Dance

- Our course regularly appears in the Top 15 Choreography and Dance courses in the National Student Survey

- Dance achieved more than 90% overall satisfaction as rated by final-year undergraduate students in the 2018 National Student Survey

- Dancing is at the heart of the course – performing in commissioned choreographic works, touring repertoire with the University Dance Company and creating your own performance projects

- Regular technique classes allow you to build physical and performance skills, and interactive dialogic one-to-one feedback supports your individual progress

- Work with artists from internationally-recognised dance companies such as Protein Dance, ZooNation, Luke Brown Dance and Tavaziva Dance on choreographic projects

- Develop innovative practices through placements, performances and collaborations with groups such as Blue Apple Dance Theatre and Wessex Dance Academy

If you aim to create inspirational and innovative dance then this course is a fantastic place to start. It immerses you in a world of dance practices, artists and styles which empower you to become creative, critical and articulate within and beyond choreographic practice.

Studio experience and performance making are at the heart of our vibrant three-year programme. You learn dance in modern studios and performance spaces where you take regular physical skills classes each week. Throughout the programme you learn ways to integrate creative and physical approaches to dance with critical and reflective thinking to develop strong choreographic and performance skills.

You work independently and collaboratively in order to facilitate and produce performances with a clear artistic vision. The outcome is an enhanced understanding of contemporary dance and choreography, high-level practical dance skills and bountiful job prospects.

We have close links with regional and national theatres and dance organisations, companies and artists who provide the inside knowledge you need to get ahead in your career. There are opportunities to engage with talented professional dance artists, choreographers, facilitators and managers through work placements in local theatres and community projects and through your own ground-breaking performances hosted on campus. You can study abroad for a semester or visit and take classes at one of our American University partners.

In Year 1, you are introduced to choreography and performance, and the wider interdisciplinary artistic, cultural, social and historical contexts which underpin the study and practice of dance. You work with music and with the body as a source of creativity.

In Year 2, you extend your choreographic skills and explore collaborative processes through site, screen and broader interdisciplinary perspectives. A range of specialist performance practices are available to study as optional modules including Digital Performance and Puppetry and Object Manipulation.

In Year 3, you produce a self-choreographed performance, dance, movement or teaching investigation. Alternatively you can opt to work on a collaborative project with your peers. You take a vibrant module focused on cultural entrepreneurship and dance management, and you can audition for [email protected], the University’s hugely successful dance company that performs at leading events in theatres and arts centres.

Our course gives you the skills, experience and confidence to play your part in the creative economy. Graduates work as performers, dance facilitators, choreographers, administrators and teachers at established dance companies and in the theatre, arts and media industries. Others use skills from our Cultural Entrepreneurship module to found an independent dance or performance company. What are you waiting for? Break a leg!