Dance Science and Performance

Typically, you will be in practical classes, lectures, and rehearsals for four days a week and you will have one day a week to study at home. You may opt to come to campus to practise in our studios or work in our library/study areas on your study day and you can also use our studios and library in the evenings and at the weekends.

Your timetable will be well-balanced with a variety of practical and theoretical sessions spread across the week to ensure an interesting variety of topics, and time for recovery from practical classes and rehearsals to ensure your best possible performance, health and well-being. Technical and creative practical classes are taught in the week and supplementary training (eg. strength training, Pilates, Yoga, circuits) forms part of your programme in order to offer you the best possible current practice in dance training. You will develop and refine your knowledge and skills in the areas of dance science and dance performance and increasingly, throughout the course, apply the cross-disciplinary links of both areas to your own practice.

Your lectures will often include practical activities, and most theoretical modules include guest speakers and external visits. You will have your own personal tutor during the course, and you can see your tutor and your other lecturers regularly during each semester. The university offers excellent academic support to all students.

An important part of university life is your development as an independent practitioner and thinker, and each week you will have a range of tasks to do (practical rehearsals, training, watching, reading, and writing) to support your taught work and develop your independent study skills. This will include practical rehearsals and sessions in which you explore and refine your technical and creative work.

Modules

Year 1

Introduction to Dance Practice

Anatomy of Human Movement for Dance

What is Dance?

Fit and Healthy Dancer

Choreography

Introduction to Performance Psychology

Year 2

Dance Practice: Intermediate

The Dancer as a Performing Athlete

Choreolab

Biomechanics: Applications in Performance

Physiology for Dancers: Theory and Application

Dance Research Methods

Year 3

The Advanced Dancer

The Multidisciplinary Dancer

The Advanced Performer

Dance Science for Performers

Dance Project (dance science/performance related)

Opportunities

During the course you will:

• Have the opportunity to gain the Silver and Gold Employability Awards
• Have the opportunity to work with Le Loup Dance Company (our student company)
• Develop specialist lab skills and competencies in dance science projects
• Use the most current technology and equipment in dance science and film editing
• Participate in external arts projects (eg. films, live performances)
• Develop industry links through work with influential regional theatre companies such as ACE Dance and Music, Rosie Kay Dance Company, Birmingham Royal Ballet.
• Participate in staff-led international dance science research projects
• Work with visiting international researchers, dance artists and companies

Who will teach you on this course?

The staff teaching you on the course will include Frances Clarke (Subject Leader and Senior Lecturer), Danielle Aways (Senior Lecturer), and guest lectures with Professor Matt Wyon (Professor in Dance Science and Professor Yiannis Koutedakis (Visiting Professor in Applied Physiology). All our full time dance lecturers have worked as dance practitioners in the UK and abroad, and this wealth of experience is of huge benefit to our students. We are expert teachers and have shared our pedagogical practice and dance science research at international conferences. We are all research-active and disseminate our own research work nationally and internationally and importantly, this informs our teaching on the course.

Course specific costs
We will supplement some of your guest workshops and theatre trips each year, but we suggest that you budget £100 for dance clothing and extra theatre trips.