Masters degrees in Ballet offer advanced training in the history, influences and techniques of Ballet dancing, including pointe, and choreography such as solo, pas de deux and repertory theatre.
Taught MA courses are typical for the field, with some being more research-intensive than others. Entry requirements normally include an appropriate undergraduate degree, such as Dance or Performance studies.
The MA performers route is led by mapdance company Artistic Directors, Yael Flexer and Detta Howe.
Working intensively with international guest choreographers, students develop their technical and performance skills and deepen understanding of the creative process through experiencing varied choreographic methodologies and artistic approaches.
mapdance operates as a professional company with daily technique classes and rehearsals. From mid-February to May, the company tours nationally and internationally whilst also offering educational workshops.
The 2017/18 Repertory includes new commissions and from Niv Sheinfeld and Oren Laor, Laila Diallo, Helen Parlor and Laura Aris.
The Techniques for Performance module accompanying the repertory module (and compulsory for performers route) focuses on excellence in contemporary dance performance involving daily technical training in various dance techniques including release and contemporary techniques, contact improvisation, pilates and Ballet work. This module normally runs autumn and spring semesters.
The MA Performance Dance operates in the context of a professional performance programme and a series of presentations by visiting artists and researchers.
Guest lecturers on the MA have included practitioners and curators all working at the edges of dance research.
There are also opportunities to engage in cutting-edge research with interactive technologies or to market yourself professionally as an artist using DVD and website technologies.
Over the past few years, we’ve redeveloped both of our campuses so that you have the best facilities available for your degree. We pride ourselves on the quality of the learning environment we can offer our students.
At the Bishop Otter campus there is an integrated approach to the provision of learning resources and support. We offer a substantial collection of books, journals and other materials to help you further your research. A range of study areas for group and quiet study including Wi-Fi areas for laptop use are available, or you can use our open access PC and Mac areas. We use an electronic learning environment with an expanding portfolio of online library resources from anywhere at any time.
The Learning Resource is the hub of the learning environment. It has two upper floors of library resources, one for silent study and one for quiet study, both of which have recently been refurbished. On the ground floor, you’ll find the Support and Information Zone, Media Centre, Otter Gallery, Costa Coffee and a variety of IT resources.
The Bishop Otter LRC also offers:
Dance students have the use of four dance studios, a fully equipped 250-seat theatre and a 110-seat studio theatre.
This course is suitable for you if you are a recent graduate or a dance artist who wishes to extend their technical and performance skills (and have completed a recognised BA degree).
It will offer you …
You will develop skills in…
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There are opportunities to engage with cutting edge research into interactive technologies and to market yourself professionally as an artist using DVD and website technologies.
The MA in performance includes three core modules: Repertory, Techniques for Performance and Dissertation plus one optional module.
The postgraduate diploma includes two core modules: Repertory and Techniques for Performance and an optional module.
Repertory Module:
The repertory module: mapdance encompasses intensive creation periods with international guest choreographer. Students develop their technical and performance skills and deepen understanding of the creative process through experiencing varied choreographic methodologies and artistic approaches. Operating as a professional company with daily technique classes and rehearsals, the creation periods begin in Sept through to February. From mid-February to May, the company tours nationally and internationally whilst also offering educational workshops.
Techniques for Performance Module:
The Techniques for Performance module accompanying the repertory module (and compulsory for performers route) focuses on excellence in contemporary dance performance involving daily technical training in various dance techniques including release and contemporary techniques, contact improvisation, Pilates and Ballet work. This module normally runs autumn and spring semesters.
Assessment on the MA performers route is based on three core modules, Repertory (60 credits), Techniques for Performance (30 credits) and Dissertation (60 credits) plus one optional module (30 credits).
Assessment on the postgraduate diploma performers route is based on two core modules, Repertory (60 credits), Techniques for Performance (30 credits) and one optional module.
Assessment Techniques for Performance is continuous, that is process based.
Similarly the Repertory module is continuously assessed however the assessment is comprised by marks given by guest choreographers during the creation process and marks given by both Artistic Directors in rehearsal and on tour assessing both process and performance.
Whether you are an established choreographer intent on refining and hot-housing your practice, a dance artist looking to retrain or a recent graduate from a performance-related subject, this course will give you the opportunity to find new and innovative ways to produce exciting choreography.
A range of modules will enable you to create a bespoke programme of study through which you will explore your artistic interests and make several new pieces of choreography. You will engage with the latest academic research and insights and learn how to apply this to real-world situations, developing the skills to respond to a brief, curate inventive work for festivals and events, and to collaborate on or initiate interdisciplinary and experimental projects.
You will explore traditional and alternative settings for dance and performance, from the studio and theatre to galleries and museums. You will have the opportunity to work with community groups, using participatory, immersive and specialised collaborative approaches to develop new choreographic methods.
You will share ideas and experiences with fellow students from a range of backgrounds, collaborating, critiquing and engaging with each other's choreographic identity.
Leeds Dance Partnership
We are members of the Leeds Dance Partnership. The partnership has a vision for Leeds to become an international centre for dance. The other members are Northern Ballet, Yorkshire Dance, Phoenix Dance Theatre, Balbir Singh Dance Company, Gary Clarke Company, ProDanceLeeds, DAZL, RJC Dance, Northern School of Contemporary Dance, Leeds City College and West Yorkshire Playhouse. The School of Film, Music & Performing Arts is leading on research for the partnership, coordinated by Senior Lecturer in Dance, Rachel Krische. Find out more about the partnership on the Northern Ballet website.
You will be taught by a small, dedicated dance team of industry professionals who perform, create and write alongside teaching. They are engaged with leading choreographers, dance companies and festivals nationally and internationally, and their insights will feed into your learning. Professional curators, producers, choreographers and dramaturgs will be invited to share their experiences and inspire your learning.
You will have access to our dance studios at Headingley Campus and black box spaces at City Campus, as well as studios at Northern Ballet and Yorkshire Dance. All of these spaces are of a professional standard and will allow you to explore working in a range of settings and atmospheres. We will also encourage you to explore alternative spaces such as galleries, museums and the outdoors as venues for your work.
Your career opportunities will be varied and personal to your ambitions as a choreographer. You could go on to further develop your specialism and find your identity as a professional choreographer, work as an independent artist leading your own work or responding to commissions, or you could become the artistic director of a company. Your course will also prepare you to lead on community projects or take up roles such as festival programmer or festival producer. You could also work as a dance critic or movement director.
The MA Dance provides an insight into contemporary debates about and trends in dance/performance practice and will enhance your sophisticated understanding of dance/performance conventions.
You will have the opportunity to achieve a range of subject-specific outcomes, through acquiring an advanced knowledge of concepts, problems and traditions in dance and a capacity to apply that knowledge in a range of professional contexts. You will develop and apply advanced critical thinking skills and higher-level transferable skills essential for career enhancement.
You will study a range of subject specific modules including areas of somatic practice, cultural studies, professional practice, contextual studies and Advanced Research Methods through tutor-led, student-led, and self-directed study.
Reflective personal development practices are encouraged throughout the duration of the course, which will help you to monitor your progress.
Learning will take place through practical dance classes, workshops, practical classes, studio-based practice, screenings, lectures, discussions (both online and in class), seminars, and tutorials.
You will receive support for your learning from: your personal tutor, the Dance subject librarian, the Dance department technician, the Dance department administrator, departmental careers support (especially in relation to teaching, post-graduate study in a range of areas, and freelance dance work).
The course includes practical as well as academic study and builds on the international reputations and expertise of staff in dance practice, dance history, cultural studies and dance science.
There will be opportunities for interaction with postgraduate students in other performing arts subjects with practice-based work.
Our state-of-the-art performing arts and learning centre; The Performance Hub, opened in 2011 and is the home for all of our performance courses. The state-of–the-art facilities in the hub will give you experience of excellent dance studios and theatre/performance spaces, mac computer suites, professional level recording studios and lighting equipment. It boasts two bespoke dance studios, with sprung floors, mirrored wall and equipment for sound and lighting requirements.
This course will enhance graduates’ opportunities across a range of employment in the arts and related fields, rather than a specific career path, since dance is applicable in a wide variety of contexts in the arts at all levels of society. For example, school teachers will be qualified for posts in Further and Higher Education, in addition to gaining a qualification to enhance their prospects in their current institutional base; freelance artists will have additional skills and techniques to offer in the arena of arts projects in schools, theatre educational outreach work and community arts; practitioners will have a deeper understanding of their craft and a qualification recognized by FE and HE establishments.
At the end of this course you, the student, will be able to:
1. demonstrate a systematic understanding of the field of dance, and a critical awareness of current problems and/or new insights at the forefront of their academic discipline
2. apply a comprehensive range of techniques relevant to your own research, scholarship and practice
3. apply knowledge in original ways, together with an understanding of how established techniques of research and practice are used to create and interpret knowledge in dance
4. evaluate critically current practice, research and advanced scholarship in dance
5. deal with complex issues both systematically and creatively, make sound judgements in the absence of complete data, and communicate your conclusions clearly to specialist and non-specialist audiences
6. demonstrate self-direction and originality in tackling and solving problems, and act autonomously in planning and implementing tasks at a professional or equivalent level
The M.A Choreography by Independent Research degree offers Higher Education study to professionals who may not wish to engage with a taught programme of study but seek to validate their independent choreographic research through accreditation of prior standing and through the completion of a Reflective practice module (this can be taught flexible through evening and or weekend sessions) and a Dissertation project.
The programme will be of interest to established and mid-career artists both regionally, nationally and internationally for whom flexibility of study is of key importance.
A portfolio needs to be presented along with your application form and references. This should consist of the following (as an indication):
Your prior experience (prior standing) as a dance maker will be assessed through the submission of a portfolio and a written essay. The portfolio will be in the form of an extended curriculum vitae with supplementary materials (i.e video evidences, reviews, images, web site and or digital archive materials) that evidence the following:
1.The Portfolio will include:
Three years of professional choreographic experience
Evidence of choreographic productions/presentations
Evidence of funding/commissions from recognizable industry bodies (i.e. ACE, Welcome, Leverhulme, Nesta etc.)
Evidence of engagement with Continuing Professional Development opportunities
Evidence of professional reviews/endorsements of your work
Link to website and or online examples of dance works
2. The Written essay will include:
A written draft proposal for a possible choreographic research project of at least 1,500 words and should include Harvard Referencing and a full bibliography.
At Chichester, we teach in small groups and pride ourselves on the quality of the learning environment we have created for our students. The Dance courses are delivered on our Bishop Otter Campus where the Learning Resource Centre (LRC) is the hub of your learning environment. It has two upper floors of library resources with dedicated areas for silent work or group study, while on the ground floor you will find the Support and Information Zone, Media Centre, Otter Gallery, Costa Coffee and a variety of IT resources. There are over 130 open access PC workstations, 45 Apple IMacs and ample printing and media facilities. A state-of-the-art wireless network offers fast internet as well as access to all our online resources. You will also have a dedicated subject librarian who will be available to help you access all the library resources you need for your course, both on the shelves and online.
Our Dance facilities include four superb dance studios, a fully equipped 250-seat theatre and a 110-seat studio theatre.
The MA in Choreography and Professional Practices will equip you for a range of careers in choreography, performing arts, dance development, arts administration, performance, teaching or dance research.
It will also prepare you for further study i.e. PhD or professionally-related qualifications.
Through the assessment and accreditation of professional experience assessed through portfolio presentation and the completion of a Reflective Practice (30 credits) and a Dissertation module (60 credits), the programme addresses the needs of mature learners and professional dance artists who seek to extend and develop their choreographic practice and professional learning through Masters study.
Assessment of prior standing will be achieved through the presentation of portfolio material and through a formal lecture-demonstration presentation (this can be live on BOC campus or via a video or web link). Dissertation supervision will draw on existing staff research expertise and can be delivered through a combination of face-to face tutorials, Skype, and email correspondence.
The MA Dance Masters by Research enables students to develop their own research interests and, supported by tutors design a programme of dance research that addresses specific areas of interest, as an example, projects might explore areas such as; Dance and Postmodernism, Community Dance Practice, Dance in Education, Popular Dance, Site-Specific Dance Practices, Dance and technology, Dance Film, Dance and Interdisciplinary Arts Practices, Dance History, Dance and Politics.
Guest lecturers on the MA include scholars, practitioners and curators all working in innovative areas of dance research.
Our dance facilities include four superb dance studios, a fully-equipped 250-seat theatre and a 110-seat studio theatre. In addition, there is a newly refurbished large gymnasium space together with two new sprung-floor spaces in the new academic building. Our students will use the facilities within our dance technical team to enhance their understanding of scenography, sound and cameras, and the editing suites to support their choreography and creative practice situated in the Learning and Information Zone of the library.
Over the past few years, we’ve redeveloped both of our campuses so that you have the best facilities available for your degree. We pride ourselves on the quality of the learning environment we can offer our students.
At the Bishop Otter campus there is an integrated approach to the provision of learning resources and support. We offer a substantial collection of books, journals and other materials to help you further your research. A range of study areas for group and quiet study including Wi-Fi areas for laptop use are available, or you can use our open access PC and Mac areas. We use an electronic learning environment with an expanding portfolio of online library resources from anywhere at any time.
The Learning Resource is the hub of the learning environment. It has two upper floors of library resources, one for silent study and one for quiet study, both of which have recently been refurbished. On the ground floor, you’ll find the Support and Information Zone, Media Centre, Otter Gallery, Costa Coffee and a variety of IT resources.
The Bishop Otter LRC also offers:
This course is suitable for you if you are a dance / arts professional, teacher, recent graduate or a dance artist who wishes to extend their research skills.
It will offer you …
You will develop skills in…
It will give you…
Core modules
Independent Research Project module:
Your research skills will be facilitated through the formulation and realisation of a self-directed research project in broadly based dance practices, which underpin the MA programme. You will be expected to contextualise your work in the light of contemporary developments in dance research.
Dissertation module:
The Dissertation emphasises independent research where you select an area of investigation with the advice of tutors. This may arise from earlier modules studied on the degree. The research may focus on performance practice, professional practice (i.e. teaching and community dance practices) applied critical, historical or epistemological issues.
Optional modules
In addition to the two core modules, students are required to select two optional modules, these normally include options such as; Artist as Producer, Pedagogical Skills, Body in Site, Dance Writing and Criticism, Performing Politics.
Assessment for this programme employs various methods chosen as the most appropriate for demonstrating achievement of the learning outcomes for each module. All modules are assessed by means of programme work in the form of essays, practical choreography presentations, ,reports, presentations, learning journals, portfolios, online tasks and group working.
Learning is assessed using various methods chosen as the most appropriate for demonstrating achievement of the learning outcomes for each module.
All modules are assessed by means of programme work in the form of practical choreography presentations, essays, reports, presentations, learning journals, portfolios, online tasks and group working.
