If you want to learn to dance, enter competitions or just have fun, then this is the place for you. On this section of our site we will provide information designed just for you. So get started by clicking one of the links below and find out what the IDTA can do for you.
What do the IDTA do?
What competitions can I enter?
What exams can I take?
Are IDTA qualifications UK recognised?
What do the IDTA do?
The International Dance Teachers’ Association is a leading dance qualifications awarding body and membership association for professional dance teachers.
We define standards across the widest variety of dance forms, examine performance for both professionals and non-professionals of all ages, develop the skills and professional practice of our members, and promote the love of dance across a dynamic, global community.
So if you want to learn to dance, improve your dancing skills or learn to teach dance we are here to help
The International Dance Teachers’ Association provide all of our amateur members with a membership card and pin number. Keep your card safe as your pin number is important when entering for examinations into the IDTA and may also be requested if you enter competitions organised by the Association.
Supporting Members Worldwide from IDTA on Vimeo.
Competitions
Miss Dance of Great Britain
Miss Dance of Great Britain is a long running theatre dance competition for girls, established and organised by the International Dance Teachers Association. The national finals are held annually at the Opera House in Blackpool, England. The finals also include the finals of the boys competition, Dance Master UK.
Entrants who wish to compete in the national finals of Miss Dance, must first qualify for the competition by winning a regional heat. Heats are held at dance festivals nationwide throughout the year. The majority of these festivals are independently run and must apply to the IDTA in order to stage a heat of Miss Dance.
To enter a regional heat, competitors must be aged 16 years or over on 31 May in the year of competition and must be amateur dancers or be in full-time training. Professional dancers are not permitted to enter.
In the heats, each competitor performs a three-minute solo dance in a modern theatre or cabaret style. This may include jazz, tap, song, dialogue, instrumentation or comedy, with dance as the dominant discipline. Classical Ballet, character dance or national dance styles are not permitted. The IDTA requests that competitors present a solo that has been specially choreographed for the competition. Should a competitor win their regional heat, they must perform the same solo, without changes, at the national final.
To qualify for the national finals, a competitor must win their heat with a score of 90 marks or more, and they then represent that festival at the finals. A runner-up place is also awarded. The runner-up may be invited to compete at the national finals if the heat winner is unable to compete. It is very common for dancers to compete in numerous regional heats throughout the country in order to qualify for the national finals.
Dance Master UK
Dance Master UK is an annual competition held by the IDTA for boys over the age of 16 who are in training or are amateur dancers. This competition runs alongside Miss Dance of Great Britain, with regional qualifiers and a final showdown in front of a panel of judges at the Opera House in Blackpool.
International Theatre Dance Awards
IDTA Theatre Dance Awards are held annually to celebrate the excellence of the Association’s teachers and their dancers who are initially nominated by the Association’s examiners when taking the higher grades or performers examinations through a qualified teacher. The nomination is not through a numerical percentage but through the examiners discretion of outstanding ability within the four core genres.
Eight awards are granted in Ballet, Theatre Craft, Tap, and Modern Jazz at higher grade and Performers level.
The closing date for nominations from exam sessions each year is the 31st October.
Over 500 candidates out of more than 7,500 are nominated annually for these awards and those who are successful are awarded a trophy and a cheque to further their dance career. Certificates are awarded to every nominee and the teachers of the winners.
The following additional trophies will be presented:
- The Bill Tasker Award for Theatre Craft Grades or Performers
- The Ken Dodd Award for Tap Grades or Performers
- The Gladys Thorpe Memorial Award for Ballet Performers
The above awards chosen by an independent assessor
- The Veronica Tweedale Award for the runner up of the Ballet Grades Class
- The Pam Tidmarsh Award for the runner up of the Modern Jazz Grades Class
- The Peggy Harrison Award for the runner up in the Modern Jazz Performers class
Freestyle Scholarships
Candidates for the IDTA Freestyle Scholarships are initially nominated by the Association’s Examiners when taking a Freestyle Solo medal test at Star 1 level or above, through a qualified teacher. Candidates must obtain a mark of at least 90% and show outstanding / exceptional potential.
Awards are granted in the following age groups for Freestyle Solo performances:
Class A – under 14 (ie: up to and including 13 years of age)
Class B – under 18 (ie: 14 – 17 years of age)
Class C – 18 and over (ie: 18 years and over)
The Scholarships will be held annually in the Spring. Nominations are taken from 1 March to 28/29 February the following year.
Winners will receive a trophy and a cheque prize to further their dance career.
Certificates are awarded to every nominee.
An additional trophy and voucher towards further training to be presented by Anna Jones for the nominees in each age group showing outstanding potential
Nationwide Medallist of the Year
There are four Nationwide finals each year
- Street
- Ballroom & Latin
- Classical and Modern Sequence
- Freestyle & Rock n Roll
Contact your teacher, for details of your local Nationwide representative for more details on entering qualifying heats.
- Each Area will select a specific competition for the purpose of selecting the competitors for the Nationwide competition. This specific contest may be any time prior to the Nationwide competition.
- All competitors in Nationwide must have passed an IDTA one dance medal test or above, or Graded examination (not a Social Dance Award, All Round Efficiency), in the branch concerned in the previous twelve months prior to the qualifying heat.
- A copy of the Nationwide rules are available from Head Office.
IDTA Area competitions and children’s / amateur workshops
The IDTA Area Committees frequently run workshops and competitions during the year. These are often listed on the Events page of our main website or promoted locally by the individual committees. Further information about the individual committees can be found at the links below.
IDTA Anglia Area
https://www.facebook.com/Idtaanglia/
IDTA Midlands Area
http://idtamidlandsarea.co.uk/
http://idtamidlands.co.uk/
IDTA North East Area
http://nearea.weebly.com/
IDTA North West Area
http://www.idtanorthwest.com/
IDTA Scotland
https://www.facebook.com/IDTA-Scotland-1680132878868688/
IDTA South East
https://www.facebook.com/IDTASouthEastBallroom/
http://www.idtasoutheast.co.uk/
IDTA South West
http://www.idtasouthwest.co.uk/
Further contact information can be found on our IDTA Areas page.
IDTA Teachers Video from IDTA on Vimeo.
Examination Information
IDTA offers a wide variety of tests and awards for amateur dancers including:
- Rosettes
- Stardance Awards
- Pre-juvenile Groups Awards
- Preparatory Grade
- Primary Grade
- Grade 1 -5
- Performer Awards
- a wide range of medal tests:
- one dance Bronze, Silver and Gold medals
- Bars, Stars and President’s Awards
- International Supreme Award
For the medal tests and higher awards, the dances are choreographed by the teacher and build in length and complexity. The Association also offers social dance awards, and team awards.
More detailed information can be found in the Members Hub.
Examination Boards
IDTA grade and vocationally graded exams (G1-5, Performer Awards in the eight core subjects) are regulated by the following regulatory bodies:
You can find information about the current RQF system by clicking here. You can also search for RQF regulated qualifications and education providers by using the RQF Search Tool.
The following IDTA qualifications, achieved since 1st January 2013, qualify under the UCAS points system for university entry:
- IDTA Grade 6 Ballet *
- IDTA Intermediate Performers Awards in Ballet, Tap, Modern Jazz and Theatre Craft (vocationally graded qualification)
All these qualifications are at Level 3 on the UK Regulated Qualifications Framework.
* Grade 6 Ballet was withdrawn in 2014.
You can use the UCAS tariff calculator to work out your current UCAS points.
Our Level 4 Diploma in Dance Teaching is also a UK recognised qualification.