YDance (Scottish Youth Dance) – the national dance organisation for children and young people in Scotland – has been short-listed in the Inspirational Work in Education category in the One Dance UK Awards 2018.
The awards are organised by the sector support organisation for dance, One Dance UK, to salute the outstanding contribution of people working in dance and recognise those who have made an impact on the UK dance landscape. The panel reviewed over 800 nominations to shortlist three nominees in each of the 23 categories.
Laura Nicholson, Head of Children and Young People’s Dance at One Dance UK said:
“The Inspirational Work in Education Award recognises the commitment made by companies across the UK to providing excellent, high quality and inclusive dance provision for children and young people, successfully engaging and inspiring the next generation. We were delighted by the quality and quantity of nominations in this category – a testament to the power and value of dance in education.”
Currently celebrating its 30th year, YDance works over three areas – Education, Access and Participation, and Talent Development – providing high quality training for around 200 teachers and practitioners, and aspirational opportunities for 5000 young people across the country; all designed to increase participation and inspiring them to dance.
YDance aims to lead on the development of dance in education in Scotland through a range of activities, including teacher training for National 5 and Higher Dance qualifications, CPD sessions, workshops for pupils, and the four year Shake It Up project which uses dance to raise attainment in other subjects in the Curriculum for Excellence. They are committed to enriching the lives of young people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds, using dance as a fun and engaging method to build confidence, life and employability skills and inspire an active lifestyle in young people. The company also nurtures and supports the development of Scotland’s future professional dancers and dance artists through a dedicated programme of work offering high-quality dance training programmes, including the National Youth Dance Company of Scotland, the Project Y Performance Course and Hot House.
Anna Kenrick, Artistic Director of YDance said:
“Education work is at the heart of what we do at YDance as we strive to ensure all children in Scotland have access to high quality dance in their schools and communities. Dance not only develops creativity, confidence, mental and physical health, it also allows children to understand the world they live in and understand themselves. It is crucial to the education of our next generation. We are delighted to be nominated and recognised for the work we are doing in Scotland and the UK.”
The final winners will be announced at a glamorous award ceremony, dinner and celebration on Saturday 24 November, 2018 in Leeds.
