If you’ve ever booked a freelance teacher to cover your Saturday street class, this week’s dance teacher news is worth a read. The government wants views on who counts as self-employed. Plus the Carl Alan Awards winners, Scottish Ballet in cinemas, news from our partner BDSA and Darcey Bussell on dance in schools. We’ve also got a tip for when the clocks go back.
Government consults on self-employed status
On 14 October the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade announced plans to crack down on bogus self-employment. That’s when a business labels someone as self-employed, but day to day they’re treated as a worker. The government says as many as 900,000 people could be missing out on rights like the National Minimum Wage and holiday pay.
The Make Work Pay consultation on employment status asks about three things. The first is putting less weight on personal service when deciding worker status. The second is a presumption of worker status. The third is new protections for people who are genuinely self-employed. Those protections include a written statement for each contract and protection from blacklisting. It’s about employment rights only. There are no proposals on tax status.
What this means for your school: nothing changes yet. These are proposals, and the consultation closes at 11:55pm on 8 January 2027. If you book freelance teachers, or you’re a freelancer yourself, it’s worth reading and having your say. Our guide to hiring your first dance teacher explains how employed and self-employed roles differ today.
Carl Alan Awards 2026 winners
The Theatre and Freestyle Carl Alan Awards took place at Blackpool Pleasure Beach on 10 October. The IDTA shared the winners, including George Hill (Theatre Teacher), Paul Robinson (Theatre Choreographer), Nic Greenshields (Theatre Performer), Mike Fellows (Freestyle Performer), Colin Maxwell (Freestyle Lifetime Achievement), Rosemarie Ford (Special Recognition) and Craig Revel Horwood (Theatre Outstanding Service to Dance). In ballroom and sequence, Isle of Man Today reports that Nicholas Wilson and Livy Bradfield, both 18, received the 2026 award for Outstanding Classical Sequence Partnership. Congratulations to everyone recognised, and to the teachers behind them.
BDSA partners with Class Manager and Stage Stubs
Our partner the British DanceSport Association has announced a new partnership with Class Manager and Stage Stubs. Class Manager is studio software for billing, timetables and messages with families. Stage Stubs handles ticket sales for shows and competitions, and BDSA says it’s free for dance studios to use. BDSA members get 25% off Premium Onboarding for Class Manager.
What this means for your school: if you’re planning your Christmas show, it’s one option to look at alongside whatever you use now. Running a raffle on the night too? Read our Christmas show raffle rules first.
Darcey Bussell wants dance to be the norm in schools
One Dance UK reports that Darcey Bussell spoke up for dance in schools at the Sky Arts Awards. She wishes dance was “a really normal part of everyday education”, for its benefits to well-being, physically and mentally. It comes as the Arts and Minds Campaign asks people to sign an open letter to the Education and Culture Secretaries. Its polling found that 50% of school leaders say a crowded curriculum squeezes out the arts.
Something to watch with your students
Scottish Ballet’s first feature-length film, These Violent Delights, opened in UK and Irish cinemas on 21 October. It’s a wordless retelling of Romeo and Juliet, with a 24-minute Q&A with the directors and lead dancer Kayla-Maree Tarantolo. It’s rated 15, so it suits older students, and screenings run in selected cinemas into January.
Looking further ahead, Sadler’s Wells has announced a new work by choreographer Marcos Morau inspired by David Bowie. SUBJECT TO CHANGE: A Dance for David Bowie will have its UK premiere at Sadler’s Wells in autumn 2028.
Around the dance world
In Somerset, Project Dance has a permanent new home at BrickHouse Studio in Yeovil. It has also been awarded £49,768 from Arts Council England to tour its production BUSK across England in spring 2027. And English National Ballet is planning its largest ever performance at the Royal Victoria Dock in autumn 2027. It will bring together more than 500 performers, with over 30 local dance groups taking part.
For students thinking about vocational training, Elmhurst Ballet School in Birmingham holds its Open Day on Thursday 5 November for dancers aged 11 to 17 and their families. It’s free, but places must be booked in advance.
This week’s tip
The clocks go back at 2am on Sunday 25 October, according to GOV.UK. From Monday, it’ll be dark when most after-school classes finish. A quick message to families about collection is a simple way to keep everyone safe. Our darker evenings drop-off and collection guide has ideas, and our winter weather plan helps you get ready for snow days.
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