Levels of Membership
Whether you’re already a teacher or you’re a dancer looking for a career change and whatever your dance style or teaching level, there's an ISTD membership category to suit you.
- Full Teaching Membership
- Affiliate Membership
- Contemporary Affiliate Membership
- Provisional Membership
- Non-Teaching Membership
- Student Membership
- Life Membership
Full Teaching Membership
Who is it for?
ISTD qualified teachers, who are actively teaching dance and entering students for exams.
What are the eligibility criteria?
For Theatre Dance faculties: aged 18 and over and hold
- the ISTD Level 4 Diploma in Dance Education (DDE)
- the Certificate in Dance Education (CDE)
- the Associate
- the Associate Diploma or above.
- the ISTD Level 4 Diploma in Dance Education (DDE)
- the Certificate in Dance Education (CDE) or above
- the Dancesport Associate qualification.
What are the benefits?
- Full voting rights (except those holding just an Associate qualification)
- Free registration on dance-teachers.org - the ISTD's global online directory of ISTD dance teachers
- Use of the ISTD designation (e.g. Jane Smith LISTD)
- Use of the ISTD logo
- Enter students for ISTD examinations*
- Discounts on many of the ISTD’s Continuing Professional Development (CPD) courses
- Discounts on ads in DANCE magazine and on the ISTD website
- Free access to My ISTD online members' area
- Eligible to join the ISTD dance insurance scheme (UK)
- Access to Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Vetting Scheme
- Complimentary DANCE Magazine sent three times a year
- 5% discount in the ISTD Shop (applied automatically when logged in to My ISTD)
- Free use of the ISTD Library
*(can enter candidates in any genre (in which qualified); membership subscription must be fully up-to-date before entering candidates for examinations)
Affiliate Membership
Who is it for?
Non-ISTD qualified teachers, who are actively teaching dance and entering students for exams.
What are the eligibility criteria?
Teachers have to hold a teaching qualification with an awarding body, which is approved by a UK Regulator, or associated with a regulated awarding body. If the teaching qualification is from a non-regulated awarding body it will be assessed on a case by case basis.
What are the benefits?
- Use of the ISTD logo
- Enter students for ISTD examinations*
- Discounts on many of the ISTD’s Continuing Professional Development (CPD) courses
- Discounts on ads in DANCE magazine and on the ISTD website
- Free access to My ISTD online members' area
- Eligible to join the ISTD dance insurance scheme (UK)
- Access to Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Vetting Scheme
- Complimentary DANCE Magazine sent three times a year
- 5% discount in the ISTD Shop (applied automatically when logged in to My ISTD)
- Free use of the ISTD Library
Contemporary Affiliate Membership
Who is it for?
Non-ISTD qualified Contemporary teachers and professional dancers, who wish to teach the ISTD Contemporary Syllabus and enter students for exams.
What are the eligibility criteria?
Eligibility criteria for the Contemporary Affiliate Membership vary by region (UK, Europe, International). To find out more and to apply visit the Pathways to teaching the Contemporary syllabus page.
What are the benefits?
- Use of the ISTD logo
- Enter students for ISTD examinations*
- Discounts on many of the ISTD’s Continuing Professional Development (CPD) courses
- Discounts on ads in DANCE magazine and on the ISTD website
- Free access to My ISTD online members' area
- Eligible to join the ISTD dance insurance scheme (UK)
- Access to Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Vetting Scheme
- Complimentary DANCE Magazine sent three times a year
- 5% discount in the ISTD Shop (applied automatically when logged in to My ISTD)
- Free use of the ISTD Library
Provisional Membership
Who is it for?
Aspiring ISTD qualified teachers looking to become Full Teaching members (to actively teach dance and enter students for exams).
UK members must be working towards their Diploma in Dance Education (DDE). International members should be working towards gaining their Associate.
What are the eligibility criteria?
For Theatre Dance faculties: aged 16 and over and hold an ISTD vocational level qualification
- Intermediate
- Advanced 1
- Advanced 2 correct
For Dancesport faculties: aged 16 and over and hold
- the student teacher qualification correct
For non-ISTD qualified persons: aged 16 and over and have applied (with a CV and covering letter) and been approved by relevant Faculty Board.
What are the benefits?
- Discounts on many of the ISTD’s Continuing Professional Development (CPD) courses
- Discounts on ads in DANCE magazine and on the ISTD website
- Free access to My ISTD online members' area
- Eligible to join the ISTD dance insurance scheme (UK)
- Access to Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Vetting Scheme
- Complimentary DANCE Magazine sent three times a year
- 5% discount in the ISTD Shop (applied automatically when logged in to My ISTD)
- Free use of the ISTD Library
Non-Teaching Membership
Who is it for?
Full Teaching members, who are not actively teaching or entering students for exams.
What are the eligibility criteria?
Teachers must hold an Associate, Associate Diploma, DDE, CDE, Licentiate or Fellowship qualification,
What are the benefits?
- Discounts on many of the ISTD’s Continuing Professional Development (CPD) courses
- Discounts on ads in DANCE magazine and on the ISTD website
- Free access to My ISTD online members' area
- Eligible to join the ISTD dance insurance scheme (UK)
- Access to Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Vetting Scheme
- Complimentary DANCE Magazine sent three times a year
- 5% discount in the ISTD Shop (applied automatically when logged in to My ISTD)
- Free use of the ISTD Library
Student Membership
Who is it for?
Non-ISTD qualified dance students wishing to be affiliated with the Society and to take advantage of membership benefits.
What are the eligibility criteria?
Must have taken an ISTD exam
What are the benefits?
- Complimentary DANCE Magazine sent three times a year
- 5% discount in the ISTD Shop (applied automatically when logged in to My ISTD)
- Free use of the ISTD Library
Life Membership
Members who have held a Licentiate, Fellowship or Associate qualification in any ISTD Faculty, and who have been an ISTD member for at least 40 years continuously may apply for Life membership.
Life members no longer pay an annual membership fee whilst still receiving the full benefits of the Full Teaching membership; only for DANCE magazine a subscription fee is due.
Applications should be send in writing to the Membership team at membership@istd.org.