Dancers Network has been a volunteer organisation, founded by dancers for dancers, since 2019. Li Li Hodge, one of the original co-founders, has led this project alongside various teams over the years, all while working full-time as a professional dancer. During this time, much has been accomplished:
We worked with agents, dancers, and industry professionals to develop the DN Terms & Conditions—a rulebook that had never existed before. This document standardises the rights and working conditions for all dancers in this currently unregulated industry. Our goal is to make yearly amendments and improvements, involving more agents in the process. We’re currently working on an update that also brings in casting directors and production companies to help develop a unified approach to commercial dance jobs.
We began providing a free advocacy service that has helped hundreds of dancers over the years with claiming delayed payments, addressing issues with agents, and handling discrimination cases, as well as educating on rates and industry standards.
During COVID-19, an incredibly difficult time for all, including those working in the commercial dance industry, Dancers Network raised more than £10,000 for our COVID Relief Fund. This fund supported struggling dancers during that time, with participation from choreographers, dancers, and even the stars themselves. Anne-Marie and Kylie Minogue made a special effort to be involved.
In May 2021, we launched the #WHEREAREWENOW campaign in support of Black Lives Matter, with all funds raised going directly to the charity. We collaborated with various brands to offer a week of free classes, juice recipes, meals, and educational live talks and podcasts. The campaign fostered a sense of community online, bringing dance artists together to educate and support one another. Supporters included Casa Pancho (Ballet Black), Aston Merrygold, Vick Hope, Eat of Eden, JaQuel Knight, and many more.
These are just a few of our highlights. Ask the community what Dancers Network means to them, and you may get a variety of answers! Some might mention our workshops, community events, or our online and in-person education. Others might highlight our Black Box conversations, where we tackled challenging industry topics. Our goal is to bring all of these initiatives back in a more sustainable way.
Despite all the great work we’ve done, the need for an organisation like ours has only grown, increasing our reach and reputation within the industry. This led Li Li to bring in Jack in 2023, with the intention of turning Dancers Network into a sustainable, scalable version of itself, while keeping our community of dance artists and our mission at the heart. Since then, we've been working hard on a rebrand, building and training a dedicated team of volunteers, and most importantly, initiating the first step of many in creating a membership offering that provides dance artists in the commercial dance industry with all the information and support they need—without breaking the bank.
In early 2025, we aim to launch phase 1 of this membership. We’ve been applying for funding far and wide, but currently, the entire project is being financed by the DN team. To deliver this initiative in the way the industry truly deserves—and, more importantly, needs—we’re asking for your support.
Any donated funds will go towards the essential running of the organisation, investment in our rebrand, and the launch of our phase 1 membership. For now, the team will continue to volunteer, as our priority is to get everything up and running for the community.
We welcome donations of any size and encourage you to only give what you’re comfortable with. We’re also open to more formal sponsorships and investment opportunities for larger contributions from individuals or organisations. If you’d like to discuss these opportunities further, or know someone who might be interested, please reach out to us at [email protected].
Community is at the heart of everything we do. We debated whether asking for help was the right step, or even one we wanted to take, but we’ve come this far thanks to your support and belief. We hope this message reaches those who understand our mission and might know someone who can help—because, as you know, sometimes it’s all about who you know!
The community is our strength, and we know that. Our mission has always been, and will continue to be, the elevation of standards for all dance artists in the commercial dance industry. We envision a world where labels, productions, casting, and agents operate within a regulated system that recognizes and treats dance artists as the professional athletes they are. This is the future we are committed to creating, and we hope you can help and join us along the way.