Come and dance with us!
Black Friday is back! Use code BLACKFRIDAY10 for 10% off selected packages.
Booking for 2024-2025 academic year is now open!
Support young people’s physical and mental wellbeing and expand their knowledge of dance with our high-quality classes, delivered directly in your setting at 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 in and through movement.
What do you get from the Step into Dance programme?
- Heavily subsidised dance classes delivered weekly at your school/ youth setting by a Step into Dance Practitioner
- Performance opportunities for young people participating
- Annual leadership opportunities for young people participating
- An opportunity for School Teachers/ Youth Leaders to learn new skills from observing the sessions
- An introductory meeting with Step into Dance practitioner and member of SiD staff
- Direct invitations for young people to join our Leadership Programme and Youth Company
Who can take part?
All Step into Dance classes are fully inclusive. They are open to young people aged 11 -18 (or up to 25 for our SEND students) in non-fee paying schools and youth groups across London and Essex. No previous dance experience is required.
Group sizes should be a minimum of 12 and a maximum of 30 depending on the size of the space and any restrictions in place at your school/youth group.
Benefits for young people
| Increased confidence | Improved team work and social skills |
| Better resilience | The opportunity to be creative |
| Improved mental well-being | The opportunity to make new friends |
| The opportunity to work towards performances | Better physical understanding and improvements to fitness |
| An understanding of dance genres |
Packages and Pricing
Thanks to the generous support and funding from our Partners, the Jack Petchey Foundation, we are able to offer heavily subsidised programmes to young people at up to 79% of the actual cost of running the programme. Please see below for details of our offers.
| Package | How Used | Cost to You | Cost with Black Friday Discount applied |
|---|---|---|---|
| 66 Hours | 2 hours per week over 33-week year. Both hours must be used on the same day, and should run consecutively with the same practitioner. | £636 | 79% off the actual cost of running the programme | £572 |
| 49.5 Hours | 1.5 hours over 33 week year. | £612 | 73% off the actual cost of running the programme | £551 |
| 33 Hours | 1 hour per week over a 33 week year. | £520 | 77% off the actual cost of running the programme | £468 |
| 20 Hours | To be used as required in no less than 1 hour classes. | £368 | 73% off the actual cost of running the programme. | £331 |
| Step INTRO Dance, Step into Contemporary, Step into Jazz, Step into Street Styles. Each package is 12 hours | 1 hour per week over 12 weeks or 2 hours per week over 6 weeks. Hours must be used consecutively. | £260 Each | 69% off the actual cost of running the programme. | £234 |
| 6 Hours | To be used as required in no less than 1 hour classes. | £182 | 56% off the actual cost of running the programme. | n/a |
Partial bursaries are available for schools/youth groups to reduce the barriers of participation. Please speak to a member of the Step into Dance team when completing your booking if you would like further information on our bursary scheme.
Our weekly sessions
66 hours, 49.5 hours, 33 hours
These are our longer packages that run across 33 weeks from September to July. By participating in these packages you will have access to weekly dance sessions in your chosen style at your school/ youth organisation with one of our Step into Dance Practitioners. During these sessions students will work on technique, general understanding of dance and the genre you are focusing on, developing and learning choreography and performance skills. Session can vary in length from 1 hour up to 2 hours. The length of the session 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 amount of time. This is a good package for school or youth organisation who have done one of our smaller packages and might want to trial a slightly longer package before committing to the year or perhaps you aren’t able to accommodate a longer package in your setting then this is a perfect option for you. Event participation fees are included in the cost of this programme.
6 Hours
This is our shortest package, this package allows groups to focus on a specific style of dance over a shorter and more intense period. These sessions can be run as full or half day intensives or as a weekly 1 –2 hour session focusing on development of a certain style of dance.
Step INTRO Dance
Looking to introduce Dance at your school? Why not try our Step INTRO Dance programme. This 12 hour programme is designed to ignite a passion for dance. Booking for this programme is now open. Use our online booking form to sign up for this offer.
Our 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 co-ordination, 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 engage in discussions around 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.
For 2024-25 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: requests for sessions to start at short notice may not be accommodated. Please ensure you book your package with plenty of time before the desired start date.
Term Dates
Autumn Term
9 September – 18 October 2024
Half term: 19 October – 3 November 2024 (2 weeks – no sessions)
4 November – 13 December 2024
12 weeks teaching
Spring Term
13 January – 14 February 2025
Half term: 15 February – 23 February 2025 (1 week – no sessions)
24 February – 4 April 2025
11 weeks teaching
Summer Term
22 April – 23 May 2025
Half term: 24 May – 1 June 2025 (1 week – no sessions)
2 June – 11 July 2025
10 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.
Step into Dance is a Royal Academy of Dance programme in partnership with the Jack Petchey Foundation, a charity set up by Sir Jack Petchey CBE to inspire and celebrate young people. Since 1999, the Foundation has invested over £170 million in programmes and partnerships that have directly benefitted almost 1.2m young people aged 11-25 across London and Essex.