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 beyond, and including, theatre performance. 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.
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
Here are examples of the modules:
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.
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.
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.
This choreography and performance programme is designed for experienced professional dance and performance practitioners to understand practice as a form of research.
Deepen your choreographic or performance practice through studio-based enquiry and research informed by contemporary theoretical concerns. This programme has a flexible and supportive approach which makes it possible for you to strengthen your professional practices whilst working towards a higher degree.
'Practice as research' is a growing area for experienced dance artists, choreographers and performers who want to deepen their practice and strengthen their profile. Run by leading artist-scholars, the course supports enquiry through studio practice and research informed by contemporary theoretical concerns. You will be supported in the development and presentation of a comprehensive choreographic and/or performance portfolio. You will also gain a range of reflective and critical skills including writing and documentation strategies, advanced dramaturgy, and the capacity to understand and articulate your work and interests in broader political, cultural and artistic frameworks.
The Department is home to the internationally-recognised Centre for Dance Research, which foregrounds the research of dance as cultural and artistic expression beyond, and including, theatre performance. Through seminars, forums and conferences involving staff and international 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.
You will take the compulsory research methods module Ways of Knowing and one compulsory programme core module and there is flexibility built into the programme to modules that suit your interests.
In Ways of Knowing, a module shared with students of all dance postgraduate taught programmes, you will be introduced to research methods, including ethnography, dance analysis, and practice-as-research.
In Portfolio, you will independently led practice-as-research project that allows you to practice, think, reflect, articulate and present your ideas and independent research.
Modules
Here are examples of the modules:
This course offers professional development for independent artists and choreographers. Some graduates follow careers in research, teaching and or go onto further academic study such as a practice-led PhD.
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.
Choreomundus is an Erasmus Mundus programme that investigates dance and other movement systems (ritual practices, martial arts, games and physical theatre) as intangible cultural heritage. To apply, please visit the website.
It is offered by a consortium of four universities (in Norway, France, Hungary and the UK) recognised for their leadership in the development of innovative curricula for the analysis of dance. The Choreomundus programme will help you make sense of intangible heritage within the post-colonial culturally diverse world of the 21st century. The programme will help you develop an appreciation of dance that is comparative, cross-cultural, applied and embodied.
The universities that participate in this programme are Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim (NTNU) as the coordinating institution Plaise Pascal University (UBP), Clermont-Ferrand, France, Scientific University of Szeged, Hungary (SZTE), University of Roehampton, London, UK (URL), in connection with their groundbreaking Masters in ethnochoreology/dance anthropology, led respectively by Professors Egil Bakka, Georgiana Wierre-Gore, László Felföldi, and Andrée Grau.
The Department is home to the internationally-recognised Centre for Dance Research, which foregrounds the research of dance as cultural and artistic expression beyond, and including, theatre performance. 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.
In the first semester all students start in Norway for an induction and an intensive course. For the rest of the first academic year, they are divided between NTNU Trondheim and UBP Clermont-Ferrand, and then spend their third semester in Hungary, and the fourth and final semester at the University of Roehampton. Students who successfully complete the programme will be awarded a joint Masters degree from all four universities.
Modules
This course prepares graduates for employment in the cultural, heritage and tourist industries including festival and museums, as well as in educational contexts dealing with cultural transmission at local, regional and national levels.
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 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…
It will give you…
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.
The MA Somatic Practices by Independent Research focuses on the study of somatic practices and somatically informed movement practices in a contemporary and historical context.
It offers practitioners a means of validating and accrediting their prior experience and professional training and an opportunity to develop and deepen critical understanding of specific somatic practices and how to conduct somatically informed research.
The programme will enable you to analyse, critique and articulate your somatic and/or movement practice in relation to current industry practices, protocols and conventions and situate your work within the U.K, European and North American field of somatics.
It offers practitioners a means of validating and accrediting their prior experience and professional training and an opportunity to develop and deepen their critical understanding of specific somatic practices and how to conduct somatically informed research.
In particular, the programme provides you with opportunities for developing an understanding of individual practice in relation to current trends, practices and opportunities within the wider fields of somatic and somatically informed movement practices.
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 practitioner with 3 or more years of professional practice and/or a diploma in a somatic practice such as Integrative Bodywork and Movement Therapy (IBMT), Body-Mind Centreing, Somatic Experiencing, Feldenkrais Technique, Alexander Technique, Tamalpa Practice, Yoga, Skinner Releasing Technique.
It will offer you …
You will develop skills in…
It will give you…
This course consists of 2 modules. Prior to beginning the course you will have your prior professional learning accredited. This is done through an interview, the submission of a professional portfolio and an essay (for more details see ‘how to apply’ below).
Module 1: Somatically-informed Research Methodologies
Aims: This module aims to provide students with:
Module 2: Somatic Practices Dissertation
Aims: This module aims to provide students with the opportunity to:
Assessed through a portfolio of prior work/training, the completion of a Research Methodologies module (30 credits) and a Dissertation module (60 credits), the programme addresses the needs of mature learners and professional movement practitioners who seek to extend and develop their professional learning through Masters study.
The M.A Somatic Practices 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 professional training and practice through accreditation of prior standing and through the completion of a Research methodologies module and through the completion of a Dissertation project developed through independent study.
The programme will be of interest to those who have completed professional training existing outside Higher Education (examples of such trainings in the UK and internationally include: Body-Mind CenteringÒ, Integrative Bodywork and Movement Therapy, Feldenkrais, Alexander, Skinner Releasing Technique) who seek flexibility of study.
The research methodologies module can be delivered in concert with the current MA Reflective Practice module and/or as a stand-alone module with flexible delivery (online, weekends, summer). Dissertation supervision will draw on existing staff research expertise and are normally delivered through a combination of face-to face tutorials, Skype, and email correspondence.
Register for the launch on Monday 26 March
MA Live Art is a specialised programme of taught postgraduate study led by research leaders, industry professionals, and high-profile artists. Graduates will gain theoretical and practical grounding in histories and practices of Live Art, while developing professional capacities and networks. The programme is convened by the Drama Department at QMUL in collaboration with LADA, a centre for Live Art advocacy, preservation and programming.
MA Live Art is the first programme of its kind, and will support research and practice in performance art, time-based art, site-specific performance, relational and intimate performance, durational performance, and other experimental practices. Students will engage with and make performance in dialogue with genealogies of visual art and/or experimental theatre in the twentieth century. They will be enabled to understand, challenge and make Live Art as a technology for intervening in the most pressing issues of our time: of gender, sexual, racial or class identity; of the potential for protest, direct action, and environmental and social justice; and of theoretical investigations concerning the body, time, space, subjectivity, documentation and communication.
Students will learn through studio-based and discussion-led methods, through workshops, lectures, master classes, seminars, fieldwork and professional placements. The programme of study can be taken either full time (1 year) or part time (2 years). Students on the programme will have access to QMUL’s full research and support services, as well as to LADA’s Study Room, which includes an archive of 7,000+ items.
