Experience an innovative dance performance and teaching education unparalleled in Scotland

Looking for professional dance training in Scotland? With decades of experience, Dance For All is a leading vocational dance college in Scotland.

Our 2-year full-time college course incorporates:

• extensive Professional Dance Performance training, including 18+ dance genres
• some of the world’s leading dance syllabi: RAD, ISTD & SDS
• an HNC & HND in Professional Dance Performance (year 2 – in collaboration with Edinburgh College)
• and comprehensive Dance Teacher Training…

…all into one dynamic, award-winning accredited course – which is the longest-running course of its kind in Scotland.

Our renowned tutors on our full-time course can equip you with all the academic qualifications, tuition, support and guidance required for a long, varied and successful dance career.

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Centre of Excellence in Dance

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stablished in 1985 by Director Tracy Hawkes, Dance For All amalgamated with the prestigious Theatre School of Dance in Stockbridge in 2000, where full-time professional dance training was offered since the 1960s, training a large majority of Scottish dancers, teachers and choreographers.

Building on William Mowat-Thomson’s inspiring legacy, our two-year course is now run in collaboration with Edinburgh College and takes pride in furthering each individual student’s qualifications and training gained at their previous dance schools.

Exceptional Dance Training with Consistent Results

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ur award-winning, specialist dance training has achieved consistently outstanding results since our inception in 2000.

We are dedicated to equipping each Dance For All student with all the tuition, experience and qualifications that are essential for a thriving and varied career in the dance profession.

We take pride in nurturing individual dancers who can build on their unique strengths, reach their full potential and surpass their own expectations. Our highly experienced faculty of tutors inspires students to achieve a diverse, relevant and vibrant portfolio of skills.

Our unique approach to professional dance training not only gives DFA graduates the competitive edge in professional auditions, but also promotes career flexibility through comprehensive dance teacher training, choreography and contextual studies and invaluable qualifications with the world’s leading dance associations.

“Join Us! Together with your dedication, personality and ambition, we will enhance your unique talents through knowledge and strong technique, skilled artistry and a wealth of accredited qualifications all within an unrivalled dance college experience.”

 Tracy Hawkes, Principal Director RTS ARAD SDS IdB(1) Tracy has performed and taught extensively in schools and dance companies here and abroad, including Basic Space Dance Theatre, Napac Ballet and Durban City Ballet. Find out more about Tracy and her inspirational faculty…

Download your FREE Audition Tips + Checklist!

“Training at dance for all was an incredible experience. It quite literally changed my life and provided me with the crucial training I needed!”

Robert Wilson graduated in 2014, auditioning successfully to work on many different projects including Bollywood films; music videos; A Night of Dirty Dancing UK Tour; Awesome Dog (motion capture company); Starboard Performers, Stockholm; toured Holland with Spirit Productions; teaching commercial masterclasses; aboard the Royal Princess ship with Princess Cruises; with Qdos Productions aboard the Cunard Queen Victoria cruise liners.

Read our interview with Robert where he shares his audition tips…

Read more college reviews…

Industry-Leading Accredited Dance Qualifications

During our two-year full-time course students are extensively trained to develop into versatile performers and teachers, gaining a thorough grounding in all the skills, techniques and qualifications needed to pursue their careers.

Dance For All is an officially Approved Centre for teacher training, vocational and professional qualifications and all students are given the opportunity to gain both nationally and internationally recognised academic and teaching qualifications (click tabs below):

Preparing our students for the full spectrum of life in the professional dance industry, at our core we teach some of the world’s leading dance syllabi (in addition to the numerous versatile commercial performance genres). Click the tabs below:

• RAD information
• ISTD information
• SDS information

Diverse & Essential Dance Genres

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We teach our students a wide variety of key dance industry genres including:

with frequent performing opportunities for every student. You can view lots of photos from our shows in our Picture Gallery.

Incredible tutors nurture talented students

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rincipal Director Tracy Hawkes leads an inspirational faculty of highly experienced and qualified dance tutors, comprised of many of the most respected and renowned dance professionals in the business today. Each member of staff is dedicated to imparting their extensive knowledge, skill and artistry to the students.

Workshops and masterclasses are frequently given by visiting guest choreographers, performers and directors currently working in the profession, offering our students a chance to experience first-hand the current styles and trends. Meet our inspirational staff…

Performing opportunities for every dance college student

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nnual performances include Go Dance in Glasgow which brings together over 1000 dancers, our Spring Fling and our End of Year Showcase featuring solos from our final year students. Our students are also invited to perform at numerous events throughout the year.

Organisations’ outdoor and indoor events we have performed at include:

Our students have performed in front of numerous VIPs. Scotland’s renowned dance critic Kelly Apter often attends and enjoys our college shows – of our 2013 showcase, she said:

The diversity was remarkable… I wasn’t bored for a single second

– read Kelly’s full review.

Dance College – an Excellent Education for Life

In addition to all the practical dance work, students pursue a range of essential Contextual Studies in Dance History and Appreciation, Anatomy, Physiology, Benesh Notation and the arts in general.

Every year there is a college trip to London with a packed schedule which encompasses: visits to West End theatre shows and any current dance related exhibitions; a visit to the Royal Ballet at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden; and dance workshops with accomplished choreographers, performers and dance captains from current West End Shows at Pineapple Dance Studios.

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n the relatively intimate atmosphere of the school our students emerge at the end of their course as confident, positive, communicative and self- disciplined individuals, with a very high professional standard and an excellent education for life.

Entry on the course is purely by audition. Whilst previous dance training is preferable, there are no specific qualifications required to apply for a place on our course (click the tabs below).

DFA graduates’ dance career success

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ompeting in tough auditions, our talented graduates win contracts to work in the Mediterranean, Caribbean, Far East, Americas, Europe, Australia, UK,  Middle East, India…

Our graduates progress to work in choreography, musicals, TV & film, music videos, performing with international cruise liner companies including P&O, Costa, Princess, Celestyal, Seacruise, Ibero Crueros, MSC, Disney, HNA, Carnival Cruises; performing at five-star hotels, in Bollywood films, and performing at theme parks, such as Disneyland Paris, and with international dance companies touring the world.

Many also go on to teach in Scotland and abroad, often establishing their own dance schools and businesses – we love seeing where our graduates end up, both in their personal and professional lives. Read more Graduate Success stories…

Make your dream dance career come true

Download your FREE Audition Tips + Checklist!

How have many of Dance For All’s graduates found work in the dance industry since graduating?

99%  within 12-18 months^

87% within 6-12 months^

83% within 3 months^

56% – 69% of our graduates since 2013 are working overseas^

What are the industry averages? 

34.8% of performing arts graduates are working within their specific industry*

2.6% of UK performing arts graduates are working abroad*

^Study from 2018 (we try to keep track of all our graduates, but their fast-paced careers are constantly evolving!)

* Higher Education Careers Services Unit’s What do graduates do 2018/19 report

Dance For All’s professional dance graduates are three times more likely to get a job in the performing arts industry and 35 times more likely to win an overseas contract than their peers.

We are often contacted by dance agencies and production companies, so we stay in touch with our alumni throughout their careers, keeping them up-to-date with job opportunities, casting calls & auditions, funding sources, industry events and more (without any additional agency fees).

Read about all our Graduates’ Successes from 2002-today… or check out the press coverage + interviews on our blog post (links below).

Dance College Press, Awards & News

DFA Blog

We share our latest news on our blog, where you can find graduate interviews, upcoming performances and the lastest news.

Social Media

Connect with us on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest &/or Facebook for the latest news + dance industry shareables.

Press

“What is it about Dance For All that is guaranteeing its students’ such glittering careers in a tough industry?”

– asks Edinburgh reporter Gemma Fraser.  Read Gemma’s interview with our Artistic Director, Tracy Hawkes, in the Evening News…

DFA’s 2010 graduate Lisa Aytoun talks about her glittering dance career including the Sunshine on Leith film and her experience of working in the Bollywood industry.

More press coverage…

Awards

Anne Walker MBE Vocational Dance School of The Year

“I learnt so much and it really prepared me for setting out into the dance industry…”

“Dance for All was the best and quickest years of my life! I learnt so much and it really prepared me for setting out into the dance industry. I have achieved so much since leaving college; amazing jobs, contracts abroad and lots of great opportunities and I really have DFA to thank for the amazing training, teaching me all the different dance genres, gaining my teaching qualifications, and giving me all the knowledge I need to know about the dance world. The tutors are so experienced and passionate about what they teach that it brings out the best in everyone and gives you a great foundation to start your career. I would recommend anyone who is wanting a career in dancing, whether it be performing or teaching, DFA is the place for you.”

Lisa Aytoun, graduated 2010.  Lisa has performed abroad and around the UK, including: the MOBO Awards Ceremony; for singer Scarlette Fever; representing Scotland at the 2010 European championships in Sweden; Bollywood films, music videos, adverts & theatre shows around India; the Sunshine on Leith film and UK tour of Clockwork. When in Scotland Lisa teaches dance and coaches gymnastics.

“Dance For All has made all my dreams come true… the best years of my life!”

“Dance For All has made all my dreams come true with the help of their talented staff and many varied genres in all performance based styles. They help me achieve many of my goals throughout my years of being there and I now run a very successful performance school with students who now want to go on and become successful dancers/teachers. If I could, I would do more years again of training as it was definitely the best years of my life! I can’t thank you enough Dance For All, I’m so grateful. ”

Sarah Huguet, graduated 2011. Sarah quickly realised her ambitious dream after graduating and opened her own dance school, Huguet Boogie Performance, teaching adults and children in Tranent & Direlton.

“It has given me so much confidence going into the working world knowing that no new style is going to phase me…”

“Training at Dance For All was a fantastic years for me. All of the teaching staff really pushed me to reach my full potential and constantly reminded me that the more you put in to your training, the more you get out – which is probably the most valuable lesson I learned in my time there. I feel so lucky to have been given such a versatile training because it has given me so much confidence going into the working world knowing that no new style is going to phase me. Also, being able to study DDE teaching qualifications alongside performing is great because it widens your employment and career opportunities. The intimate environment of Dance For All means you get so much one-to-one tuition within classes and establish great relationships with all of your teachers and classmates. I am so grateful for the great training I received and I know it will continue to stand me in good stead for the rest of my dance career.”

Claire Grieve, graduated 2013. Like many of her fellow graduates, Claire made it through tough auditions to win a contract aboard very soon after graduating. Her first performance contract was at five-star luxury hotel in the Caribbean, Claire has since returned to the Caribbean on dance contracts twice and is now a professional aerialist. Read her story on our blog…

Find out what life is like at Dance For All and how our course prepares you for life in the dance industry – read more Student and Graduate Testimonials…

Hub of Expertise in the Heart of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK

Dance For All is based in Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland, UK and home to the Scottish Parliament; numerous universities, colleges, museums, art galleries and theatres; 471,000 residents and 12 official festivals including the Fringe which is the largest arts festival in the world.

Dance For All is situated in Stockbridge, in the heart of the New Town of Edinburgh – which is an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

We are a short ten minute walk from the West End of the city centre, which is serviced by almost all bus services and train stations Haymarket and Waverley.

Find out more about Edinburgh and our transport links…

Our course is run in collaboration with Edinburgh College. This enables our students to access student funding for the following components of our course:

• HNC (Higher National Certificate) Professional Dance Performance
• HND (Higher National Diploma) Professional Dance Performance

and access additional student services, while benefiting from the unique atmosphere and additional training of a dedicated dance school.

Your training will be based at Dance For All’s Stockbridge dance studios, but as a student of Edinburgh College, you will also have access to their campus facilities, including:

• Library Learning Centre where you can study, borrow books and use the provided wireless laptops;
• a Learner Base where you can PCs, printing & photocopying, with technologist learning assistants on hand to help;
• a premium Spa facility with a pool, gym, hair salon, beauticians;
• a shuttle bus service if commuting from the Lothians to campus;
• and Campus Accommodation with food courts.

Edinburgh College, an SQA approved centre. Edinburgh College website >

Supplementary fees for the vocational elements of our course can be paid in instalments and students eligible with SAAS (Student Awards Agency Scotland) will also be eligible to apply for a student loan (HNC & HND) and possibly also a student bursary. This funding can help with travel expenses, equipment costs and, if over 18, a maintenance payment may be given, dependent on individual financial circumstances. You may also want to explore Edinburgh College’s funding & fees advice and for English, Welsh, N. Irish, EU and International students, please see the Scottish Government’s student financial help information which has guidance and links to the relevant funding bodies.

Please apply direct to us: audition details & downloads

Got a question? Contact us:

You can also call the office on 0131 226 5533 if you have any questions or want us to post out the documents to you – please give us your name, telephone / mobile number and your address for posting.

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tudents have come from all over Scotland, from the Orkney islands to the Scottish Borders. We have also welcomed national and international students from Ireland, England and Europe.

Since the year 2000 our professional course has gone from strength to strength, our student body and faculty growing each year. Built on a strong foundation, with decades of industry experience, we have an inspirational faculty of tutors who are dedicated to providing our students with the finest training available today.

In 2010, the silver anniversary of Dance For All, we were delighted to announce that the accomplished writer, playwright, actor and director Steven Berkoff was to become our first official Patron. Berkoff has created numerous adaptations and plays for the stage, authored a variety of books and acted in a number of films, including the blockbusters A Clockwork Orange, Barry Lyndon, Octopussy, Rambo and The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.  He says he is “thrilled to be a Patron” and that Dance For All is a “wonderful school.” Read more about Berkoff’s prolific and distinguished career…

Train at Leading Dance College, Dance For All – Apply Now

Please feel free to contact us by email or on 0131 226 5533 with any queries.

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