The Council for Dance Education and Training (CDET)

• accredits professional training programmes in vocational dance and musical theatre schools
• validates the qualifications of Dance Awarding Organisations
• recognises, by means of its Recognised Awards scheme, dance and performing arts schools and teachers working with students under the age of sixteen that can demonstrate compliance to the Council’s standards of professional practice

CDET also:

• offers a comprehensive and free information service, Answers for Dancers, to students, parents, teachers, dance artists and employers on all aspects of dance education and training
• holds the CDET searchable database containing the details of Recognised Schools and dance teachers belonging to one or more of CDET’s Validated Awarding Organisations or Corporate Members.

Founded in 1979, The Council for Dance Education and Training is a membership organisation governed by the Dance and Education Training Board (DETB). Membership of CDET is available to qualifying organisations and individuals in the dance world.

Dance Awarding Organisations

The CDET validates the qualifications offered by dance teaching and examination organisations. These organisations offer graded and vocational graded qualifications in dance and musical theatre, and teaching qualifications which certify members to teach dance in the private sector. There are two categories of membership for dance organisations:

• Validated Dance Awarding Organisation
• Corporate Member

A validated Dance Awarding Organisation is an organisation which offers qualifications validated (accredited) by CDET. In some cases these qualifications are also accredited by the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) and admitted to the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF).

A Corporate Member, is a dance awarding organisation that has committed to, but not yet achieved, validation with CDET. Teachers who hold their qualifications with a Corporate Member are recognised by the Council but the qualifications are not accredited and are not recognised within the QCF.

Validated Dance Awarding Organisations

• British Ballet Organisation
  British Ballet Organisation
  The British Ballet Organisation is a dance examination board based in London, England.- Overview :The British Ballet Organisation was founded in England in 1930 by Edouard Espinosa and Louise Kay, both noted dance teachers. It was established as a dance teaching society and developed a syllabus...
  
  
• British Theatre Dance Association
• Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing
  Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing
  The Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing is a leading dance teaching and examination board based in London, England and operating internationally. Established on 25 July 1904 as the Imperial Society of Dance Teachers, it changed to its current name in 1925 and is now a registered educational...
  
  
• International Dance Teachers Association
  International Dance Teachers Association
  The International Dance Teachers Association is a leading dance teaching and examination board based in Brighton, England. Operating internationally, the IDTA is one of the largest dance teaching organisations in the world and currently has over 7,000 members in 55 countries...
  
  
• National Association of Teachers of Dancing
  National Association of Teachers of Dancing
  The National Association of Teachers of Dancing promotes dance, and provides services to its members. Founded in 1906, by 1912 it had 50 members; today the membership numbers around 2000. It was originally devoted to set and sequence dancing based on the five positions of the ballet...
  
  
• Royal Academy of Dance
  Royal Academy of Dance
  The Royal Academy of Dance is an international dance education and training organization, and examination board that specialises in the teaching and technique of Ballet. The RAD was established in London, England in 1920 as the Association of Operatic Dancing of Great Britain, and received its...
  
  
• United Kingdom Alliance of Professional Teachers of Dancing and Kindred Arts

Corporate Members

• Association of American Dancing
• Professional Teachers of Dancing
• Rockschool
• Russian Ballet Society
• Scottish Dance Teachers Alliance
• Spanish Dance Society
• The British Association of Teachers of Dancing
• Trinity College London (Dance and Musical Theatre Provision)
• United Teachers of Dance

Accredited Schools

CDET's accredited schools offer courses that vary widely in style, content and aims and they cover the disciplines of classical ballet, musical theatre and contemporary dance.

• Arts Educational Schools, London
• Bird College
  Bird College
  Bird College of Dance, Music & Theatre Performance is an independent performing arts school and college, based in the Greater London suburb of Sidcup...
  
  
• Cambridge Performing Arts
• Elmhurst School for Dance
  Elmhurst School for Dance
  Elmhurst School for Dance is one of the foremost classical ballet schools in the United Kingdom and is the official associate school of the Birmingham Royal Ballet. First established in Camberley, Surrey, the school is the oldest established vocational dance school in the United Kingdom and...
  
  
• English National Ballet School
  English National Ballet School
  English National Ballet School is a specialist classical ballet school based in London in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1988, the school is the official associate school of the English National Ballet, with many graduates becoming dancers with the company...
  
  
• Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts
• Laine Theatre Arts
  Laine Theatre Arts
  Laine Theatre Arts is an independent performing arts college, based in the town of Epsom in Surrey, England. The college was founded in 1974, and developed from an earlier school, the Frecker-Laine School of Dancing...
  
  
• Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts
• Liverpool Theatre School and College
• London Studio Centre

• Northern Ballet School
• Performers College
  Performers College
  Performers College is an independent, co-educational college specialising in performing arts. It is based in Corringham, Essex in the United Kingdom and is recognised as one of the leading performing arts schools in the UK.-Overview:...
  
  
• SLP College
• Stella Mann College
• The Hammond School
  The Hammond School
  The Hammond School, is a specialist co-educational performing arts school based in Chester in the United Kingdom.-Overview:Irene Hammond founded the Hammond School of Dancing in 1917, when she took over an established dance school in Chester. She expanded the school to include a full programme of...
  
  
• Midlands Academy of Dance and Drama
• Urdang Academy
• Tring Park School for the Performing Arts

AMS Schools

A CDET Application for Membership School is a vocational school or college that is working towards accreditation but has not yet received an accreditation visit by a CDET professional assessing panel. All AMS schools meet CDET's initial criteria for accreditation.

• Colin's Performing Arts
• Creative Academy
• Expressions Academy of Performing Arts
• Kate Simmons Dance Ltd
• Mandy Ellen Performing Arts College
• Masters Performing Arts

• Millennium Performing Arts
• Reynolds Performing Arts
• Sage Academy of Performing Arts
• The Centre Performing Arts College
• Tiffany Theatre College
• WAC Performing Arts and Media College

Recognised School, CDET Approved Teacher, Recognised Qualified Teacher (QTS), Registered Instructor

The Council’s Recognised Awards are four industry recognised awards available to dance and musical theatre schools and teachers meeting the standards of professional practice of the Council for Dance Education and Training. By holding a Recognised Award, schools and teachers publicly declare themselves to hold the safety of pupils paramount and distinguish themselves from others.

The awards recognise dance and musical theatre schools and teachers who are committed to upholding safe and professional standards.

Choosing a dance school or teacher who has received a Recognised Award allows you to make an informed choice about the professional standards of that establishment or individual, knowing they have fulfilled our Requirements of professional practice.

Benefits

Those holding a Recognised Award are entitled to:

• complementary inclusion on the Council’s online national searchable database of dance schools, teachers and instructors.
• access to our bespoke Recognised insurance scheme.
• purchase customised Recognised Award promotional material.
• enhanced exposure to existing and prospective students via CDET’s Answers for Dancers information service.
• display the Recognised Award certificate at their premises or classes.
• display the Council’s Recognised logo on marketing and promotional material.
• discounted subscriptions and purchases from partner and supporting organisations - details supplied on request.

Recognised School

A Recognised School (RS) is a pre-vocational or non-vocational dance or musical theatre school that has been awarded the Council for Dance Education and Training certificate of good professional practice.

A Recognised School is one which is committed to putting the safety of its pupils first and has demonstrated that it meets the Nine Requirements of professional practice.

Nine Requirements of professional practice

• Professional policies and procedures – A RS must have appropriate policies and adhere to strict procedures in respect of the following: health and safety (including safe dance practice), equal opportunities and customer service (including, without limitation, in respect of dealing with any complaints which the school receives.
• A Children and Vulnerable Adults Protection Policy and Enhanced Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) disclosure - Where the school is responsible for teaching children or vulnerable adults, it must hold and adhere to a Children and Vulnerable Adults Protection Policy. As part of this policy, to ensure validity, enhanced Criminal Records Bureau disclosure must be in place for all members of staff including teachers, administrators and ancillary staff or its equivalent where available.
• Insurance - A RS must hold appropriate and adequate insurance.
• Code of Professional Conduct and Practice - adhere to the Code of Professional Conduct and Practice of the Council for Dance Education and Training or an equivalent code recognised by the Council.
• Information disclosure - A RS must prominently display at all times, enable students to access or provide on request to all students a copy of the Nine Requirements for Recognised Schools, full routine and emergency contact details, timetables and details of venues and examinations, public performances, competitions and / or displays.

• Teaching qualifications and experience - A RS must ensure the majority of teaching is delivered by teachers who hold a Council, Ofqual, TDA or other government recognised teaching qualification or level three or above on the Database of Accredited Qualifications (NDAQ); or are actively studying towards such a teaching qualification, where such a qualification exists. In this situation, teachers not holding or working towards such a teaching qualification will be in the minority but must still demonstrate professional teaching or training experience to the satisfaction of the Council.
• Teaching Contracts - All teachers working at the school must be employed or engaged on appropriate contracts.
• Staff appraisal procedure and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) - A RS must operate an annual staff appraisal procedure and deliver a Continuing Professional Development policy for teaching staff within the organisation.
• Accounts and Finance - A RS must keep formal accounts, which should be independently inspected or audited where required by law.

CDET Approved Teacher and Recognised Qualified Teacher (QTS)

A Recognised Qualified Teacher (QTS) and a CDET Approved Teacher is a dance, drama, singing or musical theatre teacher that has been awarded the Council for Dance Education and Training certificate of good professional practice.

The two awards are distinguished in that the Recognised Qualified Teacher holds Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).

Both Recognised Qualified Teachers (QTS) and CDET Approved Teachers are committed to putting the safety of pupils first and have demonstrated that they meet the following Requirements of professional practice.

Six Requirements of professional practice

• Professional policies and procedures – have appropriate policies and adhere to strict procedures in respect of the following: health and safety (including, where appropriate, safe dance practice), equal opportunities and customer service (including, without limitation, in respect of dealing with any complaints which the individual receives).
• A Children and Vulnerable Adults Protection Policy and Enhanced Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) disclosure - where the individual is responsible for teaching children or vulnerable adults, to hold and adhere to a Children and Vulnerable Adults Protection Policy. As part of this policy, to ensure hold valid, enhanced Criminal Records Bureau disclosure or its equivalent where available.
• Insurance – hold appropriate and adequate insurance.

• Code of Professional Conduct and Practice – adhere to the Council’s Code of Professional Conduct and Practice for Teachers or an equivalent code recognised by the Council.
• Information disclosure – prominently display at all times, enable students to access or provide on request to all students a copy of the Six Requirements, full routine and emergency contact details; timetables; and details of venues and examinations, public performances, competitions and/or displays.
• Dance teaching qualification – Recognised Qualified Teachers (QTS) will hold Qualified Teacher Status (QTS); CDET Approved Teachers must hold a CDET, QCA, Ofqual, TDA or other government recognised dance teaching qualification at Level 3 or above on the NDAQ database.

Registered Instructor

A Registered Instructor (RI) is a dance, drama, singing or musical theatre instructor that has been awarded the Council for Dance Education and Training certificate of good professional practice.

A Registered Instructor is committed to putting the safety of its pupils first and has demonstrated that it meets the RI's Requirements of professional practice.

Six Requirements of professional practice

Registered Instructors follow the same Six Requirements as the Recognised teaching awards. The only difference is that they do not hold a teaching qualification. Instead they declare their commitment to professionalism:

• Professionalism – A RI must conduct themselves in a professional manner. This professionalism is endorsed by supplying two references from persons of demonstrable professional standing who will verify that the applicant is competent to conduct instruction in a professional and responsible manner.

Answers for Dancers

A free information service on all aspects of professional training

CDET offers a comprehensive and free information service to students, parents, teachers, dance artists and employers on all aspects of dance education and training.

Aspire

Aspire is a joint initiative by the Council for Dance Education and Training and London Youth Dance. It is a three-tiered dance mentoring scheme that partners up young people showing particular promise and ambition with vocational dance students, who in turn are matched with professional mentors.

The scheme is designed to open up communication between aspiring young dancers and those in professional training. The participants are encouraged to communicate regularly of their own accord and meet up outside of the scheme whenever they can.

A number of workshops and theatre visits are scheduled throughout the scheme's duration in order to both stimulate conversation and also to expose young people, students and professionals to the facilities and services provided by London's dance agencies and venues.

Students involved in 2010-2011's Aspire scheme saw Wicked

Wicked (musical)

Wicked is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman. It is based on the Gregory Maguire novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West , a parallel novel of the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz and L. Frank Baum's classic story The Wonderful Wizard...

 at the West End and the Royal Ballet in rehearsal for Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (ballet)

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is a ballet by Christopher Wheeldon with a scenario by Nicholas Wright. It was commissioned by The Royal Ballet, Covent Garden, and the National Ballet of Canada and had its premiere Monday, February 28th, 2011...

 at the Royal Opera House

Royal Opera House

The Royal Opera House is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply "Covent Garden", after a previous use of the site of the opera house's original construction in 1732. It is the home of The Royal Opera, The...

. Group visits in the past have included: The Place to see Fresh, The Southbank Centre to see Into the Hoods, Greenwich Dance Agency to attend the GDA Cabaret, Sadler's Well's to see Swan Lake.

Each young person also has the opportunity to visit their vocational mentors' school and shadow them for a day — getting a valuable and sometimes shock-inducing insight into the life of a full time dance student.

A package of resources is offered as thanks to the Aspire professional mentors.

Dance Careers Day

Dance Careers Day is specifically tailored to meet the needs of young people in the 14-18 age range.

The day is split into two repeat sessions: morning and afternoon. Each session is organised into a carousel of workshops including:

• Ask an Expert Panel – answers to burning questions from a panel of top professionals currently working in the dance and musical theatre industries.
• Behind the Scenes – the roles and responsibilities of the people who support performances.
• Audition Time – participate in a mock audition for training at a vocational school.
• Careers in Dance – short seminars and an extensive careers exhibition fair.

Past exhibitors include: Bird College, Dance UK, Dancing Times, London Youth Dance, Italia Conti Academy, The Midlands Academy of Dance and Drama, ISTD, Performers College, Spotlight, Youth Dance England, Urdang Academy, SLP College Leeds, Royal Academy of Dance, Dancers’ Career Development, IDTA, Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Drama, Stella Mann College, The Place…

External links

• Council for Dance Education and Training