 Use of funds We also recommend that the Arts Council pay close attention on how the funds provided from the bursaries are used. We appreciate the difficulties that students face in trying to raise funding for a whole course of training. Course fees and maintenance amount to a substantial sum for anyone to provide. However, accredited dance courses are carefully structured to encourage a clear progression and development of the student in attendance. If students do not have the finance to complete a whole course (usually three years in duration) they may have gained valuable experience and skills, but may not have had sufficient education and training to be effective either as a performer or teacher. Consideration may therefore need to be given as to whether funds should be allocated to assist students to complete part of a course if it seems unlikely that full fees and maintenance will be forthcoming from one source or another.

We recognise, too, that the bursary system represents a substantial percentage of the Arts Council's budget for Dance which, it could be argued, should be spent on enhancing dance culture in Ireland so that graduates have a healthy profession to return to. As we have inferred above, the lack of on-going career structure and employment opportunity for Irish dancers forces graduates to remain abroad. We believe that education and training should be the responsibility of the Department of Education so that funds used in bursaries can be released to support the infrastructure of the dance community in Ireland.

5.8 Parental contribution Seventy-eight percent of students in receipt of Arts Council bursaries at the time that the questionnaires were completed stated that they were being supported by their parents. Many students supplemented their finance by working in addition to their training in order to gain sufficient funds to remain on the course. Given that the average training day commences at 8.30 in the morning and concludes at 6.00pm, with additional time required for rehearsals and supporting studies, the need to work additional hours to raise funds places students under considerable physical and mental strain.

For many years UK students have been subject to similar pressures due to problems with the discretionary awards system. Course providers have reported instances of students' ability to learn being impaired by over-tiredness. Personal safety standards are also placed at risk where students have systematically gone without sleep in order to meet the demands of their course and paid employment. This is not only unsatisfactory in relation to student welfare but reduces the effect of investment by funding bodies.

Irish students have proved resourceful in finding sources of funding to support their training. Parents, work, sponsorship in a few cases and scholarships from the institutions themselves as well as the use of English local education authorities (LEAs) were all cited as sources of funding in the students questionnaires.

The use of English local education authority discretionary awards has been a regular though infrequent method of funding which will be reduced by the introduction of new funding systems for dance and drama students in England over the last year. Similarly, grant giving trusts and charitable foundations in the UK have indicated that they will be less able and less prepared to provide funding for dance students with the advent of assistance for English and Welsh students through the Interim Funding Scheme (IFS).

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

5.9 The Interim Funding Scheme (IFS) The Interim Funding Scheme was devised in 1996 as the result of acute shortages of discretionary awards for dance and drama students seeking to follow a vocational training at independent institutions. Owing to the reduction in the number and level of awards from local education authorities across the UK the Secretaries of State for Education and Employment and the then Department of National Heritage perceived that some interim measure was required if the vocational dance and drama training sectors were not to collapse completely.

In consultation with the accrediting bodies for the two sectors - the Council for Dance Education and Training (CDET) and the National Council for Drama Training (NCDT) - the Arts Council of England devised a system whereby the burden of funding for local education authorities could be reduced and their participation in funding encouraged. Moneys from the two departments of state, together with money from the National Lottery was placed in a fund which could be triggered by students already in receipt of an award for £1,250 from the students local education authority. With the initial 'trigger' sum, the student became eligible for fifty percent of the total sum of the fees for eligible accredited courses. Matching funding had to be sought from any other source to meet the full fee required by the institution for the course. Applications for funding for the Scheme were made by each eligible institution on the students' behalf, thus reducing the administrative burden on the Arts Council.

While the Scheme has assisted in reducing the amount of finance that many students have had to find, there have been a number of disadvantages. Not all local education authorities have been prepared to give any awards, and without the £1,250 trigger a student is not eligible to claim the fifty percent of their fee from the central fund. These students have therefore been unable to access training unless personal circumstances enable them to meet the full cost of the course. From the perspective of Irish students, few LEAs now give more than the £1,250 required to trigger the fund and they are therefore unable to access funds that have in the past provided a source of finance towards training.

5.10 The Dearing Report However, as its name implies, the IFS is only a temporary scheme. In response to the nationwide review of the British higher education system undertaken in 1996 by Sir Ron Dearing, the government is currently considering what action should be taken in respect of the Dearing recommendations. These made specific reference to funding for dance and drama students and stated that:

'We recommend to the Government that, once the interim bursary scheme [IFS] expires, it establishes permanent arrangements for the equitable support of students of dance, drama and stage management at institutions which are not in receipt of public funds.'16

The report went on to suggest that support should be made available to not-for-profit institutions of the appropriate calibre. This has long-term consequences not only for the British students wishing to study on these courses, but to Irish students wishing to pursue a vocational dance training abroad. Of the vocational dance training courses which are currently accredited by CDET seven are currently charitable trust or not-for-profit institutions. Of the four institutions most frequently chosen by Irish students three currently fall in this category. If Sir Ron Dearing's recommendations are enacted by the British government it would appear that Irish students could gain access to vocational dance training on the same basis as they gain access to courses within the British maintained university sector.

5.11 Potential sources of funding in Ireland Under the Higher Education Grants Scheme, (1996) financial provision is available to candidates studying on 'full-time undergraduate courses of not less than two years duration in a university or third level institution which is maintained or assisted by recurrent grants from public funds in Britain,'17 (emphasis ours). In a similarly worded document the Vocational Education Committees' Scholarship Scheme18, (1996) again stresses that courses 'assisted by recurrent grants from public funds in Britain' are also within the definition of 'approved courses'.

While this does nothing to alleviate the problems faced by the dance community regarding the drain of talented dancers from Ireland who leave in search of an adequate education and training, it does address the financial difficulties faced by those young people while on their chosen course and is pertinent to our further discussions on a possible short-term solution for students seeking to pursue vocational dance training. (Please see Section 7.)

16. The National Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education, Higher Education in the learning society: Report of the National Committee, p.308 HMSO (1997) 17. DoE, Higher Education Grants Scheme, p.14 (1996) 18. DoE, Vocational Education Committees's Scholarship Scheme, p.v.i, (1996)

5.12 Summary The cost of vocational dance training reflects the specialised nature of subject delivery. Fees are generally higher for courses in the UK but cost is mirrored in levers of provision. Inadequate careers advice to students is wasting financial resources and personal opportunities for ill-advised students, however much financial provision is provided by parents. The Arts Council bursaries play an important part in the funding picture but appear to be weighted in favour of students applying for courses in classical ballet or contemporary dance. Changes in the UK funding systems will affect Irish students seeking to study abroad.

6. MONITORING AND ACCREDITATION Within our Terms of Reference we were asked to identify potential systems of monitoring and/or accreditation for full-time courses within Ireland. This is not a simple task to do. Currently, private dance training in Ireland is unregulated. There is no professional body similar to the CDET within Ireland and courses in private institutions fall outside the auspices of government bodies like NCVA. The current level and standard of private provision also presents difficulties as with limited numbers of students, lack of structured course content and supporting documentation and limited facilities, courses would meet with difficulties if they sought to apply to a recognised body (albeit foreign) like the CDET.

6.1 The Council for Dance Education and Training (CDET) 'The Council for Dance Education and Training (CDET) is the leading body in the United Kingdom representing professional dance training and related educational interests. It seeks to establish and maintain high standards of dance training at a national level and within an international context.'19 It is the only body assessing professional dance training in the independent sector within the UK.

6.1.1 Initial criteria CDET accredits full-time dance courses that meet criteria devised and agreed by members of the dance teaching and performance professions in the UK. Courses must meet the following basic criteria to be eligible to apply for accredited status: The course: • must be initial training course of between two and four years duration, each year comprising not less than 35 weeks or 1,000 hours. • must be able to display clear aims and objectives related to the needs of the dance profession • must be focused towards training dancers for professional performance or teaching careers • must have been in unbroken operation for at least 4 years.

If a course is found to comply with these criteria it may submit an application for accredited status. This involves a three-stage process comprising a documentation review, pre-visit and full visit.

CDET provides the applicant institution with a document Procedures, criteria and application for accreditation20. This sets out the criteria and process of assessment used by the organisation in assessing the courses for accredited status, and also outlines the areas in which documentation must be submitted so that the team of visiting inspectors can cross-check theory with practice during the course of the inspection.

6.1.2 Relationship to the profession The current system of accreditation was devised by CDET in 1995 and focuses particularly on the relationship between the dance training offered and its relationship with the profession. Documentation submitted in relation to the course covers a broad range of issues including aims and philosophy of the institution in which the course occurs, course structure and content, management, staffing and employment practices, facilities, student support services, and graduate employment details. Information available through the submitted documentation is checked against practice when the team of inspectors visit the institution.

6.1.3 The process The accreditation visit usually involves a team of four inspectors visiting the institution to observe the course in practice over a two-day period. All CDET inspectors are currently/recently active members of the dance profession (either dancers, choreographers, directors, producers, artistic co-ordinators) who have been recommended by members of the dance profession and have subsequently undergone a two-day training period. CDET recognises that while these professionals may be very experienced within the field of dance or dance education, the skills required for inspection may be unfamiliar. They therefore spend two days learning the skills required to carry out the CDET accreditation process. The connection with the profession is viewed by CDET as essential as the dance community believes that it

19. Taken from CDET's Mission Statement 20. Procedures, criteria and application for accreditation of courses for professional dance performers or teachers, CDET (1995)

is only well respected professionals that can assess whether the standard of student achievement on a course is appropriate to the needs of the profession, and whether course content adequately reflects the needs of a profession that is constantly changing.

All accreditation visits are lead by former members of Her Majesty's Inspectorate (HMI) who have a background in dance education and outstanding skills in inspection. These team leaders are the Reporting Inspectors (RIs) for the visit and they are responsible for overseeing the course of the inspection, liaising with panel members and institutional representatives, collating information acquired during the inspection process and writing and presenting the final report.

During the course of each inspection panel members focus on four particular aspects: the standard of student achievement, quality of teaching, course content and structure and the management of the institution. While all these elements are important within the CDET accreditation process it is the standard of student achievement and quality of teaching that are at the heart of the accreditation process. If a course does not meet the high standards required by CDET in these two key areas it is not awarded accredited status. The standard of student achievement is also cross-referenced with the employment destinations of graduates. Each course must be able to show that through the education and training provided it enables graduates to find work within the performing or teaching professions.

During the course of inspection panel members complete observation sheets on every class that they observe. These focus on either the standard of student achievement or quality of teaching and are devised to elicit numerical grades and supporting written comments. These grades and comments, together with minuted discussions amongst the panel members, form the basis of the accreditation report which is compiled by the Reporting Inspector. Once this report has been verified for accuracy by the panel members it is submitted to the institution seeking accredited courses status for their comments, and then to the CDET Accreditation Board. The Board is composed of leading members from the three main sectors of the dance profession (Sir Peter Wright for classical ballet, Gillian Lynne for musical theatre and Margaret Morris for contemporary dance) together with a representative from the field of education (Professor Kenneth Robinson). They consider the findings of the report and make the decision regarding the course's accredited status.

6.1.4 Cost Accreditation is an expensive process costing on average £6,500 per visit. This sum is paid by the applicant institution with no guarantee that accreditation will be awarded at the end of the process. While some courses have sought accredited status purely as a mark of excellence related to their professional standing, most seek accreditation because of its links with funding for students seeking to attend the course.

6.1.5 Relationship with funding Vocational dance training in the UK occurs (with the exception of one accredited course) in the independent sector and courses therefore command discretionary rather than mandatory awards. This has caused significant problems for the dance community in the past as the decline in discretionary awards from local education authorities has left talented students from low income households with little chance of finding fees. While concerned for the welfare of their students and their own financial survival most institutions have resisted incorporation into the maintained sector due to the feared loss of autonomy and ultimate control over the structure, focus and content of their courses. These fears are well grounded. Two institutions that chose incorporation both lost vital elements (in one case the number of student hours was reduced from 35 practical hours per week to 11 hours per week) resulting in the loss of eligibility for accredited status and more essentially the elements necessary for effective professional training and development.

The CDET accreditation system is used by funding bodies as a guarantee of excellence to safeguard the investment of public funds. Most of the one hundred and forty local education authorities (LEAs) across the UK use CDET's accreditation as a sign of whether a course is fit to attract discretionary awards for applicant students. The Arts Council of England also uses CDET's accreditation system to determine the eligibility of courses to attract funds through the Interim Funding Scheme - the initiative

which has enabled funds from the Lottery to be used to financially assist talented students to attend dance and drama courses. Many charitable trusts and foundations also use CDET's accreditation system as a mark of excellence to determine whether or not a course is suitable for a student seeking funds. CDET's accreditation is also used by the Arts Council in Ireland when considering the destination of dance bursary candidates.

6.1.6 Number of courses and applications Currently CDET accredits 19 professional courses in 15 institutions which are all located in England. Five of these courses are also validated by universities and offer BA Hons degrees to successful graduates. Thirteen courses offer places to students aged 16+ while others take entrants at 18 years. There have not, as yet, been any formal applications received from institutions from Scotland or Wales. The course run by Nicola and Graham Drake in Bangor, Northern Ireland, sought to apply for accreditation but has been unable to do so to date as it has not been in operation for the stipulated four-year period required before an inspection can be made. The Drakes are, however, using the document Procedures, criteria and application for accreditation as a reference document for the development of their course. We understand that a full application is likely to be made by the Drakes once the initial four years in operation has been achieved.

6.2 Accredited foundation courses In addition, CDET also accredits two Foundation dance courses. These are courses which provide access to dance training to students who have had little or no dance experience before embarking on the course. Graduates from these courses go on to full-time training rather than entering directly into the profession. These courses are not eligible for funds through the Interim Funding Scheme.

6.3 Difficulties related to the accreditation process The professional dance community in the UK is a small one. Since the majority of professional dancers have graduated from accredited courses and since those courses seek to maintain contact with members of the dance profession in order to ensure courses relate to the needs of the profession, it is often difficult to find panel members for accreditation visits who do not have a potential conflict of interest. In addition, because CDET only employs panel members who are currently or recently working as professional dancers or teachers it is often difficult for panel members to find time within their working schedules to accommodate a visit over two consecutive days. Both these issues reduce the potential numbers of people available for visit.

The accreditation process is costly in administrative terms. CDET employs a full-time accreditation officer who arranges the visit schedules, engages panel members, liaises with the schools, panels, reporting inspectors and Accreditation Board members, provides secretarial support for every visit, and works on appeals in conjunction with the reporting inspectors. While the quantity of work undertaken by the officer is related to the number of forthcoming accreditation visits, it is still a complex and time- consuming process. Without sufficient financial resources any accrediting organisation could place at risk the viability or accountability of its accrediting process.

6.4 Options for Ireland Ireland does not currently have a single body representing the interests of the diverse sections of the dance education and training community The only body representing professional dance interests is the Association of Professional Dancers in Ireland which was formed after the cessation of Irish National Ballet in Ireland order to ensure professional classes were available for dancers remaining in Ireland. In its current structure this body has neither the finance, expertise or personnel required to devise and sustain an accrediting function. Its limited interaction with the training community would also need to be developed and extended before it could appropriately take on a course accrediting role, and a substantial input of funding would be required. As Brinson and Ormston stated 7r/s against standards abroad that we must look for the moment to measure professional standards in Ireland.'21.

21. Brinson, R Ormston, A op cite p.43

It is essential that an international perspective on dance education and training is attained in order to ensure that courses involved in the training of dancers in Ireland make employment accessible to graduates, hot only within "the Timitednome market but abroad.

National bodies like TEASTAS or NCVA/NCEA do not, at the present time, have access to the technical expertise required to make COET-style accreditation visits related to the profession. Only! disrobes of the dance profession can assess the suitability of a course and its graduates for work within that profession, therefore it is essential that the professional personnel are associated with course assessment. Ireland has a smaller professional dance community than the UK. Some connections already exist between training providers and dance performance professionals, thus reducing the pool of potential panel members. If further connections were to be encouraged between course providers and professional practitioners, availability of panel members could be further compromised. Similar difficulties were encountered by the Netherlands when they sought to accredit their own vocational dance courses which occur within the maintained sector. They devised an accreditation process which used an internationally respected panel of dance course providers to supply peer assessment on the courses under consideration. It increased the cost of inspection due to additional travel expenses and posed difficulties with language in relation to course document scrutiny. However it enabled an objective and valued view of course provision to be obtained.

6.5 TEASTAS TEASTAS was launched in the autumn of 1995 as a result of the 1995 Education White Paper: Charting Our Education Future22. It aims to be the Irish National Certification Authority The development of a national certification authority is in line with developments occurring throughout the European Union and the TEASTAS Colloquium paper states that 'The establishment of the body has been fully endorsed and supported by the European Union, as part of the Operational Programme for Human Resources.'

The following are listed23 within its terms of reference and key principles: • it will develop, implement, regulate and supervise a single, nationally accepted certification structure with a wide ranging remit... covering all aspects of non-university education and vocational training; • it will define standards of skills, knowledge and competencies which reflect international best practice and which would contribute to the development of a knowledge and skill-based, high-value- added economy; • it will facilitate access and progression by individuals, through a structured system of graded education/training qualifications, allowing progression from basic attainments and qualifications right up to advanced degree level. This would, inter alia, enhance equality in education opportunities; • it will provide for the registration and regulation of private colleges.

We have focused on these specific extracts from the key principles underpinning the new authority because of the opportunities which they could bring to the dance community in Ireland.

The inclusion of dance within the qualification fields developed by a single nationally accepted certification structure could have profound effects for the dance community Dance and dancers are currently marginalised within Ireland. Within the education system dance is seen as an ancillary subject taken as a leisure activity or by those less academically able. This view is strengthened in many ways: by the placement of dance in schools under physical education, thus minimising its aesthetic content; by placing dance as part of the Leaving Certificate Applied which fails to give access to third level courses without following a circuitous route; by the lack of financial support for students seeking to pursue a full-time vocational dance training and by the lack of vocational training courses. If dance can be recognised under a new qualifications framework developed by TEASTAS it will have the opportunity to be validated within the Irish education system and gain the associated cultural, social and financial benefits that this could bring. It may also offer transferability of skill recognition across sectors and fields of employment which would be of significant benefit for dancers seeking a change of career once performance opportunities ceased.

22. DoE, Education White Paper: Charting Our Future (1995) 23. Taken from the colloquium paper - Considering Future Direction*. TEASTAS. (25 September 1996)

Representatives from TEASTAS currently expect a broad framework for qualifications to be established by May 1998. To ensure that dance is included in on-going developments a number of steps need to be taken. The dance community in Ireland need to recognise their common interests and grasp the opportunity to place dance on the nation's educational agenda. They must work together to try and find a framework that accommodates their different perceptions so that a qualifications framework for dance emerges from the needs of the profession and the industry, rather than being imposed by an external body at a later date. This process will require support from the Arts Council and the educational community as dancers gain a deeper knowledge of educational structures and the qualifications framework system. It will also be important for the dance community to remember that this work does not have to be undertaken in isolation - dance is an international profession and it is essential that a framework for qualifications should be developed within an international context. The Irish dance community should liaise with accrediting bodies in other EU states to see how similar systems have been developed and applied abroad. Liaison should also be established between the dance community and TEASTAS so that developments in both sectors can inform the practice of both.

To do this, members of the dance community must come together in one forum - teachers in the private and maintained sectors, performers, choreographers, directors, course providers and learners as well as representatives from the employers and unions. Decisions will have to be made regarding the nature of dance - what constitutes the dance profession? What dance forms should be included or excluded from the dance framework structures and why? From this perspective it is unfortunate that there is no umbrella agency in operation to facilitate these discussions. While individuals and companies may best represent themselves or their company's interests, only the collective consensus of the dance community in Ireland may shape the course of the qualifications framework which could affect the future development of dance across the nation.

There is currently no awarding body for dance in Ireland although both the National Council for Vocational Awards (NCVA) and the National Council for Education Awards (NCEA) could be awarding bodies. However TEASTAS Terms of Reference provide that the NCEA and NCVA could be reconstituted as sub-boards of TEASTAS. In any case an awarding body would need to know what the framework for dance might be. The current lack of a framework for dance is no hindrance to its future development. It may, in fact, be an advantage as industries with frameworks already in place will have to negotiate their place within the new structure. In order to progress quickly the dance community in Ireland may wish to meet with representatives from NCVA and discuss systems of accreditation and certification operated by awarding bodies overseas.

In turn issues need to be addressed by the Department of Education. As we have stated earlier, dance is marginalised within Irish culture and society and this marginalisation is underlined by the attitude towards dance by the education system. This can be illustrated in a number of ways.

6.6 Transition Year Programme One way to redress the disadvantage that Irish students face in relation to the age at which they are able to study dance at a vocational level is to maximise the opportunities offered by the Transition Year programme. According to information provided by the Department of Education 24the Transition Year programme was designed to enable students to learn skills arising outside the boundaries of the certificate programmes, and the opportunity to underpin, among other things, 'the wealth of creative and performing arts activity'25. With the development of courses at VEC institutions like Sallynoggin and Inchicore, Transition Year students are beginning to avail themselves of the training these courses supply Most use VEC courses in combination with private tuition that they have received for some time. By participating in the VEC courses they are theoretically able to obtain a NCVA Level 2 certificate as well as RAD and ISTD Elementary qualifications. The main proviso relates to the students ability on intake and progression within the course, as to date few have had the required background training in the teaching society examination systems to be able to gain their Elementary certificates before the year's programme is complete.

24. Department of Education, Brief Description of the Irish Education System, 28/05/96) 25. ibid.

This in itself raises a number of issues. While the opportunity to broaden the students' experience of dance techniques and styles is a valuable one, the level at which the NCVA Level 2 certificate is pitched is perhaps in need of rationalisation. If students are technically able to complete the NCVA certificate programme but unable to complete the first of the major examinations within the teaching societies programmes then the performance criteria used for assessing the NCVA courses should perhaps be questioned. A further question arises on comparison of NCVA Level 2 courses in dance around the country. While courses at Sallynoggin and Inchicore provide access to NCVA, RAD and ISTD qualifications the course at Firkin Crane appears to be further advanced than these two programmes. The Firkin Crane course structure and content have been well designed and their is a clear rationale and progression throughout the duration of the course with opportunities for students to interact with members of the profession. The other two courses appear to be the transposition of private studio teaching practice into a maintained context with little understanding of the value of a structured curriculum and the importance of inter-relating different disciplines within course practice. While all the courses offer important opportunities for students within their geographical locations it is difficult to recognise that successful graduates from each course attain the same Level 2 NCVA certificate.

However, access to the programmes at Sallynoggin and Inchicore give Transition Year students the chance to extend their knowledge and skill so that they are better able to audition for courses at vocational training institutions, should they wish to apply. Participation in these courses is to be encouraged for this reason.

Irish Junior Ballet have recognised the opportunities provided by the Transition Year and have established an exchange programme with Akademie des Tanzes in Heidelberg, Germany This provides members of Irish Junior Ballet with the chance to audition for the Akademie in Ireland with the option of studying at the institution during students' Transition Year. The course, which focuses on classical ballet with some contemporary dance, is free owing to the options created through interchange via the European Social Fund. The Director of Irish Junior Ballet, Anne Campbell-Crawford, hoped that students would utilise the opportunity to gain high class training during their Transition Year, then return to Ireland to complete their formal education and renew links with Irish Junior Ballet and their former teachers. On completion of their Leaving Certificate students would then have the option to re-audition for the senior course at the Akademie. To date, one member of Irish Junior Ballet has taken up the option (and been accepted) into the Akademie during her Transition Year. However, on completion of that year she chose to re-audition for the Akademie and other institutions abroad in order to pursue a full-time training, rather than returning to her formal Irish education. We think this pattern is likely to re-present itself as students experiencing full-time training and gaining a perspective of their own abilities within an international context are likely to be strongly influenced by the peer-group overseas. This is not in itself a bad thing for we maintain that students need to gain a perspective of their abilities in a broader international context. However if students are to be encouraged to complete an Irish education they must be given the opportunity to develop within Ireland during their Transition Year. The difficulty students then face is how to maintain their level of technical ability and physical aptitude during the two years of their Leaving Certificate programme.

6.7 The Leaving Certificate Applied The introduction of the Leaving Certificate Applied to replace and expand on the Senior Certificate and Vocational Preparation and Training Programmes offered an opportunity for a foundation in vocational dance training to be recognised in the formal structures of the educational system. However, students are discouraged from taking the programme because it does not give direct entry to third level courses. This means that students completing the programme are forced to proceed to Post-Leaving Certificate courses which are viewed by many as second rate to other forms of higher education. Similar difficulties are faced by students wishing to pursue Physical Education (PE) at higher levels. While PE is mandatorily included in the Leaving Certificate programme, students cannot take it as an examination option. Those who therefore wish to go on to study to become PE teachers are excluded from taking their primary field of study as a Leaving Certificate option. This effectively amounts to a form of streaming whereby physical/vocational subjects are discriminated against in favour of academic options. This is also reflected in the academic nature of the study of music when related to the Leaving

Certificate Programme. This promotes the dated view that academic subjects represent higher forms of knowing. Work by eminent proponents in the field of education have long since proved that there are multiple ways of knowing and that traditional academic learning reflects only a few of those valued forms of knowledge. The development of practical degrees in the fields of the arts and specifically in music and dance attest to this.

The Leaving Certificate Applied was developed with the aim, amongst others, of persuading young people to stay within the education system. Now its lack of flexibility and its perceived status27 as a second-rate option is resulting in discrimination against those students who take it. Young people seeking to follow a career in dance are therefore faced with the option of taking the Leaving Certificate Applied and jeopardising direct entry into third-level education or ceasing to pursue the area of study to which they aspire at the time most crucial in their physical and thus vocational development. If this discrimination against those with talent and ability in dance is to cease, dance must become a separate subject within the Leaving Certificate programme. Alternatively the Leaving Certificate Applied should be able to afford access to third-level education. As it stands, students' development in dance is suffering as second-level education graduates are either being forced back into NCVA Level 2 courses or are having to postpone their artistic and technical development while they concentrate on academic subjects. Both of these courses of action result in Irish students accessing vocational dance training at a later age than their European counterparts and therefore reducing their potential as artists and increasing risk of injury (please see earlier section on 'age').

6.8 Dance in education In the long term, in order for either of the above suggestions to be developed effectively, the place of dance within the Irish education system needs to be addressed. While dance students wishing to study further during their Transition Year can probably find support from the private dance community or the VEC courses currently in existence, the development of dance within the curriculum at Leaving Certificate level would require the application of a devised curriculum presented by teachers who had sufficient training for that purpose. While the training of dance teachers occurs on the Diploma course in Dance under the Department of Physical Education and Sports Science at Limerick, this is again under the auspices of the physical education sector

6.9 In summary Ireland has structures through which the appropriate monitoring and accreditation of vocational dance courses could be effectively developed. These systems need to have greater interaction with the professional dance community in Ireland in order to ensure that the needs of professional dance training are appropriately reflected in the structures devised.

6.10 Recommendations We recommend that: • students should be encouraged to participate in dance as part of the Transition Year Programme; • dance should be made a separate subject in the Leaving Certificate programme or that the Leaving Certificate Applied programme should provide direct entry to third-level education; • the dance community should liaise with TEASTAS to develop a framework of qualifications for the dance community, within a European context.

26. G. Gardner, R Hirst, LA Reid for example. 27. expressed by interviewees.

7. OPPORTUNITIES FOR IRELAND

7.1 Historical context In the 1985 report The Dancer and the Dance commissioned by the Arts Council and prepared by Peter Brinson and Andy Ormston the writers noted that after the establishment in 1973 Of the Irish Ballet company, Joan Denise Moriarty called for the development of a National School for dance. This recommendation was endorsed by the Benson Report in 1979 and again by the Brinson and Ormston report which stated that There cannot be a significant development of classical ballet or modem dance in Ireland without a national school of good quality26.

Representatives of the dance profession in Ireland interviewed during the course of this investigation continue to support the concept of the development of a full-time course. They had clear and constructive suggestions to make pertaining to course content and there was general consensus of agreement about what would be appropriate for dance students seeking links with the profession within Ireland.

7.2 Need for action The question must surely be asked, how many more reports must be financed to address the development of vocational dance training in Ireland before this most crucial recommendation is actioned?

This issue should be one of national importance for it involves young peoples' lives - their education, training and future livelihoods. As Brinson and Ormston went on to note, provision for these young people 'should rest on the principle that young people with sufficient talent to gain entry to the school have as much right to vocational training for a dance career as potential engineers, scientists or farmers have in training for their careers.'

The Department of Education Mission Statement declares that: The mission of the Department of Education is to ensure the provision of a comprehensive, cost- effective and accessible education system of the highest quality, as measured by international standards, which will: enable individuals to develop to their full potential as persons and to participate fully as citizens in society and contribute to social and economic development'29

At the present time the Department is failing to meet these aims in relation to the education and training of professional dancers.

Encouraging work has been done with the development of VEC courses. However, this does not address the needs of those young people who have acquired a sound training in theatre dance styles from the many good teachers who operate around the country, and who seek to train to the highest levels. Without support for the highest standards of vocational dance training these talented young people will be denied the opportunity to develop their full potential unless they too, like generations of dancers before them, leave their home and their country with little incentive to return. It is our opinion that young people of talent should not have to emigrate to gain the education they need to pursue career choices that lie within their abilities.

As we have seen, many of the building blocks are already in place. Through private studio lessons and through the VEC programmes young people are gaining exposure to a range of dance forms. Furthermore, the quality of training already occurring is enabling the most talented and financially able students to gain training abroad.

28. Brinson, P Ormston, A cite p.46 29. Department of Education, Introduction to the department, p.1 (07/07/97)

7.3 FUTURE PROVISION What would a full-time training course require?

7.3.1 Students There are sufficient students of the appropriate level of talent to warrant a course. The Arts Council currently supports an average of eight students per year in training. If the course was of sufficient calibre it could attract additional students from abroad.

7.3.2 Teachers There are many talented teachers of dance already within Ireland. However in order to ensure the course reflected the international dance community some teachers would need to be recruited from abroad either on a guest or short-term (3 or 4 years) contract basis. This is common practice in many vocational dance institutions in the UK and brings the benefits of enhancing the professional practice of all those involved with the scheme. This could also have the potential of bringing new vitality to the professional dance community currently within Ireland by feeding in new styles and new practices from other dance cultures.

7.3.3 Course Director/Artistic Director Those courses which are effective at delivering vocational dance training overseas recognise that a dance course must be more than a collection of dance classes strung loosely together. There must be consistency and coherence in the approach to training designed around clear and achievable aims. These are concepts familiar to education providers but less familiar to dance training deliverers. To achieve this continuity and coherence both in artistic terms and in terms of educational cohesion generally requires the employment of someone with outstanding talent to oversee the process. Dance is famous for the institutions founded on the inspiration of individuals. Across all dance sectors the names of individuals abide through the continuing work of schools - Laban, Rambert, Laine to name a few. Many of those we have spoken to have said that while it is not necessary to have someone of greatness, it is important to find someone with vision and commitment and sufficient knowledge to steer a course and those attending it to a fruitful destination. Such a person is not easy to find.

7.3.4 Course content Course content would need to be devised in association with representatives from the dance profession in Ireland and professional representatives from further afield, together with course providers from existing courses at home and abroad. Interaction between these groups would be essential as professionals currently working in the field are idealistic about the range of subjects and disciplines that can be learnt over the duration of a three-year course. Course providers are more acutely aware of the limited number of hours in a day and temper their expectations accordingly. Dance students leaving Ireland to obtain training are leaving to study in all the three major dance fields - classical, contemporary and musical theatre, although there is a predominance of students choosing to study in the first two subjects. Course content would need to relate clearly to the needs of the students and to the professional environment which the course aimed to supply This would not only be the professional dance community in Ireland but across the European Union as well.

Brinson and Ormston recommended that course content should include classical ballet together with more than one form of contemporary dance and with contact improvisation, Alexander and ideo-kinesis to allow 'Irishness' to develop - 'not through imposing the product of an outside culture, but through a shared experience and experiment with many products'.30 The idea of a range of contemporary techniques, a firm grounding in ballet and the opportunity to do improvisation were strongly supported at our meeting with artistic directors in September 1997. Supporting studies of anatomy music appreciation were also proposed.

7.3.5 Physical infrastructure The requirements for dance are unusual and the provision of dance spaces in Ireland, limited. Siamsa Tire possesses an appropriate studio and performance space, as does the Firkin Crane. Studios are in the process of being developed at Meeting House Lane from where the College of Dance currently

28. Brinson, P Ormston, A cite p.46 29. Department of Education, Introduction to the department, p.1 (07/07/97) 30. Brinston, P Ormston, A cite p.47

operates classes. However there is a substantial demand for this space, from the College of Dance, the professional Association and existing companies. All the current spaces are restricted in size and serious consideration would need to be given to the number of studios required in relation to the number of potential students across all years of the course. It may be that the development of a proposed dance centre in Dublin will alleviate this problem. Likewise, developments in Limerick might open other opportunities. However it seems likely that some form of investment would be necessary in order to find sufficient studio space to accommodate a full-time course.

7.3.6 Administrative support One of the weaknesses that we have seen in most of the training establishments across Ireland has been the lack of administrative support available to course co-ordinators and teachers. By administrative support we do not mean solely typing and filing facilities (although this is often also sadly lacking), but a lack of supporting documentation that sets out the content and structure of the course. Course providers are often private sector teachers working either within a maintained sector environment of which they have little experience or knowledge. The development of appropriate course structure and related documentation is a necessary part of the course provision and must be appropriately supported and developed. 7.3.7 A music policy and good musicians While not all dance is learnt or performed in association with music, much is. Dancers in training must have the opportunity to work with musicians where appropriate so that musicality and relationship to the music can be developed. Good musicians should be available to accompany class with live music. In addition students should extend their knowledge of music and musical genres through supporting studies in music appreciation. Access to live accompaniment does not occur often in current training provision within Ireland, however this is usually related to cost rather than availability of suitable artists.

7.3.8 Resources Dance training is not generally entirely studio based. Time for associated studies is also required. Resources to support these and studio based work is also required. Books, videos and recordings provide the opportunity to extend and support the learning process. Very few of these resources are currently available within Ireland.

7.3.9 Finance Our brief did not require us to cost the structuring and administration of a potential course. An appropriate feasibility study would have to be undertaken to accurately reflect the financial implications of the development of a full-time course. Should this task be undertaken, decisions regarding sources of finance for student maintenance as well as for course fees and administration should be considered.

7.3.10 System of public accountability With the investment of public funds comes the need for public accountability. We would hope that these processes could be developed through existing or emerging systems. Even without the investment of public funds we believe that there is a need for openness and accountability on the part of course providers to those who participate in training and those who fund them. Internal and external quality assurance systems should be developed for any course. In addition, we would hope to see interaction between representatives from interested parties - funders, educators, dance professionals, student representatives, DoE representatives etc - who could form a Board of Governors.

7.3.11 A recognised qualification We would hope that course certification and related qualification would be linked to quality assurance, reflecting the association with national awarding bodies.

Some of the elements listed above are already in place; some need further development; some have yet to be established. All, however, are not beyond the bounds of possibility But among the things that would be needed for the development of a course of excellence would be the will and the time to undertake the task.

We therefore propose two complementary and inter-linked suggestions for the development of dance training in Ireland:

7.4 Short-term recommendations: In the immediate future:

1. We recommend that the course at the Firkin Crane in Cork is encouraged to develop as a foundation course for full-time vocational dance training. We suggest that the current structure and content of the course is well founded and able to sustain development relating to quality of delivery. We suggest that through dialogue the course at Firkin Crane could be accepted by accredited course providers in England as a foundation course, allowing graduates from the Firkin Crane course the option of entering into the second year of accredited courses. This process could be enhanced through a system of teacher exchange between institutions or of guest teachers from targeted accredited courses being invited to Firkin Crane to teach class, thus familiarising students in Ireland with some of the tutors and specific dance styles they would meet on later courses. In addition, this interaction would provide an external benchmark as tutors from vocational courses assess standards of student achievement on the course with those required for entry into vocational training courses. The dance community in general and the teaching community in particular might also benefit from interaction with other professionals bringing an external perspective in to what is essentially a very small community

2. As part of the courses development we would recommend that negotiations take place with NCVA to see if any leeway can be allowed on the relationship between hours allocated to the Firkin Crane and other NCVA courses and the numbers of students attending each course. The needs and specialist requirements of a dance course should be clearly stated and references drawn from international standards and procedures for the training of dance professionals.

3. In order for the link between an Irish foundation course and vocational courses overseas to be effective, representation will need to be made to government bodies regarding the funding of students undertaking vocational dance training. It is impractical to think that the Arts Council should continue to fund students seeking to pursue a full-time vocational dance training. It is beyond their brief and infringes on finances that could otherwise be used to develop and extend professional dance practice, thus providing opportunities for employment and encouragement for dance graduates to return. Achieving this aim will require the education of Irish TDs so that they understand the unique features of dance education and training and the long-term benefits of appropriate training, not only to the individuals who undertake it but to the country as a whole. The increasing recognition31 throughout the European Union of the benefits arising from participation in the cultural industries at both economic and social levels should assist in this argument.

Without sufficient funding many of those young people training on VEC courses will not have the option to continue on to full-time vocational training abroad. We do not advocate that every student should automatically be afforded the right to study by virtue of their initial participation in a VEC course. We do, however, contend that those with sufficient talent and ability to be selected into courses with accredited status should be given the opportunity to complete the education and training in the subject of their choice.

7.5 Private sector While full-time vocational dance training has traditionally taken place in the independent sector within the UK we do not think that the current provision available within the private sector in Ireland is of sufficient calibre or with sufficient opportunities to be able to develop into the standard and level of provision seen abroad. Every assistance should, however, be given to those young people studying with private studio teachers both on a full or part-time basis to enable them to reach the highest standards of practice. We therefore support the participation of students at summer schools and similar activities where students can gain the opportunity to participate in dance practice outside the confines of their own small private school sphere. In this way we hope that students' standards of achievement can be raised, thus raising initial levels of entry either onto foundation courses at home or abroad, or straight into full-time vocational training.

We hope that students of sufficient calibre who gain a place on a full-time vocational course will continue to be supported financially to achieve their training and educational goals. However we believe that this finance should be provided for by the Department of Education rather than the Arts Council.

7.6 Youth Dance In addition to developments on the VEC courses we would recommend that the possibility of rekindling a Youth Dance programme is carefully considered. While Irish Junior Ballet affords an opportunity for young people with talent to participate in classical dance performance projects few options are open to students wishing to develop their skills and experience of contemporary performance styles. Irish Youth Dance successfully fostered an interest and understanding of contemporary dance which benefitted a number of young people who went on to work within the dance profession. The re-establishment of an Irish Youth Dance programme could provide performance opportunities for young people across the country; foster a greater understanding of dance and thus create a deeper interest in the work of the professional dance community It might also create opportunities for employment for current members of the profession and returning graduates. If this recommendation were pursued we would also recommend that cross-border collaboration be encouraged so that resources between an Irish Youth Dance company and Ulster Youth Dance participants could maximise resources as travel costs for visiting teachers and choreographers are often prohibitive.

In the same way, we encourage the continued assistance for Irish Junior Ballet and suggest that cross- border links might also be developed to enable the small classical dance community in Northern Ireland to benefit from closer interaction with a broader dance community.

We would hope that links could be fostered between a Youth Dance programme and full-time (VEC or private) course providers so that participants on the informal programme might progress into full-time training bringing a greater degree of experience and technical ability and thus slowly raising the standards of students on entry to a full-time course.

We would hope that with the backing of the Arts Council for Irish Junior Ballet and a Youth Dance programme local pre-vocational teachers across all fields - including traditional Irish dance forms - could be persuaded to release their students for informal participation in Youth Dance events.

We recognise that these short-term proposals still advocate young people leaving Ireland to attain vocational training, however to be practical we could not expect a course of appropriate quality to be developed overnight.

We also believe that one of the reasons that full-time vocational training has not developed in Ireland despite the recommendations of past reports has been that the formation of a national college of dance out of nothing has required too much from too many quarters. Our suggestions are therefore made in relation to current provision and suggest ways to maximise current systems, structures and facilities.

We foresee two potential long-term solutions:

7.7 Long-term recommendations: • The extension of the Firkin Crane course into full-time vocational training provision or • the development of an under-degree programme arising from the post-graduate course being developed at the University of Limerick.

Both these institutions have an appreciation of the needs of specialist training programmes; Firkin Crane through their current provision of the VEC dance course, and the University of Limerick through its specialist music provision and related courses. Both have good connections with the dance profession - Firkin Crane through its interaction with visiting professional dance artists and the University of Limerick through its association with Daghdha Dance Company Both institutions face disadvantages - Firkin Crane from the external confines imposed by regulation through the current

NCVA system; the University because, to date, no arts dedicated dance course is currently in operation. Both are also disadvantaged by their current facilities - studio space is limited in both and the potential for development for either, costly However, in our estimation either institution could go on to develop a third-level course in dance. The necessary appreciation of the importance of structures exists in both, as does the need for ensuring course content is linked to profession need. Whether it would be better for a course to grow up from an extended foundation programme to accommodate the needs of graduates or to grow down from the influence of professionals participating in post-graduate education we cannot say There are potential merits in both. What is essential is that the needs of the dance community as a whole and the needs of the students entering a vocational programme should be considered before the individual aims of either institution.

7.8 Location One of the primary disadvantages with these suggestions is that both of these institutions are outside of Dublin. This is an important consideration given that 51% of the working dance population who completed our questionnaires are living within the Dublin area. We would have hoped that the development of a full-time course in Ireland could have directly benefited the professional dance community on an immediate practical day-to-day basis. However, as we have stated earlier, full-time vocational training requires specialist facilities and resources. Within vocational schools abroad these facilities and resources are generally used by students for twelve hours a day - throughout lesson time during the day and for rehearsals of public pieces or private study at night. Access by members of the profession not directly involved with the course is difficult to facilitate unless specific time and space is allocated for that purpose within the construction of the building and/or the course timetable.

Currently within the Dublin area dance space is at a premium. Knowledge of course structuring and the administrative facilities to develop appropriate structures are at a minimum, and access to specialist resources for dance training are no higher than other areas of the country. Students and dance professionals alike have expressed the opinion that barring extremes, the geographical location of a course is a peripheral consideration in relation to the structures intrinsic to it and the quality of delivery of training. We therefore do not, at this time, propose that a new course be started from scratch simply to enable it to be within the Dublin area.

Brinson and Ormston wrote that 'A step-by-step approach will be needed, with classical ballet and contemporary dance training as first priorities.' ^We support this suggestion. There is much to commend it, not least because these are the primary fields in which students choose to study and which companies within Ireland also choose to operate to a greater or lesser degree. However, we wish to highlight the need for funding to continue to be made available to those few talented students who are suited to the musical theatre style. Their training necessitates a broad-based curriculum including dance styles, singing and drama. These would not readily fit into a course focused on the development of classical or contemporary styles. Musical theatre students should therefore continue to receive support to train overseas at accredited courses of repute, where the quality of training and access to professional opportunities will advance their career prospects.

7.9 Teacher training Consideration must also be given to those young people seeking to develop a career as a dance teacher. Further discussion needs to be undertaken on this subject to determine whether provision should be related to those wishing to pursue a career as a dance teacher within the local private sector or whether within the state maintained education field. Students seeking to practice in the former will be able to attain the teaching qualifications offered by the recognised teaching societies through working with their own private sector teachers and perhaps through the work of the VEC course. There may, however, be some students who wish to gain the BA Hons degree in the Art and Teaching of Ballet offered by the College of the Royal Academy of Dancing or similar qualifications further afield. This has already proved an important stepping stone for some Irish students seeking to further their education and career opportunities at the same time. We would recommend that support for these students should be continued until such time that a similar course can be developed within Ireland.

31. Brinston, P Ormston, A op cite p.47

8. CONCLUSIONS In our opinion; the time Ts ripe for the development of a vocational dance course within Ireland. The development of courses at Firkin Crane and the proposed course at the University of Limerick illustrate that the relationship between dance and educational practice has begun in relation to vocational dance training programmes. This is occurring at a time when the professional dance community in Ireland has had the opportunity to consolidate its practice and when the steady stream of talented students continue to reach the calibre required for full-time vocational training.

We suggest that the work undertaken by TEASTAS on the development of a national framework of qualifications is a step that should not be ignored by the dance community In order to maximise the opportunity created by this development the dance community should work together to develop a system appropriate to its needs.

All this requires closer co-operation between the dance community and departments of state, most particularly the Department of Education. We recommend that in the absence of a council for dance the Arts Council should be encouraged to assist the dance community in reaching consensus on key issues like a framework for dance qualifications and liaise with the Department of Education in order to emphasise the current absence of opportunities for young Irish people wishing to pursue an education and training in dance.

The development of dance training in Ireland should no longer be left to the trial and error of individuals whose public accountability, standards, achievements and motives go unquestioned and unsupervised by any government body

8.1 A CONTINUUM OF PRACTICE While the provision of vocational dance training for Irish students has formed the foundation of our study, issues pertaining to this central theme have inevitably impinged upon our view. What has emerged clearly is the inter- relationship that needs to exist between the profession and dance training providers in the context of the international nature of dance practice. We therefore believe that any developments in dance training should not be viewed in isolation but should be viewed in the context of a continuum of practice. In order for this to be achieved it is essential that that continuum is supported and developed in its entirety as well as within its separate parts.

Our perception of these interactive elements is perhaps best conveyed in diagrammatic form.

Fig 2 A continuum of practice

If, however, students aspire to teach dance within the state maintained education sector within Ireland considerably more work must be undertaken. Although the Diploma in Dance offered through the Department of Physical Education and Sports Science at the University of Limerick offers important opportunities, the confines placed on the course because of its inclusion under the PE department reduce the course achievements and the place of dance within the educational framework. This must be addressed as a long-term issue which falls beyond the remit of this report.

7.10 Qualifications framework In order for dance education and training to progress in Ireland the dance community should, in liaison with bodies such as TEASTAS, formulate proposals for the development of a framework of qualifications in dance (please see Section 6). We would anticipate that even with a will to undertake the process this would take at least eighteen to twenty-four months from the date of the establishment of TEASTAS' broad framework of qualifications which, it is hoped, should emerge in May 1998.

• We recommend the development of appropriate careers advice informing the career choices of young people encountering dance through local, national and international youth dance events. We would hope to see interaction between those young people and members of the profession through company out-reach programmes so that standards of student achievement relates to international standards throughout the professional sector. We would like to see these raised standards reflected in the entry level of students embarking on foundation third-level training and interaction between course providers and the international dance community keeping courses and their content related to the needs of the profession.

• We recommend support for graduates emerging into the profession through the work of projects like the Shawbrook programme so that those students still in training could interact with young people newly emerged into the profession. We would like to see open auditions for all funded companies to encourage young Irish professionals to return to seek employment opportunities, bringing their new-found skills and experiences with them to inform the emergence of dance practice in Ireland.

• We suggest consideration for funding for the commission of new works by Irish choreographers and the development of permanent companies to increase employment and to provide an opportunity for specific styles to emerge. We would like to see companies engaging in education programmes, particularly within the primary and post-primary education systems, so that an understanding and appreciation for dance could be fostered in new generations. We would hope to see on-going professional development, whether within the field of dance or to new horizons, so that dance practitioners can extend their practice and personal development in order to become rounded and educated human beings.

8.2 We therefore recommend: • Interaction with the Department of Education regarding the funding of vocational dance training, both in the short term overseas and the long-term within Ireland. While young people are forced to leave home to gain an education and training in the field of their choice it is unrealistic to expect the development of that profession within a national context.

• The development of careers information pertaining to dance. This should not only provide information regarding full-time training opportunities but inform the enquirer on the increasing number of career options available within the dance field.

• Renewed support for a Youth Dance programme, preferably based on the Northern Irish example of regional youth groups meeting on a regular basis with the option for national, cross-border or international co- operation on an annual basis.

• Support for the development of VEC courses as foundation courses. Representation should be made to NCVA in order to negotiate concessions for dance course providers in relation to the numbers of hours available to courses and the number of students required on courses.

• Continued support for the Shawbrook programme for the opportunities that it creates between students in training, the profession and emerging professionals. The interaction of these groups holds potential benefits for all. Students need to understand the immediate challenges facing them on graduation and recent graduates need the opportunity to interact with internationally respected professionals within an Irish context.

• An open audition policy for all funded companies in order to highlight employment opportunities within the Irish dance community

• When finances allow, the development of a new works commission scheme to encourage emerging professionals to return to Ireland to produce and participate in work within an Irish context.

• When finances allow, the funding of companies on a company rather than project basis in order to allow development and progression of style.

• Encouragement from the Arts Council for companies to engage in education work, with the proviso that this work should not be provided for from production budgets but should be seen as additional to the performance work of the company and funded accordingly

8.3 Northern Ireland As we have mentioned earlier, the difficulties facing the dance community in Northern Ireland are more severe and complex. There appears to be little apparent knowledge of, or support for dance within the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. Perhaps greater involvement at Council level from a member with extensive experience within the dance world would assist.

We urge ACNI to ensure that both internal and external communications are adequately able to meet the needs of the dance community which it serves.

We encourage ACNI to follow in the developments pertaining to the funding systems relating to vocational dance training and ensure that relevant information is made easily accessible to the dance community

We also urge ACNI to liaise with dance practitioners to develop a structured framework for participation in dance - from the earliest learners through vocational training to on-going professional development. We hope that the current dance audit will assist in mapping the current framework of provision and identify strengths, weaknesses or gaps in a relevant structure. In this way the limited funds available through ACNI can be targeted to support provision in the most appropriate way

While ACNI has an obligation to develop dance practice, members of the dance community should also be pro- active and ensure that their concerns and needs are heard and understood at the highest levels.

8.4 Joint recommendation We recommend that the Arts Council, ACNI and the separate dance communities develop strong communication links. As we have tried to emphasise throughout the report, the extension of communication, knowledge and resources can benefit both communities.

APPENDICES: 1 Providers of written and oral evidence 2 Documentation 3 Example of questionnaire to students 4 Example of questionnaire to dance professionals

1 Providers of written and oral evidence Ruth Adams, Administrator, Arts Council of Northern Ireland Fr Pat Ahern, Director, Siamsa Tire Joanna Banks, Principal, College of Dance Billie Barry, Director, The Billy Barry School Vivienne Barry, Administrator, Gaiety School of Acting Josephine Boland, Representative for TEASTAS Debbie Bolton, Examinations Manager, Royal Academy of Dancing Nonie Bradley, Dancer Mary Brady, Artistic Director, Firkin Crane Adrienne Brown, Artistic Director, New Balance Dance Company Nick Bryson, Dancer Anne Campbell-Crawford, Irish Junior Ballet Robert Carrickford, President, Irish Actors' Equity Aruba Coughlan, IDTA Representative Caimin Collins, Siamsa Tire Robert Connor, Artistic Director, Dance Theatre of Ireland Sandy Cuthbert, Choreographer/Dancer Donna Daty-Blyth, Course Director, Firkin Crane Micheal K Dolan, Choreographer/Artistic Director, The Fabulous Beast Gavin Dorrian, Teacher, College of Dance Nicola Drake, Director, The Dance Studio John Edmund, ACNI Dance Audit consultant Mollie Farrally, Teacher/adjudicator, An Coimisiun Ie Rinci Gaelacha Dr Catherine Foley, Lecturer in Ethnochoreology, University of Limerick Clodagh Foley-Martin, ISTD regional representative Eric Gibson, Principal, Gibson-Madden School Patricia Glynn, Dancer and Teacher Philip Hammond, Performing Arts Director, Arts Council of Northern Ireland Sue Hawksley, Teacher Annette Hynes, ISTD regional representative Paul Johnson, Artistic Director, Mandance Mairead Langan, RAD regional representative Teresa Leahy, Dept of Physical Education and Sport Science, University of Limerick Marian Lennon, Course Director, Inchicore VEC Helen Lewis, Choreographer/Dance Consultant Anica Louw, Director, Shawbrook Seamus Mac Conuladh, Pfiomhfeidhmeannach, An Coimisiun Ie Rinci Gaelacha Maureen Mackin, ACNI Dance Audit consultant Pauline McGrath, RAD regional representative Anthea McWilliams, Artistic Director/Teacher Mary Madden, Principal, Gibson-Madden School Stephanie Murphy, RAD regional representative Debbie Murray, ISTD regional representative Michelle Nic Chon Uladh, Dance Student

Rionach Ní Neill, Dancer Dr Marian North, Director, Laban Centre for Movement and Dance Mary Nunan, Artistic Director, Daghdha Dance Company Victoria O'Brien, Course Co-ordinator Sallynoggin Fearghus 0 Conchuir, Dance Artist Cathy O'Kennedy, Dance Artist Dr Micheal 0 Suilleabhain, Chair of Music, University of Limerick Helen Phelan, PIPA Seminar Co-ordinator, University of Limerick Fiona Quilligan, Artistic Director, Rubato Ballet Sonia Raffety, Dancer/Choreographer Denni Sayers, Choreographer John Scott, Artistic Director, Irish Modern Dance Theatre Judith Sibley, Dancer Denis Smyth, Former Dance Officer, ACNI Ann Stannard, Administrative Director, Central School of Ballet Dermot Stokes, Representative for TEASTAS Gaye Tanham, Youth Arts and Dance Officer, Arts Council/ An Chomhairle Ealaion Kieran Walsh, Siamsa Tire Martin Whelan, Siamsa Tire Andrew Wilson, Teacher/Arts Council bursary panel member Loretta Yurick, Artistic Director, Dance Theatre of Ireland Dance Bursary Candidates Dancers from Daghdha Dance Company Participants at the Shawbrook Summer Project Siamsa Tire Company Members Students at Firkin Crane, Sallynoggin, Gibson-Madden School, The Dance Studio, Ulster Youth Dance Scheme participants

Additional Information was also supplied by members of:

Central School of Ballet Cois Ceim Dance Theatre Cork City Ballet English National Ballet School Hoi Polloi Community Dance Group Laban Centre for Movement and Dance Laine Theatre Arts London Contemporary Dance School London Studio Centre Myriad Dance Company Northern School of Contemporary Dance Parents of students and dancers Tanzcompagnie Giessen Wiener Ballet Theatre

2 Documentation

An Coimisiun le Rinci Gaelacha Rules of an Coimisiun le Rinci Gaelacha

An Coimisiun le Rinci Gaelacha Teachers' Certificate Examinations Syllabus 1997

Arts Council Art matters, Issues 21, 22, 23, The Arts Council

Arts Council Awards and Opportunities for Individuals The Arts Council (1996)

Arts Council Awards and Opportunities for individuals The Arts Council (1997)

Arts Council The Arts Council Annual Report 1994 The Arts Council (1994)

Arts Council The Arts Plan 1995-1997 The Arts Council (1995)

Arts Council of Northern Ireland Dance Audit Terms of Reference, ACNI (1996)

Arts Council of Northern Ireland Just Dance ....Issues, 1,2 and 3, ACNI (1996/97)

Benson, C The place of the Arts In Irish Education, The Arts Council (1979)

Brinson, P Ormston, A The Dancer and the Dance: Developing Theatre Dance In Ireland, The Arts Council (1985)

Council for Dance Education and Training Procedures, criteria and application for accreditation, CDET, (1995)

Dance Council Dance News Ireland: The Newsletter of the Dance Council of Ireland (1985-1990)

Department of Education Brief Description of the Irish Education System Government of Ireland (1996)

Department of Education /An Roinn Oideachais Charting our Education Future: White paper on Education, Government of Ireland (1995)

Department of Education Higher Education Grants Scheme, Government of Ireland (1996)

Department of Education Introduction to the Department Government of Ireland (1997)

Department of Education Vocational Education Committee's Scholarship Scheme, Government of Ireland (1996)

Everitt, L (Ed), Laban Guild Movement and Dance Quarterly Autumn 1996 Vol 15 No 3 The Gaiety School of Acting 2 Year Full Time Acting Course

Hickey, S (Ed) Dance In Educational Curriculum Project Department of Education, Dance Council of Ireland, Thomond College of Education

Irish Junior Ballet Programme, February 1997

The National Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education, Higher Education In the learning society: Report of the National Committee, HMSO (1997)

Phelan, H The PIPA Report University of Limerick (1996)

Shawbrook's 1997 Residential/Choreographic Composer's Workshop Programme

TEASTAS Considering Future Directions, TEASTAS (1996)

3 Example of questionnaire to professionals

4 Example of questionnaire to students

Notes

Notes

Notes