Our programme
Come and dance with us!
Bookings for the 2025-2026 academic year are now open.
Support young people’s physical and mental wellbeing and expand their knowledge of dance with our high-quality classes. Delivered where you are, we are able to offer heavily subsidised rates thanks to our partnership with the Jack Petchey Foundation.
The Step into Dance programme offers weekly dance classes delivered by professional dancers who provide their expertise in a variety of different dance styles. These sessions will enable young people to master specific dance techniques, gain a broader knowledge of dance, and build confidence through movement.
Benefits for schools and youth groups:
- Heavily subsidised weekly dance classes at your school/youth setting by a Step into Dance practitioner
- Performance and leadership opportunities for young people
- The chance for school teachers/youth leaders to learn new skills from watching the sessions
- An introductory meeting with the Step into Dance practitioner and a member of staff
- Direct invitations for young people to join our leadership programme and youth company
Benefits for young people:
- Increased confidence
- Improved teamwork and social skills
- Better resilience
- The opportunity to be creative
- Improved mental wellbeing
- The opportunity to make new friends
- The opportunity to work towards performances
- Better physical understanding and improvements to fitness
- An understanding of different dance genres
Packages and pricing
Thanks to the generous support and funding from our partners at the Jack Petchey Foundation, we are able to offer heavily subsidised programmes to young people at up to 79% of the actual cost. See below for details of our offers:
| Hours | Package description | Price to you |
|---|---|---|
| 66 | 2 hours per week over 33 week year (must be used back-to-back on the same day with the same practitioner). | £649 |
| 66 | 2 hours per week over 33 week year (used on different days). | £1,020 |
| 49.5 | 1.5 hours per week over 33 week year. | £624 |
| 33 | 1 hour per week over 33 week year. | £530 |
| 20 | 20 hours to be used in no less than 1 hour sessions. | £375 |
| 12 | Step INTRO Dance available in Street, Contemporary or Jazz – 12 hours to be used during curriculum time. | £265 |
Our weekly sessions
66 hours, 49.5 hours, 33 hours
These are our longer packages that run across 33 weeks from September to July. These offer weekly dance sessions in your chosen style at your school/youth organisation with one of our Step into Dance practitioners. Students work on technique, general understanding of dance, and the genre you are focusing on, developing and learning choreography and performance skills. Sessions can vary in length from 1 to 2 hours. The length will determine the right package for you as outlined in the table above.
Event participation fees are included in the cost of this programme.
20 hours
This package is similar to our weekly offering as above but lasts for a shorter time. This is good for a school or youth organisation who have tried one of our smaller packages and might want to try a slightly longer one before committing to the year, or perhaps aren’t able to accommodate a longer package.
Event participation fees are included in the cost of this programme.
Step INTRO Dance (12 hours)
Looking to introduce dance at your school? Why not try our Step INTRO Dance? This 12-hour programme is designed to ignite a passion for dance, and booking is now open. Use our online form to sign up for this offer.
Step INTRO Dance programme has been developed to give schools and students the opportunity to benefit from an introductory dance package that is delivered by a Step into Dance practitioner, and supported by an accompanying resource.
The programme will introduce students to basic dance skills and technique, and give them the opportunity to work creatively. Along with improved coordination, this will help to build confidence and communication skills and foster a desire to engage with dance beyond the initial 12-week programme.
Students will be encouraged to share their work throughout the sessions and discuss the creative process. All aspects of the programme will be scaffolded and guided by the practitioner, making the classes accessible to all levels and abilities, making this an excellent CPD opportunity for the class teacher. The accompanying resource supports the practical delivery of the sessions with detailed information of the course contents, including creative tasks and a table of the elements of dance.
We have introduced three new options to give schools an opportunity to focus on a particular style of dance. All of these packages follow a similar structure to the Step INTRO Dance package but goes into more detail in the support pack about each of the styles, their development and some key areas for research.
- Step into Contemporary
- Step into Jazz
- Step into Street Styles
If you are unsure which option is best for your school, please contact stepintodance@rad.org.uk.
Please note: We may not be able to accommodate requests for sessions to start at short notice. Please make sure you book your package with plenty of time before the start date.
Our events
Step into Dance offers aspiring dancers a range of exciting performance opportunities to get involved with, giving them the change to expand their experience and perform in a professional theatre.
As well as weekly sessions, we are committed to providing performance events and other opportunities to all our students. Schools and youth groups on the programme will be able to participate in the following events.
Battle: Break-It-Down
This new event will focus on learning about the culture of Hip-Hop and how this informed battling. Dancers will learn the foundations during multiple workshops that come under the umbrella of Hip-Hop dance (i.e Breaking, House, Krumping, Locking, Waacking etc), hear from professionals in our industry talks and have freestyling opportunities.
Day of Dance
Day of Dance takes place in partnership with professional dance organisations and is a wonderful opportunity for your groups to experience training, meet likeminded dancers from other groups on our programme, and have the opportunity to share their work with other young people.
Step Around Town
Our Step Around Town events are our regional borough opportunities for schools and youth groups on the programme. Groups perform their routines to family and friends, and have the chance to mix with other like-minded dancers.
Step Live
Our annual celebration of dance, including matinee and evening shows with performances from selected groups on the Step into Dance programme, and our Youth Dance Company.
Meet the team
The Step into Dance team is made up of office-based staff who work at RAD headquarters, and practitioners, who are based across London and Essex to deliver school classes. Meet our practitioners below.
Hear from our Practitioners and Schools
“What makes this programme different is giving students who may not otherwise have the opportunity, to create a dance work with their practitioner and perform in fantastic London venues.”
STEP into Dance Practitioner
“I found the support within the team and also between the students, including at events involving several schools, really special. The whole atmosphere makes for a safe space for everyone to learn and grow as well as having fun and acquire skills that will always be there for them regardless or not if they carry on dancing.
The opportunities offered by the programme are extraordinary, from the weekly sessions to the many options of performing, discovering dance programs, taking leadership etc and the whole team is focused on the success of the students in a very open and welcoming and inclusive environment.”
Angelina Sandall
“I particularly enjoy working with students who have had little access to dance and/ or contemporary dance education previously. It is great to share the joy and freedom of these dance styles and to witness the students own self- expression and confidence emerging and developing overtime.”
STEP into Dance Practitioner
“I’ve worked with SiD for 8 years now, and it’s been a fantastic opportunity for students to get involved in this art form, for an affordable price. I’d recommend it to anyone – great opportunities for the students and a lovely performance at Cadogan Hall if they are successful in getting through to Step Live! All schools support each other, and it gives students a chance to showcase their talent – what’s not to love?”
Head of Dance, Charles Darwin School
“Students enjoy working on and developing their dance. They are very enthusiastic and consider these sessions their favourite lesson.”
Mulberry School for Girls
Past events
Take a look at some of our past projects and events.
FAQs
Term Dates
Autumn Term
15 September – 12 December 2025
Half term: 27 October – 31 October 2025
(12 weeks teaching)
Spring Term
12 January – 20 March 2026
Half term: 16 February – 20 February 2026
(10 weeks teaching)
Summer Term
20 April – 10 July 2026
Half term: 25 May – 20 May 2026
(11 weeks teaching)
Please note: These are a guide to ensure schools on our 33 week packages are able to use all of their hours across the academic year. If you would like to follow a different structure, you can discuss this with the Step into Dance team when confirming your booking.
What is Step into Dance?
Step into Dance is a Royal Academy of Dance programme in partnership with the Jack Petchey Foundation. Our aim is to provide young people with the opportunity to access high quality dance provision and to equip them with skills they can use and develop as they move through life.
What are the different programmes?
We have a range of programmes available to suit the needs of all of our partner groups, from 12-66 hours. If you are new to dance we would recommend our Step Forward Programme. If you have any questions please contact stepintodance@rad.org.uk.
Who is the programme for?
Our programme is open to schools and youth groups for young people aged 11-18 – or up to 25 for those with additional needs – across London and Essex.
When can I host sessions?
Our programme is designed to be delivered as an extra-curricular activity. We can offer sessions Monday – Friday, before school, at lunchtime or after school hours.
If you are an SEND setting, we are able to make exceptions to these timings to suit the needs of your learners.
If you hope to host sessions during the school day, please contact stepintodance@rad.org.uk to discuss your booking requirements.
How do I book?
Please complete the form here. If you have any questions, please contact stepintodance@rad.org.uk.
Once your form is received the Step into Dance team will begin looking to assign a suitable practitioner to deliver your sessions. If we have any questions about your booking, we will be in touch.
Please note: requests for programmes to start at short notice cannot always be guaranteed.
Who is it taught by?
We have a fantastic team of freelance practitioners who are working in the industry and able to share their knowledge and passion for dance. Click here to meet the team.
All of our practitioners have an Enhanced DBS certificate and have completed safeguarding training.
What happens if my class is cancelled?
As a partner school or youth group, if you need to cancel your session we require 1 weeks notice, any sessions cancelled with less than 1 weeks notice will be deducted from your package booking. Sessions cancelled with more than 1 weeks notice should be re-arranged at a later date with your Step into Dance Practitioner and agreed in advance with the Step into Dance Programme Officer.
If your Step into Dance Practitioner cancels a session, they will aim to find a replacement cover teacher from our pre-approved list of practitioners. If they are unable to arrange a cover then they should arrange with you directly when they can make up the missed session and agree this in advance with the Step into Dance Programme Officer.
What happens if my Step into Dance Practitioner is no longer available?
Unfortunately, due to the nature of performance work, some of our practitioners do become unavailable for certain periods of time. If this happens to you, we will aim to find a replacement practitioner to take over the sessions on the same day and time as your booking. We will communicate with you over the transition period to ensure a smooth handover for the young people.
What Performance Opportunities are available?
We have a number of different performance opportunities for students engaged in our programme. Including: our Day of Dance, Step Around Town and our annual celebration of dance ‘Step Live!’ Check out our events page here for more information.
These events are free to attend for groups on programmes of 20 hours or more. If you are on one of our shorter programmes and want to attend, please get in touch with stepintodance@rad.org.uk to discuss.
How do I pay?
Once your booking is confirmed an invoice will be generated and sent to the lead contact of the booking to be paid in full.
How much does it cost?
Thanks to the generous funding of the Jack Petchey Foundation we are able to offer our programme at a heavily subsidised rate prices start from as little as £265.
If cost is a barrier to participation, please contact stepintodance@rad.org.uk to discuss the possibility of a bursary.
Do you offer any discounts?
Our programme are heavily subsidised by the Jack Petchey Foundation however, discounts may become available at certain times of the year. Make sure to check our socials or newsletters for upcoming discount codes.
What is required of Partner Schools and Youth Groups?
Partner Schools and Youth Groups will need to:
- provide an adequate space for dance,
- provide a means of playing music,
- provide a member of staff to be present during the sessions at all times,
- maintain regular communication with the Step into Dance team and your Step into Dance Practitioner,
- promote the sessions to the young people to ensure as many young people are reached as possible, and
- participate in a pre-meeting with a member of the Step into Dance team and your assigned Step into Dance Practitioner.
Please note: the Step into Dance school year has started, but you can still book onto your chosen package. We will then be in touch to discuss how we can adapt the dates to suit your school year.
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