Dance

COURSE CONTENT

Level 4 (first year)

Train, Explore and Investigate

In your first year, you’ll develop the core skills that you’ll need to enhance your understanding of making, performing and producing for a range of dance contexts.

We’ll focus on three key practical aspects: Dance Technique, Improvisation and Composition.

You’ll work on your technical, creative and performance skills through a variety of performance opportunities and develop frameworks for reflection and analysis of a range of perspectives on dance.

You’ll gain embodied and theoretical experience of making and viewing work within different environments and contexts and have the opportunity to work as part of a group as well as individually.

You’ll also be introduced to the infrastructure for producing dance and begin to develop the fundamental entrepreneurial skills required to sustain and manage a performing arts practice.

By the end of this level you will have a sound knowledge of the fundamental technical, creative and entrepreneurial concepts related to the dance industry.

Level 5 (second year)

From Practice to Vision

As you progress to your second year, we expect you to engage in more complex issues through your creative work, as well as in the more theoretical units. You’ll continue to gain experience of performance in various environments.

You will deepen and extend your technical knowledge base through the study of a variety of dance techniques and deepen your consideration of the audience as an integral factor in the creative process.

You’ll learn current industry standards for safe and effective dance practices, while working creatively on more complex choreographic and performance projects.

At Level 5, we encourage you to think about specialised areas of study appropriate to your developing interests in performance, choreography, and applied dance practice or producing. Further theoretical frameworks and methodological tools will also deepen your understanding and enhance your practical work.

By the end of this level, you should be confident in your ability to organise your working methods and you will be prepared with key knowledge and skills that will allow you to enter the third year of study with confidence.

Level 6 (third year)

From Vision to Industry

At Level 6, you’ll consolidate your expertise and take your work into more advanced areas, including public performances.

You’ll be given the opportunity to test the working methods that you’ve developed in the previous two years and apply them to an independent project, collaborating with fellow students involved in performance, choreography, applied practice or producing, to a professional level.

The Investigative Study unit gives you the opportunity to pursue a course of advanced independent research in your chosen specialism. This allows you to demonstrate your skills in research, analysis, and criticism.

By the end of this level, you should be able to evaluate your development in performance, choreography, applied practice and producing. You’ll consider your strengths and weaknesses and demonstrate an understanding of the business aspects of working in dance and your ability to work at a professional level.

Throughout the course, you’ll have opportunities to engage with artists working at Pavilion Dance South West as Guest Lecturers, Visiting Tutors, and workshop providers and possibly as Directors/Producers/Choreographers for Level 6 productions.

COURSE STRUCTURE

All students are registered for the award of BA (Hons); however, exit awards are available if you leave the course early, having successfully completed one or two levels. If you successfully complete a level of the course, you will automatically be entitled to progress to the next level.

For the award of a Certificate of Higher Education (CertHE), you must have achieved a minimum of 120 credits at Level 4. This qualification may be awarded if you leave the University following successful completion of the first year of your course.

For the award of a Diploma of Higher Education (DipHE), you must have achieved a minimum of 240 credits of which a minimum of 120 must be at Level 5. This qualification may be awarded if you leave the University following successful completion of the second year of your course.

For the award of a BA (Hons) you must have achieved a minimum of 360 credits of which a minimum of 240 must be at Level 5 or above, of which a minimum of 120 credits must be at Level 6. This qualification will be awarded upon successful completion of your course.

A BA without Honours may be awarded if you have achieved 300 credits, at least 180 of which are at Level 5 or above, and at least 60 of which are at Level 6.