People Dancing offer a range of training and development opportunities for dancers, teaching artists and community practitioners across all career stages. Our approach is focused on a clear, dynamic approach to innovation, creativity and peer learning through: in-person and online courses and Intensives, networks, online tools and publications, and resources to promote professional standards.

Professional Qualifications

People Dancing has developed qualifications which enable artists working in participatory settings to evidence their skills and knowledge. Our qualifications are based on national occupational standards created by the arts sector. They have been designed for adult learners who have already gained a firm foundation in their chosen art form but need to evidence the additional skills that are needed to deliver arts activities safely and successfully.

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Online Courses

People Dancing work with partners to develop online learning programmes addressing a range of subjects that community dance practitioners may wish to learn more about. Each online learning programme provides dance practitioners with a chance to learn at their own pace, at a time and in a place to suit themselves.

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People Dancing Intensives

People Dancing Intensives offer unique development and training opportunities for dancers, teaching artists and community practitioners to extend skills, refresh and reignite. Our one and two-day in-person events are packed with inspiring and diverse courses and workshops led by outstanding artists and teachers, offering learning and skills development, connection with peers and time for reflection.

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Professional standards

Taking steps to ensure we’re up to date with our knowledge and maintaining high standards of practice is important for all dance practitioners. The National Occupational Standards for Dance Leadership(NOS) and the Professional Code of Conduct are just two of the ways that People Dancing help to raise and maintain standards in dance.

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Development Needs Analysis (DNA)

Welcome to the People Dancing's interactive Development Needs Analysis (DNA) tool. This has been designed to help community dance artists meet the outcomes set out in the National Occupational Standards for Dance Leadership.

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Inclusive practice workshop: Thu 24 July

< Insert title here >. Photo: Paul Fuller.

Inclusive Practice: Collective Rhythms, Individual Stories Performance and participatory practice intertwine at SLiDE Dance. This has been developed with people with moderate access needs including autism and learning disabilities in non-traditional venues with ways for audiences to engage and interact.

Writing effectively about your work: Tue 22 July

People Dancing Summer Intensive 2024. Photographer: Mark Anderson.

Words to Move: Writing effectively about your work From funding applications to academic writing to social media posts - is it challenging to find the right words? Are you looking to connect with your audience, or write a crucial funding application? Then this workshop with Dr. Funmi Adewole Elliott is for you!

Dance with Older People workshop: Wed 23 July

An introductory workshop with Diane Amans in the studio for dancers, teaching artists and community practitioners who want to gain skills, knowledge and experience in leading creative dance with older people.

Sociable Dancing workshop: Wed 23 July

Social folk dancing at Steps for Success conference, Cecil Sharp House 2018. ©EFDSS. Photo: Roswitha

This workshop with English Folk Dance & Song Society (EFDSS) expands your knowledge of folk dances to enhance your toolbox?of dance stimuli, build a shared sense of place, and discover the joys of moving together in sociable dancing!

Gain key teaching skills: Tue 22 & Wed 23 July

The Urban Playground Team © Richard Baybutt.

Join Alister O’Loughlin of The Urban Playground team - Cornwall’s award-winning physical theatre & performance-parkour company - to gain key skills and knowledge to improve your teaching skills for community and participatory dance.

Join Dr. Eline Kieft for a mini retreat: Thu 24 July

After a year of teaching, holding space and giving to others, it's essential to take time to replenish before the summer break. Join Dr. Eline Kieft for a mini retreat that blends movement, nature awareness and creative reflection.

Take charge of your dance career: Wed 23 July

Do you need more of a life/work balance? Is a career decision on the cards? Or are you looking to make a major life change? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then join June Gamble to take charge of your dance career!

Dance in Education workshop: Tue 22 July

Akademi, Plastic Drastic Fantastic, Harrow Arts Centre. Photo: Brian Hartley.

Join Suba Subramaniam, choreographer and Akademi’s Artistic Director for a one-day workshop, designed for dance artists, leaders, students, and teachers. Dive into the dynamic world of South Asian dance and explore its power to address critical issues of today, especially environmental crisis.

Movement in infants workshop: Tue 22 July

From the moment of birth, movement becomes a shared language between parent and child. This workshop, with Mafê Toledo, invites dance artists, students and facilitators to investigate the role of movement in early attachment and development.

Dancing with Parkinson’s workshop: 22 & 23 July

Live Well & Dance with Parkinson's - North Carlisle 2024. Photographer: Rachel Cherry.

This advanced training workshop with Jen Cunningham and Julie Symmonds, for teaching artists with a keen interest in deepening their practice across and within the field of dancing with Parkinson’s offers intensive experiential and practical sessions in the studio.

Dance and law event: Thu 24 July

People Dancing Summer Intensive. Photo: Rachel Cherry.

A unique event where practitioners and researchers from dance and law come together to explore the current complexities of working with consent. Members of the Network including Heni Hale, Anna Macdonald and Jo Fong, and legal scholars including Marie Jacob and Amanda Keeling.

It’s the little things…

People Dancing Summer School 2024. Photo: Mark Anderson.

If you are contemplating attending this year's Summer Intensive 2025, perhaps independent dance artist and educator Claire Pring - who has both delivered and participated in it - can offer some food for thought. Here, writing fresh from a workshop last year, Claire has a moment of realisation about what she values about ‘continuing professional development'.