Art, Dance, Drama, Music. Spot the odd one out. Dance: the only one that isn’t a school subject. Not really. Yes, the kids do a bit in primary school and shimmy around at the school play. Yes, it’s in the senior school curriculum, although – bizarrely given that it’s an art – mainly delivered as a (small) part of PE. Then further up the school – miraculously, given its low profile up until then – it’s a GCSE subject in an increasing number of schools (although chiefly, one would imagine, for those availing themselves of extra-curricular or after-school dance). Compared to the other arts at school, Dance is still a poor relative and has a long way to go.
I was thinking about this recently when an email came from my 13-year-old son’s school music teacher showing concern with his lack of progress (meaning his refusal to sing). My other son used to struggle with Art (a minimalist with a strong hatred of crayons). Presumably there are plenty of embarrassed non-actors in drama classes. But these three subjects have stable slots in the timetable until the end of year 9, compared to the hotchpotch provision for Dance. Why?
Well, one can imagine. Despite Strictly Come Dancing, So You Think You Can Dance, hunky ballet dancer Carlos Acosta and adorable Billy Elliot, Dance is still widely seen as an art form that’s only optionally suitable for boys. Meaning talented boys. But until Dance is taken seriously as a subject for all, many children will never discover their talent, and others will miss out on developing a lifelong friend of this most primal of arts.
Art, Dance, Drama and Music. It’s time Dance put on some choose-your-own-colour slippers and went to the ball.
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