Let Scotland dance

A plea for wider opportunities for dance in Scotland and demands for greater investment to build new audiences are at the heart of ‘Dance in Scotland’, a new report by the Federation of Scottish Theatre. Partly inspired by the 2006 Dance Manifesto in England, the report identifies a range of challenges, especially relating to young people. Although dance is part of the Curriculum for Excellence in Scotland, there is currently no Standard Grade examination and the Higher Dance Practice is only taken in nine Secondary Schools. Half of Scotland’s school children do not take part in dance at all between the ages of about 9 and 13, yet 84% of girls and 38% of boys would like to do so. Few schemes exist to identify and nurture talented individuals towards professional training, and those which do are regularly over-subscribed. Similarly, after graduation, there are few formal schemes to support those entering the professional dance community. The report makes a series of recommendations that aim to inform future policy, and Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Culture & External Affairs, has said that the report: “chimes with the Scottish Government’s aim to Get Scotland Dancing as part of the Games Legacy for Glasgow 2014.”