Festive update & 2025 Highlights

We hope you enjoy reading about some of Dancers’ Career Development’s 2025 highlights, which simply would not have been possible without our wonderful partners, funders and supporters.

Dancers’ Career Development is reliant on the generosity of Trusts, Foundations and donors to deliver its vital work: supporting hundreds of professional dancers each year to develop sustainable, rewarding careers when they retire from the stage.

If you are in the position to do so, please consider making a regular gift to DCD this Christmas to enable talented dance artists to successfully retrain and requalify at the end of their performance career.

Wishing you all a healthy and joyous festive season.

Warm regards,

Vanessa Lefrancois, Executive Director

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January

Panel discussion in London to galvanise support for dancers; honoured to be joined by The Baroness Bull CBE (House of Lords) and DCD supported dancers Iain Mackay (Artistic Director, Royal Ballet School), Ingrid Mackinnon (Movement Director) & Jean-Marc Puissant (Stage & Costume Designer).

February

Delivered Beyond the Studio workshop at Company Chameleon in Manchester, in partnership with One Dance UK. An opportunity for dancers from North West England to find out how our respective organisations can support their professional development, health and wellbeing.

March

“I have been coming to these for a few years now and I always know I will come away feeling inspired and empowered, so I don't think twice about booking!”

Dancer feedback from a sell-out DCD workshop at The Prince of Wales Theatre in London’s West End.

April

Spring session with our diverse 2024-25 Beyond Dance Mentoring Programme cohort: including Ballet, Bharatanatyam, Contemporary, Hip Hop and Physical Theatre performers, and a former Artistic Co-director of Candoco Dance Company.

May

Promoted scholarships for dancers to undertake an MBA in Arts Innovation with the Global Leaders Institute, through a three-way partnership with One Dance UK. Five dancers enrolled on this international course in September!

June

36 dancers awarded Retraining Grants. 74 grants awarded by DCD in 2025: almost £295,000 for dancers to study psychology, photography, branding, environmental science, physiotherapy, international relations, illustration, teaching, event management, doula support services and foot health (a must for dancers globally!).

July

Visited our six brilliant Partner Companies delivering inspirational talks and workshops on communication skills and personal finance, to over 200 dancers, alongside 29 Individual Career Consultations.

August

Announced Zenaida Yanowsky as this year’s Dance Clore Fellow, supported by DCD and The Linbury Trust. Zenaida is a former Principal Dancer with The Royal Ballet, turned guest coach and Aud Jebsen Young Dancers Programme Artistic Lead.

September

Launched SHIFT Hip Hop, 2025/26 programme. Inês Duarte, James Fogerty and Chaldon Williams will be exploring careers in videography, cultural leadership and producing. SHIFT Hip Hop is powered by DCD and fabulous partners ZooNation: The Kate Prince Company and Boy Blue.

October

Dancer Hamish Scott completed his epic Tour de Dance raising over £26,500 for DCD by cycling 500 miles from Newcastle to London.

“Along the way I was so fortunate to meet so many inspiring dancers, each with their own remarkable story. The ride itself was a tough challenge, cycling through rain, wind and endless hills, but in many ways it mirrored the hurdles of a career transition. This adventure has left me excited for the future, and I feel like my journey is only just beginning.”
Hamish Scott

November

DCD Executive Director Vanessa Lefrancois took part in Global Perspectives, an international panel discussion about career transition, during Fall for Dance North Festival in Toronto, with IOTPD delegates from Japan, France, Canada, The Netherlands and Switzerland.

“This journey isn’t just a career change but an expansion of who I am and what I’m capable of becoming.”
Emma Brunton

"DCD's work is not only important - it’s transformative."
Stefanos Dimoulas

December

Our Christmas present to you… book your place on this FREE career development workshop for current and former dancers!

EVOLVE London: Monday 23 March 2026, 10.30am-1.30pm
Theme: Navigating Uncertainty

Info & booking

Dancers’ Career Development is a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales (registered company number 10137622) and a registered charity (registered charity number 1168958). Registered office International House, 61 Mosley Street, Manchester M2 3HZ.

Photography: Becky Lee Brun (EVOLVE workshop photos) / Sofia Tomic (Inês Duarte photo, female dancer in front of purple wall) / Hamish Scott (Tour de Dance photos)

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