Programme Content
Year 1: The Physical Body
You develop your technical body through regular jazz, ballet and contemporary dance classes and have weekly classes in tap. Early on, your body is diagnosed to help you work to the best of your physical potential and minimise injury.
Throughout the year, you study the fundamentals of choreography and dance fusions, which keeps evolving to reflect the latest trends in commercial dance. It includes cross-cultural styles (for instance: locking and popping, flamenco, African dance, hip-hop), street dance and combined art forms, plus aspects of today’s West End. You also take fundamental acting and singing classes.
At least once a term, you participate in an informal sharing of work to gain performance experience. The year culminates with an in-house performance in one of our theatres. You will learn about the context of the dance world and undertake professional development. Both will help you develop a critical eye for dance and understand collaboration.
Year 2: The Versatile Performer
Your physical mastery of technique in jazz, ballet and contemporary increases through higher levels of difficulty and your tap classes continue. Dance fusions heightens skills in various dance styles. Classes to enhance your secondary skills in acting and singing continue and are complemented by musical theatre classes.
The Performance Project offers you experience in working alongside musicians, designers and technicians towards a major performance. Your understanding of context and professional work continues to complement the practical and performance activities.
Year 3: The Professional
By the end of this year, you are ready to work as a dancer. Building upon the professional standard of technical excellence, you will be at your physical peak and ready to deal with various audition scenarios. External professionals provide up to date industry advice on developing quality portfolios for agents and choreographers. The final part of context study encourages you to explore elements of your own research through practice, investigating your professional interests in dance and related performance. You have a range of performance opportunities for both internal and external audiences, including showcase opportunities for industry professionals. These shows are often contributed to by some of today’s most talked about choreographers. By now, you will be putting your professional plan into action so, as well as being ready to go out and find work, you will be equipped to create work for yourself.
Teaching and Assessment
Our dance degree has approximately 16 hours of dance technique per week, in addition to classes in acting and singing technique, contextual studies and professional development. The majority of technique classes are held in dance studios in our Hope Street facility. You are continually assessed in practical classes with a final presentation of work at the end of practical modules. Feedback is provided in daily classes and after each term ends. Performance projects are choreographed by our staff and, in the later stages of the programme, by professionals currently working in the field. You will be required to write essays, reports, evaluations and critical reflections as well as a longer investigation in your last year.