People Dancing is the development and membership organisation for community and participatory dance, driving forward inclusion and excellence through professional development, resources & safeguarding services, specialist programmes & networks. It supports a UK-wide network of members - dance artists, practitioners and organisations - who make great dance happen in all its diversity.

People Dancing offers a range of memberships for individual dance artists, teachers and leaders, and for organisations of all sizes.

COVID-19

Follow the link to our page of information about Government and public health guidance and other support resources. Updated 9 September 2021.

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Latest jobs

Browse the lastest jobs and opportunities in dance and post your vacancy on People Dancing's website at no cost to the advertiser.

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Finding my place

Marcia Edwards introducing site-specific performance at Spaghetti Junction photo by Peter Medlicott

Finding my place

After a wide-ranging career, Marcia Edwards found herself rooted in Stourbridge, West Midlands and embraced this by forming ME Dance Company in 2017. Here, she shares her passion for honouring your roots, appreciating your journey, giving back and striving for more in the communities you come from, live in and want to build for the future.

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POP look back and survey

Assistant Producer, Perspectives on Practice, Ciara Lynch looks back at the first season of People Dancing's programme of events, learning opportunities, discussion, networks and spaces for dancers, teaching artists, community practitioners and organisations to gather, (re)connect and share.

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Perspectives on Practice

Montage of images taken from the POP programme - please see individual images for credits

Perspectives on Practice is People Dancing's online programme of artist-led events and learning opportunities, discussion and debate, networks and spaces to gather, (re)connect and share.
Perspectives on Practice runs throughout 2021 as our profession and the communities we work with focus on recovery, and beyond to rejuvenation.

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Forging communities

In the midst of difference, dance artist, choreographer and writer Krystal S Lowe finds ways to forge different communities with countless cups of coffee and focused debate. Here, Krystal writes about finding the best ways to support each other no matter how unconventional that support may look.

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Wales Wide Training Programme

The WWTP creates and connects a network of 19 organisations and 300 individuals working across Wales. Tracey Brown, Mentoring, Training, Development Leader at Rubicon Dance explains how the programme has responded to the pandemic and that there have been achievements that wouldn't have been possible pre-COVID.

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Diverse opportunities

Melissa Pasut, Returning By Katherine Betteridge and Sioned Roberts. Photographer: Matt Dean.

Diverse opportunities

Whilst looking for alternative ways to navigate a lockdown, freelance artist, Melissa Pasut, discovered the Wales Wide Training Programme. Here she reflects upon her expectations, connections found and virtual interaction that removed geographical boundaries.

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Creative practice reflection

Creative practice reflection

Independent dance artist and arts psychotherapist Cai Tomos addresses the physical, emotional and psychological demands brought by a pandemic and reflects upon finding spaces of connection and gaining perspective by being together with support from the Wales Wide Training Programme.

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Coming of age?

Coming of age?

A personal perspective from dance practitioner Heidi Wilson on the development of dance with people living with Parkinson’s in Wales through the Wales Wide Training Programme.

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Action and trees

Bounded in a nutshell

Freelance Dance Artist Adam Benjamin reflects upon his practice being hoovered up by a pandemic, saving the planet sliding off his agenda and the vitality of touch. He also offers a view into a wilderness, funded by dancers, that reflects a commitment to diversity - a dancers forest.

NEW! Online learning

People Dancing's International Conference, Glasgow. Photo: Rachel Cherry

Improving your teaching skills for community dance practice

This seven-unit online course, developed by People Dancing and co-authored by the Urban Playground Team, aims to support participatory artists to improve their teaching skills.

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Individual artists toolkit

A resource for artists to help them demonstrate the value and impact of participatory arts and develop partnerships for funding work - including a Marketing & Communications pack and a set of Case Studies.

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New skills, new normal?

Moving, in and out of lockdown

Arts participation specialist Peter Laycock offers some thoughts around our new ability to deliver digitally and asks us to imagine what we could achieve in the future without the restrictions of lockdown

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