Choreography - MFA

• An impressive, national and global reputation which attracts students and dance artists from all over the world.
• Study with artists and teachers with a wealth and range of choreographic experience.
• We have established connections with dance companies and creative organisations in London and internationally.
• Flexibility to choose your pathway in the second year to suit your interests
• Roehampton is rated No. 1 for dance research in the UK (Research Excellence Framework 2014).

Summary

Develop your choreographic identity over two full years as part of a creative, collaborative and supportive environment.

As an emerging or experienced choreographer, this course will help you refine your artistic practice by advancing your creative, technical and performance skills. The programme includes technique classes, choreography workshops, laboratory sessions, dialogue, writing and reflection. You will be encouraged to experiment and take risks in a series of self-directed choreographic projects that help you develop a portfolio of work.

You will be supported by the mentorship and teaching of experienced staff in our modern studios and well-equipped performance theatre. Study with highly experienced in-house and visiting artists and tutors alongside a creative community of peers.

The Department is home to the internationally-recognised Centre for Dance Research, which foregrounds the research of dance as cultural and artistic expression as theatre performance and beyond. Through seminars, forums and conferences involving staff and international invited guests, the Centre supports a compelling research culture.

We also have excellent links with dance companies and creative organisations. In easy reach of London’s vibrant dance scene, the campus has superb studios and a state-of-the-art theatre for dance students.

Content

In year one, you will take the compulsory taught module, Ways of Knowing, shared with two compulsory programme specific modules (Choreography and Dance Practice) which are both year-long. In Ways of Knowing, you will be introduced to research methods, including ethnography, dance analysis and practice-as-research. Choreography uses a collaborative and constructive laboratory environment to enable you to interrogate your existing choreographic practice. Dance Practice provides a framework for you to explore movement potential using a variety of approaches and techniques.

In year two, there is flexibility to choose between modules to suit your interests alongside your core module called Choreographic Thesis. In this module, you will have an independent choreographic vision using original research which is underpinned by tutorials, peer review and open rehearsals.

Modules

Research method modules:

• Ways of Knowing

Programme core modules:

• Choreography
• Dance Practice

Optional modules:

• Project
• Anthropology of Dance
• Politics and Sociology of Dance
• Music and Dance
• The Performance of Heritage: Dance in Museums, Galleries and Historic Sites
• Classicism and Power
• Mediated Choreography
• People Moving, People Dancing
• History, Philosophy and Dance
• Applied Lighting Design and Production for Dance

Independent research module:

• Choreographic Thesis

Compulsory and Required modules

Compulsory and/or required modules may change when we review and update programmes. Above is a list of modules offered this academic year.

Optional modules

Optional modules, when offered as part of a programme, may vary from year to year and are subject to viability.

Career prospects

Graduates from this programme can be found working as independent artists in London, Berlin and New York; presenting their work at a number of venues in London and at the Edinburgh and Stockholm Fringe Festivals; teaching in higher education in the UK and abroad; and curating programmes and events for dance artists across Europe.

Visit the Choreography - MFA page on the University of Roehampton website for more details!