Gateshead College BA (Hons) Dance Performance

Within the dance industry, young professionals beginning a career need to have the best practical preparation possible. They do not only need to be excellent dancers but they need to have the ability to approach the diverse range of jobs that the industry has to offer with confidence. The BA (Hons) Dance Performance  will prepare you for the workplace with emphasis on vocational dance training. You will be encouraged and inspired to become a versatile, motivational, self-driven professional who is able to function confidently in a career in any across many aspects of dance from performance to teaching and project leadership to community dance activity.

Expert team
A high standard of professional dance expertise, teaching, support and outstanding facilities have been brought together under the unique partnership between Dance City and Gateshead College. High importance is given to mentoring each student, so you will have the confidence to explore all areas of the dance industry. The established team will be supported by visiting choreographers, masterclasses and touring companies to ensure the programme is diverse and offers an up to date picture of the current international dance scene.

Practical emphasis
A high emphasis is placed on practical development and exploration with at least 13 hours in the studio every week in years one and two and varies depending on pathway chosen in year 3. This rigorous, technical training is underpinned by the academic and practical skills needed to teach dance in an educational or community setting. This provides a clear pathway to a variety of jobs in the education, community or performance sectors of the dance world.
Modules are split into three key areas; Professional Practice, Education and Community.

Professional Practice
These modules will develop your abilities and physical understanding of accurate and artistic dance technique. You’ll cover a wide range of classical and contemporary styles including ballet, contemporary, urban/street, jazz, and world. Working with a diverse range of professional choreographers, you’ll gain an understanding of the choreographic process, learning how to develop your own style and ideas and how to stage a performance.

Education
You’ll learn about the principles of current teaching practice in schools and community settings and how to develop and adapt material to be relevant to different ages and mental and physical abilities. You’ll also cover the historical context of dance and choreography. Guest teachers will lead classes and you’ll take part in weekly teaching placements in schools and community settings.

Community
This element of the course will prepare you to be a responsible and versatile teacher and manager of community projects. You will study Pilates technique, anatomy and technical dance awareness and safety along with essential dance management subjects such as dance and the law, child protection, risk assessments, managing budgets and proposal writing. You’ll also look at the current dance industry and choreographers working in the international dance scene today.

Career focussed
The course has been specifically designed to enable you to be best placed to secure a job in a wide range of roles within the dance industry upon graduation, and there is a clear focus on preparing and developing you for this throughout the three years. The third year is particularly focussed on this and you are encouraged to find appropriate work placements as your transition into the world of work. Covering many key aspects of the dance industry, the degree will give you the skills to undertake a broad range of dance careers including dance teacher, choreographer, professional performer and roles in dance production, programming or promotion.

Flexible approach
In the third year of the course, you’ll have a choice of two pathways allowing you to shape your learning around your career aims. One pathway will have an emphasis on performance and you’ll develop a touring programme of choreographed work that will be performed at venues throughout the North East. The second pathway is for students interested in dance promotion, production and programming and will include a research project.
Both pathways will include a year-long work placement, developing and delivering school workshops and project leadership.

How to apply

Further information can be found here or by calling Gateshead College on 0191 490 2246
start@gateshead.ac.uk