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Managing Resources – Dance:
Annotated selection of resources for teachers and learning designers


Annotated selection of resources for teachers and learning designers

Ausdance

Ausdance is a support and advocacy organisation for dance educators and artists. One of its key aims is to make dance a part of every young person’s education. To achieve this, AusDance provides accredited professional development workshops to teachers, factsheets and guides for teaching high quality and safe dance in schools, and products designed to give skills to educators teaching dance.

Ausdance NSW

Ausdance NSW is a support organisation for dancers in NSW. They provide directories linking to professional services and resources, performances and events, and dance classes in contemporary dance and ballet.

Ausdance Queensland

Ausdance QLD is a support organisation for Queensland-based educators. They provide a number of professional development workshops, focusing on skill sets for teaching dance and integrating theatre and dance.

Ausdance SA

Ausdance SA offers professional development activities teaching educators skill sets for dance. Their ‘Dancers in Schools’ program allows teachers to book tutors for dance workshops in a range of styles, including hip hop, breakdance, contemporary and culturally diverse styles such as capoeira and indigenous dance.

Ausdance Victoria

Ausdance VIC is a support organisation that provides Victorian educators with workshops, forums, advice, and professional development in skill sets for teaching dance.

Enabling Dance: Dance Education in Australian Schools

This resource gives general advice to teachers. Dr Katrina Rank, Education & Training Manager, AusDance Victoria, describes the five main reasons people dance: pleasure, expression, affirmation, connecting with others, and health and wellbeing.

Ausdance WA: Professional Development

Ausdance WA offers a range of resources and workshops that help build on the professional development of Western Australia's dance teachers and dance artists. Workshops include skill sets for teaching dance and disability and dance.

Australian Ballet

Australian Ballet offers a select number of schools in New South Wales, South Australia, and Victoria the program Out There – The Australian Ballet in schools, free of charge. This program offers kinetic workshops, demonstrations, and discussion forums to students. The company also collaborates with arts centres and orchestras to provide cross-arts experiences in primary schools. The website also includes online resources such as mini documentaries and audio interviews with choreographers, guest artists, and teachers.

Council of Ontario, Drama and Dance Educators

This organisation distributes general resources around a theme to support the Ontario Dance and Drama Curriculum. Some of the resources are freely accessible, while others are members-only. Freely available resources include lesson plans for dance workshops on Aboriginal dance, hip hop and movement.

National Dance Education Organization

This US support organisation provides dance educators and artists a network of resources and support, a base for advocacy, and access to programs that focus on the importance of dance in the human experience. Resources include research and statistics on dance education in the US, fact sheets on dance education, commentary on the transition of dance from physical education to the arts. The site also provides an online forum for dance educators, members’ direction, and special interest groups.

Queensland Ballet


The Queensland Ballet's schools program offers a range of activities such as Dance dialogues (matinee performance followed by Q&A), Creatives in the classroom (discussion with production/creative team), dance workshops in Brisbane and regional areas of Queensland.

Screen Australia Digital Learning, Arts Education: Performing Arts

This site contains general resources around a theme. Educators can access over ten video clips and linking classroom activities covering topics including actors, ballet, costume, dance, music and theatre.

Seymour Centre: Education

The Seymour Centre, part of the University of Sydney, offers programs for primary and secondary school students and professional development opportunities for teachers. Programs for 2013 cover dance, drama, music, and Shakespeare. The Centre also offers an HSC intensive symposium on Shakespeare, and a Jazz for Schools Program.

Sydney Dance Company


The Sydney Dance Company offers programs for primary and secondary students, including performances, in-school creative workshops, and in-studio dance excursions.

Teaching Expertise: Delivering Dance in Primary Schools

Dance specialist Kim Spiller offers advice to primary teachers about delivering high-quality dance programs in schools. This resource would be useful for student teachers and teachers new to using dance in the classroom.

West Australian Ballet: School Incursions

West Australia Ballet offers programs for primary and secondary schools and interactive online spaces. WA Ballet also host school matinee performances, classes, and masterclasses. The kid’s page features videos, exercises, recipes, and colouring in activities. The Open Studio online space provides a discussion forum for educators, students and parents to discuss ballet, and share resources.

Youth Dance England: Dance in and Beyond Schools: An Essential Guide to Dance Teaching and Learning


This guide, offering general advice, provides teachers with information about the features of quality dance programs, the role of the dance teacher, how to link dance across the curriculum, space requirements for teaching dance in schools, and the possibilities of careers in dance.




This project is funded by the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations.