Drama Awards (DADAs)
Dance and Drama Awards (DADAs)
Dance and Drama Awards are scholarships for professional vocational training at drama and dance schools. They are given to students based entirely on talent demonstrated at an audition, with no consideration given to financial circumstances, so anyone is potentially eligible. These awards are offered by the school that the pupil will be attending and include reduced tuition fees, as well as assistance with living costs where required.
Schools and courses
DADAs are offered by 22 specialist vocational schools and funded by the government. The dance and drama schools choose how to allocate the awards, based on performance at auditions. The awards are only valid for specific courses designed by Trinity College London, intended to focus on vocational qualities needed to succeed in a dance or drama career. The awards are currently under review and the process may change in the future.
A career in acting or dancing is very competitive and any possible advantage should be taken by those looking to pursue this path; qualifications from a dance or drama school will help not only in proving ability, but also in demonstrating the experiences gained from focused study of different performance styles. Schools that offer DADAs follow the vocational route, offering a mainly practical course where other schools offer degree dance and drama classes. All of them will require perspective students to audition, to help them decide who to offer places to. Auditions are nerve wracking at the best of times; those that have taken drama classes for kids in the past or acted in school or amateur productions will benefit from experience in performing auditions. More about DADA's
Get the most from your auditions
Preparation is a key part of any audition, whether it is for a part in a play or a place on a course, a bit of work in advance makes all the difference. Auditions for dance and drama schools will have a set format which potential students will receive in advance, but there may also be additional information available on the school's website or from past students, so a bit of research will pay off. Practice is all important, especially for those who have not performed often in front of audiences in the past, but one should take care not to become stale and lose the expression in a piece of dance or prose. Choosing the right audition piece is also important; it should not be too common a choice or the audition panel will be bored with it, but also it should not be so obscure that they do not know of it. If the performer really enjoys or loves the piece, this will come across in the audition.
Dance and Drama awards are a really good way to help support students on performing arts courses and they are open to anyone over the age of 16, with no other eligibility criteria; it is only necessary to impress the audition panel at the relevant school. Applying well in advance is vital as competition is stiff, but with a well prepared audition that demonstrates talent and potential, aspiring dance and drama students could be well on their way to a dream career.
Schools included: For more information please follow this link
Arts Educational Schools London
Bird College
Cambridge Performing Arts
CPA Studios
Elmhurst School for Dance
English National Ballet School
Expressions Academy of Performing Arts
The Hammond School
Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts
KS Dance
Laine Theatre Arts
Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts
Liverpool Theatre School
London Studio Centre
Midlands Academy of Dance and Drama
Millennium Performing Arts
Northern Ballet School
Performers College
SLP College
Stella Mann College
Tring Park School for the Performing Arts
Urdang Academy