Explore choreographic research methods while developing and promoting your own artistic voice

Are you looking for a qualification to equip you for a range of careers in choreography, performing arts, dance development, arts administration, performance, teaching or dance research? Or are you interested in a postgraduate course to prepare you for further study such as a PhD or professionally-related qualification?

If you enjoy problem-solving, creative thinking, engaging in debate and independent and group work, then this course is for you.

This MA Choreography and Professional Practice course explores choreography, improvisation, devising and experimentation, professional and artistic development and portfolio working. You will have opportunities to network with industry professionals and improve your portfolio as you study.

You will be challenged to explore your practice and examine your working methods as a dance-maker. This course will introduce you to choreographic research methods and strategies for documenting live performance practice and promoting your work.

There will be opportunities to pursue live performance practices as a choreographer, consider your work in relation to the wider field of professional contemporary dance practice, develop your artistic voice and explore single discipline or interdisciplinary practice-based projects involving choreography, performance, fine art, music and installation.

You will lead projects and focus on topics that interest you in performance making as you explore and expand on your existing choreographic practice in a dynamic research environment. You will examine innovative and experimental approaches to choreographic practice, research and scholarship, and discover topics including choreographic practices and methods of research, somatic approaches, developing movement vocabularies, collaboration, devising and experimentation.

Learn from experienced industry professionals and benefit from our close relationship with regional dance industry providers and practitioners. Staff work in a range of fields, including dance theatre, new media and dance film, site-specific and installation work.

Some of the course content will be delivered on campus, with some content taught off-site in Brighton, London or other venues. You need to be flexible and prepared to travel to make the most of this opportunity. You will need to pay your own travel costs.

Share your passion for dance with others through teaching and creative practice

Develop your skills as a dance practitioner and explore teaching in a range of settings

Learn to teach dance

Develop your technical skills in daily classes

Perform and choreograph throughout your degree

Learn to share your passion for dance in a variety of settings, including:

Guaranteed interview for our PGCE Dance programme

Learn from sector-active dance practitioners

Collaborative and supportive community

International exchange opportunities

Prepare for your career

On this course you will:

Learn specialist aerial techniques and physical theatre narrative approaches

Extend your dance training with specialist aerial skills and understanding of narrative choreography

Reach new heights with aerial training

Develop your technical skills with intensive training

Areas of focus include:


Find your choreographic voice

Perform throughout your degree

Learn from sector-active dance practitioners

Collaborative and supportive community

International exchange opportunities

On this course you will:

Develop your technical, creative and performance skills

Covering all aspects of musical theatre skills and opportunities for creating new music theatre, this practice-based course is ideal if you are looking ahead to a career as an on-stage performer or back-stage creative.

Our musical theatre degree includes weekly drama school-style actor training, focussing on all the classic musical theatre skills including acting, singing, dance, ensemble singing and yoga. These developing skills are realised in a full-scale production in each year of the course. In addition to performing in a full-scale musical, you will also take on a production role, including stage management, design, assistant director, hair and makeup, costume, front of house and many more. By both performing and having a production role you take full ownership of your musical theatre production and gain valuable experience across a range of creative roles.

You will also be able to explore your own creativity by co-creating original pieces of musical theatre. Through engagement with a variety of contemporary musical and performance techniques, you will expand your creative frames of reference to develop and understand new ways of combining music and theatre. There are opportunities to work with visiting creatives and performers, including working with a professional director in your third year production.

Inclusivity and community, as well as safe and supportive spaces, lie at the heart of the music theatre course. Together staff and students build and nurture an environment that is thriving with the highest level of training, and develop performers who are individual, unique, professional, and great company members. Personal support and guidance are a key aspect of our delivery to students.

This course brings together the ‘triple threat’ of singing, dancing and acting. Develop acting techniques for the stage and strengthen your voice and singing in our Showcase and Contemporary Music Theatres Modules working in professional performance spaces.

You’ll make the most of performances in site-specific spaces such as Gloucester Cathedral, the bustling Gloucester Docks, and the Wilson Art Gallery. You’ll work in professional theatre venues such as the Everyman Studio and the Playhouse Theatre in Cheltenham.

You’ll learn in our purpose-built ‘2million Performing Arts and Events Centre at Oxstalls campus. These facilities include a dance studio with a harlequin-sprung floor, full lighting rig and sound, an acoustically designed music and singing room, a drama studio and a multi-media studio.

Focus on singing, dancing and acting and take part in full-scale musical theatre performance. You’ll develop acting techniques for the stage and strengthen your voice and singing with regular tuition. Take dance lessons including ballet, tap, modern and jazz.

With live performance opportunities throughout the course, including full-scale musicals, you’ll gain plenty of experience, working in real theatres with industry experts. You’ll learn with international theatre companies at renowned events and locations. Students have recently been developing skills with Motionhouse Dance Company and Frantic Assembly, as well as performing at Edinburgh Fringe, Jolt Theatre and Strike a Light festivals. You’ll also make the most of performances at local theatres and venues such as the Everyman and The Wilson Art Gallery.

From creative drama to contemporary digital performance, you’ll experience a range of theatre practice on this performance focused and creative degree. Based in the purpose-built Performing Arts Centre, this course combines theory with practice in preparation for performance, incorporating sessions on:

You’ll focus on the latest developments in Contemporary theatre and have the chance to work with professional directors and leading theatre companies. The academic programme includes some specialist workshops in areas like Commedia dell’ Arte mask performance and TV Drama, as well as regular opportunities to access professional performances at a reduced ticket price. You’ll be performing at professional venues such as Cheltenham’s Everyman Theatre, as well as having some site-specific performance work opportunities.

During your year of study there will some opportunity for international study trips to New York or Berlin to see shows and undertake professional workshops/talks, and on alternative years there is the opportunity to perform at the Edinburgh Festival.

BA (Hons) Dance is a unique degree that offers specialist vocational and academic training across a variety of dance genres. Our modules are designed to develop your technical, performance, choreographic and teaching skills, whilst encouraging you to gain a strong sense of who you are as an artist and which area of dance you are passionate to pursue as a career – whether that be performing, creating, teaching or all three. Alongside your modules you will receive regular technique classes in different dance styles, as well as strength and conditioning training to support your development as a practitioner.

By the time you graduate, we want you to leave University as well-rounded, versatile dancers who feel confident and equipped with the knowledge of a range of genres that support your professional practice. The versatility of our team of lecturers allows us to deliver a wide range of these specialist areas to the highest of standards.

You will train in our purpose built Performing Arts Centre and benefit from two large, well-equipped harlequin sprung-floor dance studios, a multimedia suite and a devising studio. You will also have access to the University’s fitness suite at a discounted rate, and can also book treatment appointments as part of our sports therapy clinic offer.

If you have practical experience in music and a keen interest in the technical, cultural, historical, and philosophical questions it opens up, this programme is for you. In each year you are given a range of options both in music and other subjects, allowing you to design a degree pathway that caters to your own particular interests and strengths.

In each year you are given a range of options from which to choose, allowing you to design your own degree to cater to your own particular interests and strengths.

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