Alongside the bright Spring weather, we’ve been warming up to a busy year at DCD, with plenty of activity taking place since our February newsletter.

During March we hosted workshops in London and Manchester. DCD’s Director of Coaching delivered a session in London at The Prince of Wales Theatre giving dancers practical tools to help them be courageous as they develop their careers. In Manchester we delivered the first in a new, nomadic series of support and advice sessions, delivered in partnership with One Dance UK. We are grateful to Cameron Mackintosh and Company Chameleon, respectively, who supported these events.

Last month we worked with our international partners to promote the IOTPD Philippe Braunschweig Grant for international dancers and are delighted that two dancers have successfully received awards. In partnership with One Dance UK, we have also been able to offer two dance scholarships on the Global Leaders Institute - Arts Innovation MBA.

We have just caught-up with dancers currently enrolled on our mentoring programme. We’re delighted that this year’s inspiring and diverse cohort represent a range of dance genres including ballet, Bharatanatyam, contemporary, hip hop and physical theatre.

Our ever-evolving work with our Partner Companies has included visits and workshops at Rambert and Northern Ballet; and our Education Programme has continued at Elmhurst Ballet School, English National Ballet School, Laine Theatre Arts, London Contemporary Dance School, Northern School of Contemporary Dance, The Royal Ballet School and Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance.

We convey our congratulations to Paul James on his appointment as Chief Executive at Birmingham Royal Ballet. I had the privilege of watching The Royal Ballet’s Ballet to Broadway: Wheeldon Works and Northern Ballet’s Jane Eyre, as well as attending Dance City’s 40^th Anniversary celebrations in Newcastle.

Following updates to the accessibility and transparency of our Retraining Grants application process, we look forward to receiving applications from dancers this month; excited, inspired and honoured to support dancers in their varied and remarkable career journeys. We are also recruiting volunteers to join DCD’s Grants Committee, so if you are interested in becoming a grants assessor – keep reading!

With warm regards

Vanessa Lefrancois, Executive Director

DCD’s Retraining Grants can help support dancers with the practical costs of developing and progressing their career, whether within or beyond the arts. Grants can be used towards a range of costs related to retraining, from course and training fees, to equipment, maintenance, travel and childcare costs.

We have recently updated and relaunched our application guidelines and process. Rather than providing a personal statement, applicants are now asked to respond to a series of questions, either in writing or via a sound file.

Upcoming application deadline: Monday 23 June

Anyone considering submitting an application must book an Individual Career Consultation with a DCD Relationship Manager at least one week prior to the application deadline.

DCD is delighted to welcome two inspirational and highly-skilled women to its Board of Trustees.

Joining are: Rebecca Jones, a freelance journalist and broadcaster who worked for the BBC for nearly 30 years as the Arts Correspondent and Chief News Presenter; and Nandita Shankardass, a dance artist, interdisciplinary facilitator, educator and previous member of DCD’s EDI Working Group.

New additions to our digital collection include interviews with dancers and filmed panel discussions. Available on-demand, 24/7, from wherever you are in the world, we hope these videos will help to inspire, inform and support dancers on their own unique career development journeys. Let us know if there’s additional content you think we should include!

We’ve produced interviews with dancers telling their incredible career stories, including Sharon Watson MBE (CEO & Principal, Northern School of Contemporary Dance), Feargus Campbell (Barrister) and Seeta Patel (Artistic Director, Seeta Patel Dance). These videos explore when and how these dancers moved on from performing, their top tips for career progression and their experiences finding fulfilment beyond the stage.

Also included are the panel discussions filmed live at DCD’s impactful Inspiration Day: Rich Mix, London, 11 November 2024. Including: Changemakers & Leadership and Taking charge of your career.              

Please send us any feedback you have on our newsletter, so that we can make sure future editions are relevant, informative and interesting. Also, do keep in touch with us on social media, your support in sharing our posts with your network is hugely appreciated.

DCD is ambitious for dancers' futures.