British Association of Teachers of Dance
Encyclopedia
The British Association of Teachers of Dance (BATD) is a UK based dance examination board, with its Head Office in Glasgow, Scotland. The officially recognised date for the formation of the society is 30 November 1892, making it the first professional dance organisation of its kind in the United Kingdom, and the second oldest in the world.
There were 24 founder members recorded in 1892, with an estimated 3,500 members registered by the year 1999.
The British Association is represented in the following countries:
The BATD is represented in many other countries, but this list shows those countries where there are a notable number of registered members or where regular meetings of the association are held.
There are various other regional or district committees, which organise meetings, lectures, seminars and other events for the membership in their district. These positions are nominated and elected by the membership of each district and include a Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer and Marshall.
Members of the society can seek higher office, first at regional level then at the Executive level.
A range of examinations and awards are available in each dance discipline for children of all ages. These are typically organised into grades or medal tests, with the work being assessed by a BATD registered examiner. As well as these examinations for children, the society also offers training for adults and teacher training for dance professionals who wish to become a registered teacher with the BATD.
History of the BATD
Founded in 1892, the BATD became the first UK dance association of its kind to encourage the organisation of dance professionals into an organised society. The association may have been in operation earlier than this, however November 30th 1892 is the first recorded date that can be established beyond doubt (see BATD website).There were 24 founder members recorded in 1892, with an estimated 3,500 members registered by the year 1999.
The British Association is represented in the following countries:
- United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
- MaltaMaltaMalta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
- CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
- United States of AmericaUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
- AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
- South AfricaSouth AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
- SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
- FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
- ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
- Holland
- GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
- BelarusBelarusBelarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
- LatviaLatviaLatvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
- South KoreaSouth KoreaThe Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
The BATD is represented in many other countries, but this list shows those countries where there are a notable number of registered members or where regular meetings of the association are held.
Configuration of the Society
The Society is managed by a President, Vice-Presidents, Trustees Treasurer and an Executive Council. These are all elected positions, which are balloted at the societies annual conference.There are various other regional or district committees, which organise meetings, lectures, seminars and other events for the membership in their district. These positions are nominated and elected by the membership of each district and include a Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer and Marshall.
Members of the society can seek higher office, first at regional level then at the Executive level.
Branches
The primary work of the society is to provide examination syllabi in various dance styles. There are a number of branches within the society that each specialise in a specific dance subject. They are:- TapTap danceTap dance is a form of dance characterized by using the sound of one's tap shoes hitting the floor as a percussive instrument. As such, it is also commonly considered to be a form of music. Two major variations on tap dance exist: rhythm tap and Broadway tap. Broadway tap focuses more on the...
- Stage (known as Theatre or Stage Craft in other organisations)
- BalletBalletBallet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
- HighlandScottish highland danceThe term Highland dance or Highland dancing is used today to refer to a style of athletic solo dancing which developed in the Gaelic Highlands of Scotland...
- Modern DanceModern danceModern dance is a dance form developed in the early 20th century. Although the term Modern dance has also been applied to a category of 20th Century ballroom dances, Modern dance as a term usually refers to 20th century concert dance.-Intro:...
- JazzJazzJazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
- Acrobatic Dance
- HornpipeHornpipeThe term hornpipe refers to any of several dance forms played and danced in Britain and elsewhere from the late 17th century until the present day. It is said that hornpipe as a dance began around the 16th century on English sailing vessels...
- JigJigThe Jig is a form of lively folk dance, as well as the accompanying dance tune, originating in England in the 16th century and today most associated with Irish dance music and Scottish country dance music...
- Traditional Step Dancing
- European National Ballroom
- Latin American
- Classical
- DiscoDiscoDisco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
- Rock'n'Roll
- Country and Western
- Scottish Country DanceScottish country danceA Scottish country dance is a form of social dance involving groups of mixed couples of dancers tracing progressive patterns according to a predetermined choreography...
- Dance Exercise
- Scottish National Dance
- MajoretteMajoretteMajorette is a French toy manufacturer which mostly produces small die-cast cars, particularly in 1:64 scale. Traditionally, Majorette was centered in the area of Lyon.-History:...
- Dance and Drama
- Special Needs Awards
A range of examinations and awards are available in each dance discipline for children of all ages. These are typically organised into grades or medal tests, with the work being assessed by a BATD registered examiner. As well as these examinations for children, the society also offers training for adults and teacher training for dance professionals who wish to become a registered teacher with the BATD.