This week’s dance teacher news starts in the classroom. Dance has a new specialist lead at the government’s new arts education centre. There’s also a free safeguarding podcast from DBS, the Bedells Bursary winners, sad news from Middlesex University, and a tap date for your diary.
A new national voice for dance in schools
One Dance UK announced on 27 October that Laura Nicholson will leave in January 2027 to become Director of Dance Education at the new National Centre for Arts Education. Laura is One Dance UK’s Head of Children and Young People’s Dance and its Interim Chief Executive. She’s currently contributing dance expertise to the revised PE curriculum in England.
The Department for Education is setting up the Centre to widen access to arts education in schools in England. According to Etio, which is running it with Birmingham City University and the Chartered College of Teaching, it will cover art and design, dance, drama and music. Its work includes training for teachers and linking schools in underserved areas with cultural organisations.
What this means for your school: if you teach dance in schools, or run clubs for them, there’s now a dedicated dance lead at national level. Etio says the Centre wants to hear from schools, teachers and arts organisations, so it’s one to follow. It builds on the calls for more dance in schools we covered in last week’s round-up.
Free DBS podcast on barring
The Disclosure and Barring Service has launched Series 3 of its podcast, DBS Discussions: Safeguarding in Focus. All six episodes came out on 26 October. They explain what barring is, when an organisation has a legal duty to refer someone to DBS, how DBS thinks about harm and how barring decisions are made.
What this means for your school: it’s free on Spotify, Amazon Music and YouTube, and a useful listen for your designated safeguarding lead. Our guides to what a DSL does in a dance school and what to do if a child tells you something worrying pair well with it.
Bedells Bursary 2026 winners
The Royal Academy of Dance has announced the winners of the Bedells Bursary 2026, held in Battersea on 25 and 26 October. Thea Martin, 15, from the Ella Morgan School of Classical Ballet, won the main £1,000 bursary. Ichika Tsuchihara, 15, from Tring Park School for the Performing Arts, won the musicality award, and Stuart Rankine, 17, from Elmhurst Ballet School, won the choreographic award. In all, 48 young dancers from 11 countries took part. Congratulations to them and their teachers. The Fonteyn competition follows from 31 October, with the final at the London Coliseum on 8 November.
Middlesex University closes BA Dance
Middlesex University is closing its BA Dance programme, with the final graduation in June 2027. Theatre Arts and other arts courses are closing too. One Dance UK calls it part of a “deeply troubling pattern” of course closures. If you’re helping older students choose a degree, check the courses they like are still recruiting.
Around the dance world
Ballet Black is marking 25 years of improving diversity in ballet, and its dancers are now teachers, choreographers and leaders across dance. The Place’s Resolution festival returns from 8 January to 25 February 2027, with a new Resolution Award for emerging choreographers. And English National Ballet is bringing Dance for Parkinson’s to Mayflower Southampton, with taster sessions from 4 November and weekly classes from 13 January.
In case you missed it: the Budget
From April 2027 the National Living Wage rises to £13.21, with £11.27 for 18 to 20 year olds and £8.31 for 16 to 17 year olds. Our post on what the Budget means for dance teachers covers this, the trading allowance and business rates relief.
This week’s tip
Tapathon 2026 is on Sunday 15 November. Dance Pulse reports that schools across the UK learn the same routine, this year to “I’ll Be There for You”, and dance it at the same time to raise money for BBC Children in Need. If your tap classes want to join in, there’s still time to learn it. Our tap class ideas for beginners will help your newest tappers warm up for it.
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