IDO and Alma Mater Europaea – Dance Academy Open a New Chapter in Professional Dance Education

The International Dance Organization (IDO), in cooperation with Alma Mater Europaea – Dance Academy, is launching the Certified IDO Dance Coach Micro-Credential, creating a new educational pathway for the international IDO dance community.

Under the message “From Experience to Professional Expertise,” the programme aims to connect the extensive practical knowledge of dancers and coaches with structured academic education and professional recognition.

But what does this cooperation mean for IDO? Why is education becoming increasingly important for dance professionals, and could this programme represent the beginning of a broader educational future for the organisation?

We spoke with IDO President Prof. Dr. Velibor Srdić about the vision behind the initiative, the importance of investing in coaches and the long-term impact this cooperation could have on dancers and the entire IDO community.

IDO and Alma Mater Europaea – Dance Academy are launching the Certified IDO Dance Coach Micro-Credential. Why is this cooperation important for IDO?

Prof. Dr. Velibor Srdić:
This cooperation is an important milestone for IDO coaches and the wider IDO community.

IDO has unique disciplines, standards, knowledge and traditions that deserve formal recognition within an educational framework.

For IDO, this means raising professional standards, strengthening the quality of coaching and investing in the people who shape the next generation of dancers. We are not simply creating a certificate — we are creating a stronger foundation for the future of coaching within IDO.

What was the main idea behind creating an educational programme specifically connected to the IDO dance community?

Prof. Dr. Velibor Srdić:
The idea was to create a unified educational pathway for coaches across all three IDO departments, combining common professional standards with the expertise of qualified educators.

Many dance professionals have years of experience but limited opportunities for formal education. This programme gives that experience a professional framework, allowing existing knowledge to be recognised while providing new knowledge that can be immediately applied in practice.

In this sense, it creates a bridge between experience and education.

IDO brings together dancers, coaches, teachers and choreographers from around the world. Why is structured education becoming increasingly important for today’s dance professionals?

Prof. Dr. Velibor Srdić:
Dance is increasingly recognised as a profession, and coaches play a central role in the development of dancers.

Until now, dancers and organisations have had established systems of recognition within IDO, while coaches have had fewer opportunities for formal professional recognition.

Education gives coaches the opportunity to systematise their knowledge, develop new competencies and continue their professional journey. By educating coaches, we are investing directly in the quality and future of the entire dance community.

The programme carries the message “From Experience to Professional Expertise.” What does this mean from the perspective of IDO?

Prof. Dr. Velibor Srdić:
Behind every experienced dancer or coach are years of training, dedication and practical knowledge. That experience is extremely valuable, but it deserves to be recognised, structured and developed further.

“From Experience to Professional Expertise” is about transforming what people have learned through years of practice into recognised professional competence.

It is also about continuity. Knowledge should not end with one generation; it should be transferred to the young dancers who are coming next.

For IDO, this is a bridge between experience and recognition, between generations and between passion for dance and a sustainable professional future.

Many IDO coaches have years or even decades of practical experience. How can academic education complement this experience and help them develop further?

Prof. Dr. Velibor Srdić:
Experience is an essential foundation, particularly experience as a dancer, but coaching is a different profession from performing.

Academic education does not replace experience — it gives it structure and adds knowledge that helps coaches communicate, make informed decisions and understand the responsibilities of their professional role.

It opens another door in a dancer’s career: the transition from knowing how to dance to understanding how to develop others.

The programme goes beyond dance technique and includes anatomy, physical preparation, injury prevention, nutrition, psychology, communication, methodology and professional ethics. Why is this broader approach important for the modern dance coach?

Prof. Dr. Velibor Srdić:
A coach works with a human being, not simply with a body performing movements. A dancer’s body is their instrument, so knowledge of anatomy, biomechanics, physical preparation and injury prevention is fundamental.

But development is also psychological and social. Many of the young people we work with are going through pre-puberty, puberty or adolescence — periods of intense physical and emotional change. Understanding psychology, communication and pedagogy is therefore essential.

Training must challenge dancers without compromising their health or well-being. Children may love dance and spend many hours in the studio, but they must still have time to play, socialise, be with their families and simply be children.

That is why the coach is much more than a technical specialist. The coach is an educator, communicator, mentor and responsible professional. The dancer must always be understood as a bio-psycho-social human being.

Participants can specialise in Performing Arts Dance, Street Dance or Couple Dance. How important was it to create an educational programme reflecting the diversity of IDO?

Prof. Dr. Velibor Srdić:
It was essential.

Performing Arts Dance, Street Dance and Couple Dance have different techniques, movement principles and training demands, so coaches need both discipline-specific knowledge and a common professional foundation.

The programme brings these two dimensions together: diversity in dance, united by common standards of professional excellence.

What does cooperation with Alma Mater Europaea bring to IDO’s broader ambitions in education and professional development?

Prof. Dr. Velibor Srdić:
This partnership represents important institutional recognition for IDO and its accumulated experience, knowledge and tradition.

At the same time, Alma Mater Europaea provides an academic environment and opportunities for formal education.

I see this as a genuine symbiosis of practice and science: IDO brings the reality and experience of the dance world, while Alma Mater Europaea brings academic expertise and educational standards.

Together, we can create something that is both academically sound and relevant to the real needs of dance professionals.

Do you see the Certified IDO Dance Coach Micro-Credential as the beginning of a wider educational development within IDO?

Prof. Dr. Velibor Srdić:
Absolutely. I see it as a beginning rather than an end.

Time will show how visionary we were in recognising education as an important part of IDO’s future.

I hope this first step will lead to new educational opportunities and a broader culture of professional development and lifelong learning within our community.

How can investing in the education of coaches ultimately improve the experience and development of dancers themselves?

Prof. Dr. Velibor Srdić:
The quality of a dancer’s development is closely connected to the quality of the person guiding that development.

By systematising the knowledge and experience of dance professionals and giving it a strong educational foundation, we give coaches better tools to understand, guide and support dancers.

Investing in coaches is therefore a direct investment in dancers — in their development, health, confidence and future achievements.

What are your expectations for the first generation of Certified IDO Dance Coaches beginning their studies in January 2027?

Prof. Dr. Velibor Srdić:
The programme has already attracted considerable interest, and we expect a strong response from the IDO community.

I hope the first generation will not only benefit from the programme but also help shape its future. Their experience can become the foundation for new ideas and further development.

Finally, what would you say to an IDO dancer, teacher, coach or choreographer who is considering applying for the programme?

Prof. Dr. Velibor Srdić:
Take the opportunity to learn and invest in yourself.

Knowledge is an investment in the future. Your experience is valuable, but education can give it recognition, structure and new possibilities.

The qualification you gain may open doors you do not even know exist yet.

So keep learning, keep growing and keep the doors to your future open.

The Certified IDO Dance Coach Micro-Credential will welcome its first generation of participants in January 2027, marking an important new chapter in the cooperation between the International Dance Organization and Alma Mater Europaea – Dance Academy and in IDO’s wider commitment to education and professional development.

#IDOWorldDance