Vanessa Lefrançois

Vanessa Lefrançois is the new Executive Director of charity Dancers’ Career Development (DCD).

She succeeded Executive Director Jennifer Curry, who departed after 13 years in post.

Lefrançois is an arts and cultural consultant with 15 years’ experience as a freelance choreographer and director for opera, theatre, and dance companies. She has experience in senior roles including Joint Director and CEO of Oxford Playhouse, Artistic Director and CEO of Somerset-based Brewhouse Theatre and Arts Centre, and Director of Recreational & Prevocational Dance at The Place, London. She is also a trustee of South East Dance.

Lefrançois said she is “honoured” to lead DCD, and to “endorse its commitment to nurture an increasingly diverse spectrum of dance artists, across the UK”.

Congratulations Vanessa the DCD is celebrating its 50 year anniversary. How does that feel for you and the whole team?

Exciting and really busy!  We have enjoyed looking back at where DCD has come from and are really proud of the impact DCD has had on so many dancers’ lives.  We continue to shape our services to remain relevant to current and future generations of dancers, to enable and empower them to have agency over their careers.  The fact that after 50-years our services and support continue to be in such high-demand is testament to the vital work we do.

Dancers’ Career Development’s 50th anniversary has been the impetus for some really interesting strategic projects across the UK.  We have been extending our reach to better support dancers working in Hip Hop, commercial and South Asian dance through a series of specially curated events with inspirational speakers, performances, workshops and networking opportunities.  We have reconnected with many DCD supported dancers through our 50 Stories for 50 Years project (see #WhatNextWednesdays on instagram @dcd_dancers). 

And… we are about to premier a DCD film that shares the stories of five amazing former dancers – we can’t wait to share this with your readership!

What have been the greatest achievements of the DCD in the last 50 years?

DCD has awarded over 2,500 retraining grants, which means about 50 dancers each year have been supported by DCD to develop their careers in and outside the creative industries.  But what really resonates more than the numbers, are the human stories and the emails of appreciation from dancers who we have helped, when they needed us most. 

Now as we look around the dance sector, we see former dancers in leadership roles as Artistic Directors, CEOs and Principals of vocational dance schools.  Outside of the performing arts they are working in every profession imaginable: law, medicine, health and fitness, retail, film and television, horticulture, hospitality, finance, consultancy, veterinary, plumbing, event management – the list is endless and incredibly diverse.

The belief that DCD has in dancers often unlocks their potential, instils confidence and motivates them to fulfil their potential in the field of their choice.  This has got to be our greatest legacy!   

Vanessa, you worked as an arts and cultural consultant and you have a long experience as a freelance choreographer and director for opera, theatre, and dance companies. From your perspective what are the most important skills dancers need to succeed in the future after their dance career?

Dancers have a tremendous number of transferable skills and qualities.  I would say what they sometimes lack is belief in themselves, as they come from a profession where perfection and self-criticism frequently prevail.  An essential skill is adaptability, to understand their strengths and how they can be deployed in different professions.

When we work with dance students, we ask them what skills and strengths they already have. It’s fascinating to listen and watch them as they begin to realise how skilled they already are at this early stage in their career.  The mistake dancers make is assuming that their skills and attributes are common; they are not.  Dancers’ skills are highly valued by employers: determination, creativity, interpersonal skills, leadership, being quick learners, resilience, commitment and performance (to name but a few) make dancers incredible candidates, and also help them standout from the crowd. 

Dancers sometimes lack the awareness of their strengths, and the confidence to utilise their skills in different settings and industries – this is where DCD’s mentoring and coaching programmes really help dancers move their career forward, alongside the ample skills they already possess.   

Since you started as executive director of the DCD what have been the biggest challenges for you and how did you approach them?

Arriving on the cusp of the 50th anniversary was challenging, yet exciting. Getting to grips with the existing core programme, while running a series of additional 50th anniversary projects has been a juggling act at times. 

The other adjustment was to find the charity’s feet again, post the Covid-19 pandemic.  We are a small and relatively new team, who work remotely, so developing really good collaborative working practices and deciding how to prioritise our limited resources moving forward has been a big focus for the team. 

Ultimately, like the dancers we support, we need to always be thinking ‘what’s next’, and to be agile and adapt. We are in precarious times as a sector, country and world-wide – so being comfortable leading through uncertainty is essential. As we accept that flux is the new norm, we need to work out how best to respond and be the change we want for our sector.

How does your position as executive director of the DCD benefit from your experiences in senior roles (CEO of Oxford Playhouse, Artistic Director and CEO of Somerset-based Brewhouse Theatre and Arts Centre, and Director of Recreational & Prevocational Dance at The Place, London)?

Vastly.  Each role brings new learning, knowledge and experiences. I worked for many years as a dancer and choreographer, before moving into leadership roles, so DCD in someways is a homecoming and allows me to bring the different parts of my professional career together in one place. I see dancers that I was responsible for talent-spotting years ago, as artists in residence at major venues like Sadler’s Wells or dancing in the West End. Some of these dancers, who I have known from a young age, are now turning to DCD, to support their own career transition into a different role. 

Having been a professional dancer, who retrained in business management, I fully appreciate what dancers face when they make the decision to retire and pursue a new career. It is tough, but ultimately rewarding, and always an adventure!

What are the plans for the next 50 years of  DCD?

To be more ambitious for dancers’ futures…

Strategic partnerships within the performing arts, and across multiple different industries, is a big focus. We want to be able to expand dancers’ thinking about the huge number of career possibilities available to them, to enable them to realise their potential and exceed in whatever they elect to do.

Another focus is digital: building resources that dancers can access 24/7 wherever they are in the world, to support their personal and professional development.

Underpinning all of this is raising more funds so that we don’t limit dancers’ ambitions, by not being able to financially support them to realise their dream career!

The interview was conducted by Monika Gugganig