YDance

Taking a giant leap into the future with Interactive Dance CD-ROMs

What is YDance?

YDance (Scottish Youth Dance) is the National Youth Dance Agency for Scotland, providing children and young people aged three to 21 with the opportunity to realise their potential as individuals through dance.

What does YDance do?

YDance delivers a variety of exciting long-term dance projects throughout Scotland.  Current projects are taking place in South Lanarkshire, Fife, West Dunbartonshire, Moray, East Renfrewshire and the Western Isles.

YDance workshops feature a variety of energetic dance styles choreographed to contemporary sounds. They include:

• breakdance,
• streetdance,
• capoeira and
• hip-hop

YDance also delivers specialist projects, working with and catering for identified groups including:

• young people who have been excluded from school
• asylum seekers.

YDance CD-ROMs

YDance has developed a series of CD-ROMs including:

• ABCD -  AnyBodyCanDance CD-ROM
• 321 GO!
• Science- Physical CD-ROM

These CD-ROMs have taken dance education into the 21st century and enable young people in Scotland to participate in dance at school all year round.

AnyBodyCanDance CD-ROM (for ages 8+)

This CD-ROM is a dance resource for teachers and group leaders who want to develop their interest and involvement with dance.  ABCD features a range of different resources including:

• animated 3-D warm-ups,
• ideas for class workshops and games - a dance planner 
• music maker, 
• lesson planner, 
• video footage, and 
• free additional downloads from the YDance website

The 321 GO! CD-ROM has been specially designed for use by teachers and group leaders working with young people aged four to seven, although pre-school children can also benefit. 

321 GO! is hosted by GORF, a dancing frog who introduces

• warm-ups, 
• games, 
• class exercises, and 
• lesson plans.

Science- Physical is YDance's latest project and has been developed in collaboration with The Place (London based National Dance Agency).

It has been specifically designed as a new approach to exploring science in primary schools through dance.  The CDROM features spoken raps and music which in turn support the games, exercises and workshops which teach science to pupils.

What next?

YDance recently introduced in–service training for teachers and leaders, which has helped to develop the new YDance Training Handbook.  The handbook is a tangible informative guide to help group leaders and teachers to get dancing!

The future looks bright as YDance continues to forge strong working partnerships throughout the country and prepares to launch the CD-ROMs internationally, continuing on a mission to get dance actively practiced in all schools.