MA/PgDip Dance: Performance and Professional Practices

This course is a professionally focused course, co-designed and co-delivered with industry partner Joss Arnott Dance. You will explore dance performance in a ‘company model’: as a dancer in a small ensemble, you will work with a collection of international choreographers to co-produce a programme of new performance works. The student company will tour nationally under the artistic direction and guidance of Joss Arnott and a wider team of dance professionals.

You will not only focus on contemporary dance performance at the highest level, but also address the wider needs of the dance professional. As such, the course includes modules on teaching/pedagogy and small scale touring, widening your skills and knowledge for your portfolio career. You will be involved in the production and workshop delivery as part of the tour, equipping you with the skills, knowledge and experience to expand your professional opportunities upon graduation.

This prestigious and highly selective programme has industry collaboration at its very heart and mirrors working environments in the creative industries. Join us to expand yourself as a performer, an artist, a collaborator and a well-rounded dance professional in the thriving cultural scene in Salford and Manchester.

You will:

• Develop as a performer through opportunities to work with Joss Arnott and top international choreographers
• Enhance your ability as both a professional dancer and dance professional, developing your skills as a creative entrepreneur and enabling you to pursue a sustainable career in dance
• Be given the opportunity to immerse yourself in the vibrant arts and performance scene in Salford and Manchester, and expand your creative horizons in a national tour.

Teaching:

• As the course is highly practical in nature, you will be taught by a mixture of physical and practical methods. This includes practical demonstration in technique classes and rehearsal, with a mixture of verbal and embodied feedback given throughout.
• Modules are also supported by practical workshops, lectures, seminars and facilitated student discussion/debate. In many areas, theoretical or screened content is related directly to the students’ practical experiences to underpin their holistic development as dancers.
• You will also be supported by staff supervision in your own independent research projects. In these projects, student-centred approaches consider the individual’s chosen area of enquiry and combines instruction with guidance and feedback to support your personal development and exploration.

Assessment:

• Assessment on this course is done through a combination of formative and summative assessment, supporting and promoting the slow and ongoing nature of your personal development. There will also be formal means to present the outcome of your learning through writing, practical presentations and performances.
• You will be assessed through: performances (25%), portfolios of creative, reflective and analytical written work (25%), practical/creative presentations (17%), as well as essays (17%). Some ongoing assessment of the student’s process will also be considered (16%).