Teaching Dance Inclusively: Tools and Strategies for Facilitators | SHINE Project
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A practical online course for dance educators, facilitators, and dancers who want to develop inclusive dance practices and create accessible, welcoming, and creative environments for all participants.
This online training course has been developed within the Erasmus+ project SHINE: Skills for Harmonizing INclusion in Dance Education (Project No. 2024-2-EL01-KA210-VET-000283870). It is designed for current and aspiring dance facilitators, dance educators, community artists, and dancers who wish to develop their knowledge and skills in inclusive dance practice.
The course explores the principles, methodologies, and practical approaches that support meaningful participation in dance for people with diverse disabilities, access needs, and lived experiences. Through a combination of theoretical content, practical examples, reflection activities, discussions, and quizzes, participants will be encouraged to critically reflect on their own practice and develop more inclusive approaches to teaching and facilitating dance.
The training is grounded in the social model of disability and promotes participant-centred, accessible, and creative approaches to dance education.
Last update: June 2026
Course authors and contributors: Inclusive dance practitioners, educators, and choreographers from EXIS Dance Company (Greece), La Verità Dance Company (Belgium) and Inclusive Dance Cork (Ireland)
Course provider: Erasmus+ Project SHINE - Skills for Harmonizing INclusion in Dance Education
Course duration: Approximately 30 hours self-paced learning
Course language: English
Requirements: No prior experience in inclusive dance is required
Target group:
- Dance teachers and facilitators
- Professional and emerging dancers
- Community artists
- Dance students
- People interested in inclusive arts and education
Learning recognition: Digital badge
What will you learn?
By completing this course, you will:
- Understand the history and key principles of inclusive dance
- Explore different models of disability and their impact on dance practice
- Reflect on the role of language, identity, and inclusion
- Develop practical strategies for working with dancers with different disabilities and access needs
- Learn methods for adapting movement and communicating dance concepts across diverse bodies
- Explore inclusive pedagogical approaches and facilitation techniques
- Understand how to create accessible dance environments and support participation
- Develop inclusive administration, communication, and recruitment practices
- Reflect on your own teaching and facilitation practice and identify opportunities for growth
Course Structure
The course is organised into four thematic sections:
A. Foundations & Philosophy
- History of Inclusive Dance
- Models of Disability
- Language
B. Practical Approaches by Disability
- Physical and mobility impairments
- Visual impairments
- Hearing impairments
- Intellectual and learning disabilities
- Neurodivergence
C. Methodology and Pedagogical Practice
- Translation Skills
- Strategies to Be Authentically Inclusive
- The Beginning and End of an Inclusive Dance Class
D. Environment & Administration
- Outside and Inside the Dancing Space
- Access Support
- Administration
Throughout the course, participants will engage with reflection activities, discussion forums, practical exercises, and knowledge checks designed to support both learning and application in real-world dance contexts.