Children’s minister welcomes pilot scheme to bring ballroom dancing into schools
Ed Balls, the Children, Schools, and Families Secretary, has welcomed a pilot scheme launched today (February 24) with Darren Bennett and Lilia Kopylova from BBC's Strictly Come Dancing show to bring ballroom and Latin dance into school PE lessons.
The scheme called Essentially Dance aims to improve children's fitness, self-esteem and social skills and is being piloted with 2,500 children aged 5-16 in 29 primary and secondary schools across the country with funding from The Aldridge Foundation (www.aldridgefoundation.com).
Over the next three months, 52 teachers and classroom assistants will receive practical training sessions with professional dance and PE experts supported by a training resource, which includes a step-by-step DVD led by Darren and Lilia, a booklet with easy to follow sessions and a CD with suitable music.
Ed Balls said: "From ballroom to ballet, dancing is a fantastic way for children to keep fit and have fun.
"We want to encourage everyone to take part in physical education and we know that dance is a great way to improve fitness and can attract young people who perhaps do not enjoy competitive sport such as football or netball. Dance forms part of the PE and sport curriculum and I hope both teachers and children will quickly see the benefits from these pilots.
"Making physical activity an attractive option for all young people is especially important if we are to tackle obesity and give young people enjoyable and positive activities they can take part in both during and after school."
The Essentially Dance scheme has been developed by the Aldridge Foundation in partnership with Darren Bennett and Lilia Kopylova, School Sports Partnership expert Sue Cooper, Dale Bennett from City Limits Education and former world champion ballroom dancer Lorraine Drolet.
The outcomes for both teachers and children will be independently evaluated by Roehampton University for a report due in May and there are plans to make the final training resource available to all schools following a launch this summer.
Rod Aldridge, Chairman of The Aldridge Foundation, said he hoped the scheme would capture the interest of as many schools as possible so that it could be rolled out across the UK: "The BBC's Strictly Come Dancing show has captured the imagination of a new generation of young people. We hope to build on this enthusiasm and encourage schools to bring ballroom and Latin dance into the National Curriculum so that we can get the nation's children dancing."
There are plans to hold regional school competitions and a national ballroom dance event next year.
Professional dancer Darren Bennett, said: "Through the popularity of BBC's Strictly Come Dancing combined with the participation of sports celebrities like Darren Gough, Mark Ramprakash and Matt Dawson who all took it very seriously and achieved great success in the series, boys are seeing ballroom and Latin dance in a whole new light – if their sporting heroes can do it, then so can they!"
Ends
The pilot scheme is being officially launched with Darren Bennett and Lilia Kopylova on February 24 at two schools in Bromley, in London, and Falmer, near Brighton. For more information visit www.essentiallydance.com or contact the Aldridge Foundation: Joe Stockwell joe.stockwell@aldridgefoundation.com tel, 020 7925 7904
or Petra Coveney petra.coveney@aldridgefoundation.com tel, 07590 83 1966
Notes to Editor
- Essentially Dance is being funded by the Aldridge Foundation www.aldridgefoundation.com. In partnership with City Limits Education.
- It is being piloted in 29 schools at five key sites: Darwen near Blackburn, Salford, Rotherham, Bromley in South London, and Falmer near Brighton.
- How can it promote healthy life-styles? Current government statistics show that two-thirds of adults and one-third of children are overweight. Through giving young people a new option which is accessible to all, we can raise physical activity levels amongst them and their communities. According to the NHS, ballroom dance can burn up to 300 calories an hour.
- How can it promote inter-generational and cross-gender relationships? Ballroom dance is an activity that anyone of any age can take up. It promotes communication between men and women and boys and girls, and provides who families with something they can enjoy together. A dance programme in Rawmarsh, entitled Families Come Dancing allowed groups of all ages to forge new relationships.
- Who ran the USA schools dance programme? It was pioneered by dancer Pierre Dulaine and featured in a documentary called Mad Hot Ballroom which inspired the Hollywood film Take the Lead. For information on this programme and evaluation research visit:
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