NATD Dance Academy

NATD Dance Academy is the online course platform of the National Association of Teachers of Dancing (NATD), a dance teaching and examination society founded in 1906 with its head office at National House in Thatcham, Berkshire. The academy is a learner product aimed mainly at dance teachers: it offers video courses on the NATD's examination syllabi, teacher training for its franchise programs, and professional development courses that carry CPD points. The academy describes itself as "A new way of learning FOR EVERYONE" and promises "specialist training through the NATD's online course platform."

The academy's pitch covers three goals: completing syllabus training, gaining professional development points, or exploring new teaching opportunities, all with "flexible learning wherever you are." The homepage puts it more simply: train at your own pace.

Who can enroll

The academy is open to students, NATD teachers and non-members alike. It says its online courses are open to everyone, whether you are an NATD member or "a wider industry professional", and that it welcomes "all teachers, dancers, and educators who are passionate about developing their skills and knowledge." Members get "special course rates", and non-members are encouraged to enroll as well. The academy page lists no course prices.

Professional development courses

The professional development shelf is filtered into Level 3, Professional Development and Safeguarding, and the academy says each course in it is designed to support career progression, "offering validated CPD points and recognised certificates upon completion." The longest course listed is Safeguarding Level 2 Training, at 4 hours 50 minutes, a CPD-validated course in safeguarding for dance professionals. Intro to Child Protection in Sport and Active Leisure, an entry-level introduction to safeguarding, runs 1 hour 55 minutes. Two short explainer videos sit alongside them: one on the NATD's new CPD tracking system and one on the Level 3 Certificate for Dance Teaching Assistants, which the academy calls "an amazing qualification". The homepage also points teachers to the NATD's new Level 3 and Level 4 dance teaching qualifications, and a news item advertises a Level 4 top up for teachers who already hold a qualification.

Syllabus training by grade

The heart of the catalog for an NATD teacher is the graded syllabus training, filmed with the society's senior examiners. Senior Examiner Andrea Brunton leads the Modern courses: Class, Preliminary and Grade 1 (37 minutes), Grades 2 and 3 (29 minutes) and Grades 4 and 5 (27 minutes). Senior Examiner Victoria Wright gives an expert breakdown of the Ballet syllabus in three courses of 33 minutes each, covering Class, Prelim and Grade 1, then Grades 2, 3 and 4, then Grades 5 and 6.

Contemporary dance is taught in three units: Grades 1 and 2 (1 hour 33 minutes), Grades 3 and 4 (1 hour 58 minutes) and Grades 5 and 6 (1 hour 57 minutes). Street Class and Prelim Training is a one-hour, step-by-step video guide to the NATD's Original Street Styles syllabus.

Teacher training for NATD programs

Several courses train teachers to deliver the society's own programs. Musical Theatre Teacher Training covers all grades in 2 hours 26 minutes. Early Movers Teacher Training, designed for pre-school dance, runs 1 hour 14 minutes, and NATD Diamond Dancers teacher training, on delivering engaging and safe sessions, runs 33 minutes. The genre filter on this shelf shows how wide the NATD's syllabi go: American Smooth, Ballet, Ballroom, Classic Ballet, Diamond Dancers, Early Movers, Freestyle, Gymnastic Dance, Latin American, Modern, Musical Theatre, Rock N Roll, Sequence, Solo Development Awards, Street, and both National and Stage Tap.

Short introductions to each genre

A set of short videos explains the NATD's examinations and awards genre by genre, useful for a teacher deciding whether to add a style to a school's timetable. They include Intro to Ballet Examinations, Intro to Rock n Roll, Intro to Modern Stage, an introduction to Ballroom and Latin American, What is American Smooth?, Intro to Gymnastic Dance, Intro to Stage Tap Examinations, Intro to National Tap Examinations, Intro to Classic Ballet, Intro to Freestyle Examinations and Intro to Street Examinations, each between 2 and 6 minutes long. Two more introduce the society's awards: the Solo Development Awards, billed as "The ultimate challenge for the solo dancer", and the NATD Showstopper In-Theatre Performance Awards, described as "a modern, performance-based qualification".

The society behind it

The academy draws on the NATD's wider setup. The society says it has been "at the forefront of dance education and examinations for over a century", and its homepage marks 120 years. Its about page says its presence "has grown internationally with members in Asia, the Americas, and beyond." It describes itself as "a smaller society" that prides itself "on offering a personalised and supportive community."

Its mission statement says the NATD aims "to make dancing accessible to everyone" and embraces technology for the benefit of its members. It has developed its own technique books, is working with other organizations on projects to adopt them, and offers examinations "for people of all abilities including the visually impaired." The society believes dancing offers "not only joy but also a future for many", whether a dancer wants to "perform on stage and film, excel as competitors, or become exceptional professionals and teachers."

Beyond the academy, the NATD runs local area committees (Anglian, Ireland and Northern Ireland, London Ballroom, London Theatrical, Midlands, North Midland Ballroom, North Midland Theatrical, North Eastern, Northern and South Western), each with its own events, training and socials. Its featured events include the Multi Genre Congress, Ballroom & Latin Medallist of the Year, the Solo Medallist Experience, the Song & Dance Championships and Theatrical Scholarships. An online shop sells dance syllabi and digital video downloads, and members have their own portal for updates and resources. The patrons page lists names from ballroom and theater, among them Anton Du Beke, Craig Revel-Horwood, Oti Mabuse, Janette Manrara, Ian Waite and Angela Rippon, whose Let's Dance initiative appears among the society's education programs.

The leadership is named on the about page: Kevin Page is Chief Executive Officer, Sharon Potter is President, and Annette Hufton is QA Manager and Designated Safeguarding Lead.

What learners say

The testimonials on the homepage come from teachers who took the society's qualifications. J Mullen, a Level 4 Diploma student, writes that "having a year to complete the diploma also makes it very time manageable." Sylwia Tomaszewicz, also on the Level 4 Diploma, calls it "a great way of personally developing as a teacher at any stage of your career."

Who it suits

The academy suits dance teachers who already teach, or plan to teach, NATD syllabi: the graded Modern, Ballet and Contemporary courses walk through exactly what each grade requires, filmed with the society's senior examiners. Studio owners adding a program such as Early Movers, Diamond Dancers, Street or Musical Theatre get teacher training for it, and anyone who needs safeguarding training or CPD points will find CPD-validated courses on the professional development shelf. Non-members and wider industry professionals can enroll too, while members get special rates.

It is less of a fit for a hobby dancer looking for general dance classes to follow at home. Most courses are short, focused videos built around the NATD's own examinations and programs, so their value is greatest to someone working within that system.