DCD - Dancers' Career Development

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International work – IOTPD

The International Organization for the Transition of Professional Dancers (IOTPD)

Background of the IOTPD

At an age when others are just entering their productive professional years, the dancer's performing career ends. Years of training and rigorous apprenticeship prepare the dancer for a profession that is relentless in its demands, scarce in its material rewards and fiercely defended by those involved in it. Dance is a vocation, more than a profession. Professional dancers make major contribution to cultural life and economy, but the performing life is intense, insecure and short. When it comes to an end, either by personal choice, physical limitation or injury, the dancer faces a difficult challenge.

Four countries, Great Britain, Canada, the United States and the Netherlands, have developed programs and services to assist in dealing with this challenge of transition. In Great Britain the Dancer’s Career Development was founded in 1973. Canada’s Dancer Transition Center was created in 1985 as was Career Transition For Dancers in New York (US). The Retraining Program for Dancers in the Netherlands was established in 1986. The success of these centers, together with the universality of the issue, led to the creation of an international organization to promote activities concerning transition for dancers around the world.

The IOTPD was formed in 1993 in Lausanne, Switzerland with a mission to alleviate the challenges that professional dancers face worldwide when transitioning to a post-dance career. The IOTPD develops all kind of initiatives that document the scope of the problem worldwide and approaches taken currently to alleviate it; formulating recommendations to improve the career transition process; and publicizing both the problem and possible solutions to all stakeholders in and outside the dance community. The IOTPD aims to heighten awareness of the career transition problem worldwide; help the nonprofit sector and dancers themselves improve the career transition process; extend dancers' creative lives; and serve as a model program for other workforce sectors in which talented individuals confront a short performing career.

Objectives

Through co-ordination of existing programs of counseling, advice and support and through research and advocacy, the IOTPD's goal is that every professional dancer will be equipped to make successful transitions.

The IOTPD works:

  • to encourage research about the role of the dancer in society and the transition process
  • to disseminate information about transition issues
  • to study and organize practical measures to meet the needs of professional dancers.
  • to develop, implement and encourage training institutions to ensure that students receive the necessary life skills
  • to organize regular meetings, providing an opportunity for people working in the field to share experiences, learn, find support and renew commitment.

"Dance is an important component of the cultural life of every society. In utilizing movement, the most honest form of human communication, professional dancers play a vital role in reflecting society to itself and others. Dancers also contribute economically through their work... Because society benefits form the dancers' art during their dance career and from their activities after transition, society should assist in the transition process."

Benefits of membership in the IOTPD

  • obtain valuable international contacts
  • have a voice on an international level
  • receive results of research and study
  • obtain information about the work of existing and emerging transition centers.

Who Belongs to the IOTPD

  • existing transition centers
  • dance companies
  • training institutions
  • associations and unions of professional dancers
  • others who share an interest in the work, including academics and both national and international governmental agencies.

IOTPD

International Organisation for the Transition of Professional Dancers
President: Paul Bronkhorst

International Retraining Organisations

CANADA

Dancer Transition Resource Centre (DTRC)

Amanda Hancock Executive Director
The Lynda Hamilton Centre
250 The Esplanade, Suite 500
Toronto, Ontario
M5A 1J2
Canada
Telephone +1 416 595 5655
Facsimile: +1 416 595 0009

THE NETHERLANDS

Retraining Program for Dancers

Stichting Omscholingsregeling Dansers (SOD)

Paul Bronkhorst Executive Director
P.O. Box 85806
2508 CM The Hague
Netherlands
Telephone+31 (0)70 306 56 78
Facsimile: +31 (0)70 358 46 16

USA

Career Transition For Dancers (CTFD)

Visit the website www.careertransition.org for more detailed information

Alexander J. Dubé Executive Director
The Caroline & Theodore Newhouse Center for Dancers
165 West 46th Street,Suite 701
New York City, NewYork 10036-2501
United States of America
Telephone: + 1 212 764 0172
Facsimile: + 1 212 764 0343

SWITZERLAND

Swiaa Association for Career Transition of Professional Dancers (RDP/NTP)

Susanne Jaillet President
Lara Menghini Hannachi Administrator
Grand-Pré 5
007Lausanne
Switzerland
Telephone: + 41 21 621 8066
Facsimile: + 41 21621 8069