Most of the developed European countries have organizations that help dancers facilitate the transition from an active dance career into a new one. We have come to contact with these organizations and have drawn inspiration from their experience and expertise.
Dance-oriented retraining programs
Check our run-through of dancers’ second career policies in selected European countries
Belgium – What next? (Loopbaanbegeleiding voor professionele dansers – Career counseling for professional dancers) is a pilot program implemented in the Flanders and Brussels by the Social Fund for the Performing Arts (Sociaal Fonds voor Podiumkunsten) in collaboration with the Vdab, the Flemish Office for Employment and Professional Education.
France – AFDAS (Fond d’assurance formation des secteurs de la culture, de la communication et des loisirs – The Insurance Fund for Education in Culture, Communication and Leisure Activity) is an insurance fund designed to cover education in the field of culture, including retraining of performing artist. In 2006, the French Ministry of Culture and Communication together with AFDAS launched a special program designed for individual situations of dancers who want to get ready for a career change.
Germany – German dancers are covered by the policy of the German theatre pension fund established within the Bavarian Chamber for Social Benefits and Pensions and the Arts Social Fund (Künstlersozialkasse). All of these institutions play a major role in career transition of artists, dancers included. Besides, an initiative Stiftung TANZ – German Centre for Carrer Transition has been launched in 2010.
The Netherlands – The Netherlands’ retraining program for dancers (Stichting Omscholingsregeling Dansers) is a central organization offering made-to-measure support to dancers approaching the moment of career transition across the country.
Norway – The Carte Blanche Company in Bergen is the only institution in Norway offering its employees a special retraining program.
Switzerland – Reconversion des danseurs professionnels or the Professional Dancers Retraining Program is the Swiss association dealing with dancers’ career change. The association is an NGO and was founded in 1993 in Romandy (the francophone part of Switzerland).
Great Britain – Sees the founding of Dancers’ Career Development, an association supporting retraining of professional dancers, as early as in 1974. In mid-1980s, the association has enlarged the scope of its activity, currently offering career support to all professional dancers.