Dance UK challenges Willetts

The whole of the dance sector is shocked by Mr Willetts’ negative comments about A-level dance last week and his suggestion that subjects, including dance, should be worth fewer points in the tariff system operated by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service. The fact that he made these comments on the day that students received their A-level results is particularly surprising at a time when students who achieved success should have been applauded and encouraged equally.

Of great concern is that Mr Willetts’ comments follow similar remarks about dance made by Mr Gove, the Secretary of State for Education in 2009. Both Mr Gove and Mr Willetts are important politicians with key positions in education and what they say will inevitably impact negatively on the position of dance in schools.

The real risk is that schools with limited resources will disinvest in dance because they think there is a chance that it will provide less value for money than other subjects that could provide more points for pupils hoping to go to university and give the schools higher league table ranking.

I agree with Mr Willetts and Mr Gove that students should chose appropriate A-level subjects for the courses they hope to study at university, but that does not mean that students with ambitions to study non-dance related subjects at universities, such as law or medicine, should be discouraged from also studying A-level dance which will give them a rich and rounded education.

Dance is a rigorous academic subject – the questions on an A-level dance exam paper are similar in topic and structure to both English literature and history A-level questions. Students have to research mathematics, science, art, social, political and historical contexts to complete A-level dance – they develop both physical skills and traditional academic skills. Surely we want to encourage a cultured, well-rounded education for our young people? They should be able to develop a range of skills at school, preparing them for a complex world with varied career routes and jobs. If we set up an old-fashioned hierarchy, only valuing a short-list of subjects which were formally regarded by universities as the ‘academic’ subjects, it undermines young people who choose to develop intellectual and academic rigor through the arts and humanities.

Dr Marios Georgiou, Lecturer in Cell Biology at the University of Nottingham Medical School, made contact with Dance UK to tell us of his concern at the University Minister’s comments: “I find these negative comments disturbing as young people, in my opinion, should have a well rounded education and feel free to choose subjects for A-level which are appropriate for them and their own interests. They should not have to worry that choosing dance, or a similar subject, may exclude them from continuing their education. While I welcome Mr Willetts’ support for the “core academic subjects” such as Science, this support should not come at the expense of other subjects, which, depending on the future career path of the individual, may in fact be more beneficial for that person. “

Nicola Clayton FRS, Professor of Comparative Cognition at the University of Cambridge, Fellow of Clare College, and Scientist in Residence at Rambert Dance Company says: “I have three key concerns. If dance is seen as a ‘soft’ A-level then surely talented dancers, who typically are very clever and very talented in many domains including creativity, will simply turn their energies elsewhere, and that would be such a terrible waste of British talent. The second is about health, both physical and mental. Of course we care about the young minds of the future, but healthy minds need healthy bodies. The third is about transferable skills, and what having the opportunity to combine different disciplines and the added value of doing so provides as a head start in life. Communication is key. The psychologist, David Abercrombie, said ‘we speak with our vocal organs but we converse with our entire bodies’, and that is definitely true in dance.”

Mr Willett’s comments have unsurprisingly caused widespread outrage from those working in dance. Wayne McGregor CBE, Artistic Director of Wayne McGregor|Random Dance and Resident Choreographer at the Royal Ballet responded: “It is the responsibility of a modern education system to 'discover' potential through learning adventures that stimulate and inspire – dance is a critical, ambitious and specific component in this process. But more than that – the very practice of gaining expert knowledge (the original meaning of the word ‘science’) can only be achieved through multiple modes of learning and most richly achieved by experiencing a broad range of subjects, equally valued for the unique contribution their specialism can bring to the table. In today’s world, it is simply short-sighted to prize the knowledge that one subject contains over another – all knowledge is valuable: it can be transferrable, often usefully inter-changeable, increasingly symbiotic between divergent forms and most importantly empowering for the individuals acquiring it.”

At a time when sharp focus is being thrown on connecting with young people, A-level dance has a positive role to play schools. Dr Rodreguez King-Dorset, Researcher in Dance History at the Centre of African Studies, Cambridge University says: “It seems to me that dance is a fundamental form of communication between people and can operate between people of different verbal capabilities. Since communication is so important in maintaining peaceable relations among different people, it would be very unfortunate if dance was downgraded in educational importance in the way that Mr Willetts’ comments suggest that it should be. Indeed, the exact opposite might be a desirable political goal.”

This is a debate that is clearly not going to go away quietly.