MA Dance: Performance and Professional Practices

Program Overview

This intensive one-year MA program in Dance: Performance and Professional Practices combines performance training with professional development, preparing aspiring dance professionals for a well-rounded education. Students work with renowned choreographers, develop skills as creative entrepreneurs, and immerse themselves in the vibrant arts scene in Salford and Manchester. The program culminates in a portfolio of work and experience that can be used in a wider career in dance.

Program Outline

It combines performance training with professional development, addressing the needs of aspiring dance professionals for a well-rounded education. You will become part of the Emergence postgraduate dance company, working with internationally acclaimed choreographers to produce new performance work each year. The program mirrors working environments in the creative industries, preparing graduates for successful careers in the field.

Objectives:

• Develop as a performer through collaborations with renowned choreographers.
• Enhance your ability as both a professional dancer and dance professional, developing skills as a creative entrepreneur and enabling you to pursue a long-term career in dance.
• Immerse yourself in the vibrant arts and performance scene in Salford and Manchester, expanding your creative horizons with a national tour.
• Create a portfolio of work and experience that can be used in your wider career.

Description:

This program offers a unique blend of performance training, professional development, and industry collaboration. You will work with internationally acclaimed choreographers to create new pieces of repertory, refine your skills as a performer and ensemble member, and gain invaluable experience in the professional dance industry.

Outline:

Content:

The program curriculum covers performance development, choreography, practical workshops, lectures, seminars, and student-led discussions. You will refine your dance technique and performance skills, develop your choreographic and reflective skills, and gain insight into professional elements of the dance industry, including producing, teaching, and workshop design/delivery.

Structure:

• Semester One: Focuses on performance development, working with international choreographers to create new repertory and develop as a reflective artist.
• Semester Two: Shifts focus to rehearsal and development of the new works, refining the performance alongside honing your personal and ensemble development.
Additionally, you will choose one of two optional modules: Producing for Small and Mid-scale Touring or Teaching Strategy and Design in Dance.
• Semester Three: Dedicates to a self-directed individual or collaborative research project or dissertation focused on an area of exploration arising from your previous experience in the program.
This project culminates in a final presentation alongside a program of dance performances and events.

Course Schedule:

Classes are typically held four days per week, with additional times required during devising new works and when on tour. Classes take place at the Peel Park campus and New Adelphi in Maxwell.

Modules:

• Dance Repertory Development: Focuses on creating new repertory with international choreographers and developing your skills as a reflective artist.
• Personal and Ensemble Development: Refines existing works and premieres new repertory while focusing on personal and collaborative development as a dancer and collaborator.
• Approaches to Dance Pedagogy: Introduces contemporary perspectives on dance teaching and learning, expanding your knowledge of creative and physical techniques in dance workshop development and delivery.
• Producing for Small and Mid-scale Touring (Optional): Dives into the knowledge, skills, and professional context of producing and touring, covering funding, programming, logistical coordination, marketing, and audience development.
• Teaching Strategy and Design in Dance (Optional): Explores concepts and approaches central to dance teaching within a curriculum setting, considering curriculum design and creative and physical approaches to engage you with new skills and knowledge through dance.
• Practice-as-Research Project/Dissertation: Individual or collaborative research project focusing on an area of interest arising from your previous experience in the program.
• Dance Performance Practices: Integrates performance and professional practices involved in touring, offering practical experience alongside supporting production elements.

Assessment:

Assessment methods include formal and informal means, evaluating your practical work, creative processes, performance, and reflective and analytical writing. Specific focus lies on creative projects, workshop presentation, and performance skills within the professional context of a touring company.

Teaching:

The program is taught by experts in their field, including Joss Arnott (artist director of Joss Arnott Dance) and Debbie Milner (program leader). Professionals from the dance industry are frequently invited for guest lectures and workshops. The program utilizes a blend of approaches, including practical classes, rehearsals, workshops, lectures, seminars, and individual and group project work.

Careers:

Graduates secure employment in various capacities within the dance industry, including professional dance companies, freelance work, creative education, and arts administration. Examples of organizations where graduates have found success include:

• Dance Companies: Joss Arnott Dance, New Adventures, Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre, Beijing Dance Theatre, ACE Dance and Music, Company Chameleon, Lisa Simpson Dance, Tavaziva, Fallen Angels Dance Theatre, Springs Dance Company, Coalesce Dance Theatre, Kapow
• Educational Organizations: The Centre for Advanced Training, KTDanceworks, Ludus Dance, Yorkshire Dance Centre
Graduates have also established their own companies and received funding for their artistic endeavors. The program equips you with transferrable skills applicable to a variety of roles and industries, including presentation skills, research and evaluation skills, and project management.

Other:

• The program welcomes experienced dancers and professionals who have studied on a related undergraduate course.
• The application process includes an audition/interview and a personal statement.
• International students can submit a video showreel showcasing their dance technique and performance ability.
• An annual artist-in-residence scheme provides workshops, apprenticeships, and performance opportunities for students.
• Masterclasses hosted throughout the year expand your knowledge of the dance ecology and assist you in developing your career trajectory.
The next intake will be for September 2025.

| Type of study | Year | Fees | |---|---|---| | Full-time home | 2024/25 | £10,590.00 per year | | Full-time international | 2024/25 | £16,380.00 per year | | Full-time home | 2025/26 | £10,590.00 per year | | Full-time international | 2025/26 | £17,000.00 per year |