Dance and Musical Theatre

For employment data, please refer to Arts, Culture, Entertainment and Design cluster page.

Training snapshot

Program enrolments in Dance and Musical Theatre-related qualifications increased overall between 2016 and 2020, with a slight decline in 2017 before increasing to approximately 5,750 commencements in 2020. Program completions also increased overall during that time, with a slight decline in 2017, rising to approximately 2,400 in 2019 before declining again to around 2,200 in 2020. The largest proportion of qualifications were delivered at the Certificate II level (33%), followed by Certificate III (25%), Certificate IV (24%) and Diploma or higher (16%). Dancer or Choreographer was the most common intended occupation for students in this sector in 2020.

Certificates I, II, III and IV in Dance were the most popular qualifications, with 64% of program enrolments combined, followed by Dance Teaching and Management and Diploma & Advanced Diploma of Dance (Elite Performance). The majority of Dance and Musical Theatre-related qualifications were delivered by private training providers (84%) in 2020. The only signification variation to this was for Community Theatre, Dance and Events where 57% was delivered by TAFE institutes and 33% through schools. Overall, almost three quarters of funding for enrolments was domestic fee-for-service (73%), with most of the remainder being Commonwealth and state funding (25%).

In 2020, students in Dance and Musical Theatre-related qualifications mainly resided in either Victoria (36%), Queensland (21%) or New South Wales (15%). Similarly, 39% of training was delivered in Victoria, followed by Queensland (22%), New South Wales (19%) and Western Australia (13%).

There were insufficient enrolments in apprenticeships or traineeships to allow analysis.

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For an analysis of skills needs and workforce demand, see the Arts, Culture, Entertainment and Design cluster page.

The performing arts, such as dance and musical theatre, are reliant on ticket sales, audiences and the physical location of the theatre or venue, and as such are one of the sectors most heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Performing arts organisations have had to quickly digitise their offerings, which required specialist digital production skills.

According to Online delivery of dance classes and tutorials, many dance providers have chosen to move their classes online due to COVID-19 and the changed circumstances in studios, schools and communities. One example of this is outlined in the news article Award-winning dancer takes ballet classes online, where a studio’s ballet classes were moved to an online environment when dance studios shut for the second time under lockdown restrictions in Western Australia.

According to the report Performing Arts by the FutureNow Creative and Leisure Industries Training Council (WA), Industry see potential to reach new audiences through evolving technologies such as virtual reality, which will allow remote audiences to be more fully immersed in live performances. Opportunities for technicians working in dance and musical theatre to extend their skills and knowledge in the areas of virtual and augmented reality technologies and special effects could improve their employability and bolster sector capacity to reach new markets.

Australian Jobs 2021 found that these new ways of working, such as online video conferencing, live streaming or video on demand could create long term changes to the way organisations in this industry operate.

There is also an opportunity for greater realisation of the export value of First Nations performing arts, including market and audience development. Prior to COVID-19, the demand for, and impact of First Nations companies’ work and role in Australian arts was growing. In a recent report by Australia Council for the Arts, Creating Art Part 1: the makers' view of pathways for First Nations theatre and dance, interviewees noted that the growing appetite for First Nations works points to the need for renewed attitudes to risk in programming and development of pathways for First Nations companies.

As highlighted in the Culture and Related Industries IRC’s 2019 Skills Forecast, creative workers within the Dance and Musical Theatre sector have been presented with new opportunities and as a result of this changing technology, relevant training is required to ensure learners have the necessary skills for these technological advancements.

In addition, the Culture and Related Industries IRC's 2018 Skills Forecast listed five key drivers for change in this sector, including:

• An increasing reliance on multifaceted income streams for those in the sector. This means those working in Dance and Musical Theatre need more general business skills such as record-keeping, invoicing and marketing, as well as resilience and self-care to operate most effectively in the sector.
• Some vocational graduates lack basic industry knowledge, including interactions between associations, the nature of working arrangements and the scope of employment opportunities. This knowledge is often gained through informal upskilling on the job. Vocational learners need their training to include the general operation of the sector.
• A misalignment of qualification titles and stream names, with the wider sector’s perception of skills related to the qualification. The varying skill levels of graduates from programs such as the Diploma of Dance (Elite Performance) is belied by the title of ‘elite’ and trainers, learners and employers assume ‘elite’ outcomes. Some qualification titles could therefore be renamed to better manage expectations.
• Relatively high variance in skill and knowledge levels amongst dance and dance teaching graduates. This may be caused by an overly broad range of possible subjects included in these qualifications.
• Increasing digitisation of equipment and sector-related technology. This has changed how performers attract and retain audiences, generate profit and analyse occupation-specific data. Training needs to provide learners with digital skills to take advantage of these trends.

For insights relevant to dance, musical theatre and other related fields generally, see the Arts, Culture, Entertainment and Design cluster page.

Below is a list of industry-relevant research, organisations and associations. Hyperlinks have been included where available.

IRC and skills forecasts

Culture and Related Industries IRC

• Culture and Related Industries IRC’s 2019 Skills Forecast
• Culture and Related Industries IRC’s 2018 Skills Forecast
• IRC membership
• Skills for Australia – Skills Service Organisation.

Relevant research

Australian Jobs 2021 - National Skills Commission

Award-winning Dancer Takes Ballet Classes Online - Docklands News

Creating Art Part 1: The Makers' View of Pathways for First Nations Theatre and Dance - Australia Council for the Arts

Online Delivery of Dance Classes and Tutorials – Ausdance

Performing Arts - FutureNow Creative and Leisure Industries Training Council (WA)

Industry associations and advisory bodies

Ausdance

Australia Council for the Arts

Australian Council for the Arts – Dance

Australian Network for Art and Technology

Blak Dance

The Independent Theatre Association WA (inc.)

Regional Arts Australia

The Australasian Association for Theatre, Drama and Performance Studies

Theatre Network Australia

Training data has been extracted from the National VET Provider Collection, Total VET Student and Courses from the following training packages or qualifications:

• CUA Creative Arts and Culture Training Package
• Certificate I & II in Dance:
  
  • CUA10111 - Certificate I in Dance
  • CUA10113 - Certificate I in Dance
  • CUA10120 - Certificate I in Dance
  • CUA20111 - Certificate II in Dance
  • CUA20113 - Certificate II in Dance
  • CUA20120 - Certificate II in Dance.
• Certificate III & IV in Dance
  
  • CUA30111 - Certificate III in Dance
  • CUA30113 - Certificate III in Dance
  • CUA30120 - Certificate III in Dance
  • CUA40111 - Certificate IV in Dance
  • CUA40113 - Certificate IV in Dance
  • CUA40120 - Certificate IV in Dance.
• Community Theatre, Dance and Events
  
  • CUA30211 - Certificate III in Community Dance, Theatre and Events
  • CUA30213 - Certificate III in Community Dance, Theatre and Events
  • CUA30220 - Certificate III in Community Dance, Theatre and Events.
• Dance Teaching and Management
  
  • CUA30311 - Certificate III in Assistant Dance Teaching
  • CUA30313 - Certificate III in Assistant Dance Teaching
  • CUA30320 - Certificate III in Assistant Dance Teaching
  • CUA40211 - Certificate IV in Dance Teaching and Management
  • CUA40313 - Certificate IV in Dance Teaching and Management
  • CUA40320 - Certificate IV in Dance Teaching and Management
  • CUA50311 - Diploma of Dance Teaching and Management
  • CUA50313 - Diploma of Dance Teaching and Management
  • CUA50320 - Diploma of Dance Teaching and Management.
• Diploma & Advanced Diploma of Dance (Elite Performance)
  
  • CUA50111 - Diploma of Dance (Elite Performance)
  • CUA50113 - Diploma of Dance (Elite Performance)
  • CUA51520 - Diploma of Professional Dance (Elite Performance)
  • CUA60111 - Advanced Diploma of Dance (Elite Performance)
  • CUA60113 - Advanced Diploma of Dance (Elite Performance)
  • CUA60120 - Advanced Diploma of Professional Dance (Elite Performance).
• Musical Theatre
  
  • CUA40513 - Certificate IV in Musical Theatre
  • CUA40520 - Certificate IV in Musical Theatre
  • CUA50211 - Diploma of Musical Theatre
  • CUA50213 - Diploma of Musical Theatre
  • CUA50220 - Diploma of Musical Theatre.

This includes superseded qualifications and training packages.

Data covers a range of selected student and training characteristics in the following categories and years:

• 2016 to 2020 program enrolments
• 2016 to 2020 program completions.

Total VET students and courses data is reported for the calendar year. Program enrolments are the qualifications, courses and skill-sets in which students are enrolled in a given period. For students enrolled in multiple programs, all programs are counted. Program completion indicates that a student has completed a structured and integrated program of education or training. Subject enrolment is registration of a student at a training delivery location for the purpose of undertaking a module, unit of competency or subject. For more information on the terms and definitions, please refer to the Total VET students and courses: terms and definitions document.

Low counts (less than five) are not reported to protect client confidentiality.