Dance Practice and Performance

Postgraduate School of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences

Develop your dance practice and performance skills by approaching them as research processes on this practice-research based programme.

Dance Practice and Performance
Duration

1 year (full-time)

Number of Credits

180 credits

Start date

September 2023

Degree Type

MA

Modules

Skills

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This practice-research based programme will encourage you to approach performance as a critical practice and to relish the complex contextual relationships that exist in making and performing dances. You will explore your role as a collaborator in performance-making as one of agency and empowerment in a supportive environment.

You will be encouraged to develop and test new ideas and skills through your practice-research in order to imagine how they relate to training, practice, performance-making, dance philosophy and dramaturgy. You will be supported by the mentorship and teaching of experienced staff in our modern studios, and you will have the opportunity to work with in-house and visiting artists, scholars and a diverse community of peers.

We are within easy reach of London's lively dance culture and our campus has superb studios and a state-of-the-art theatre for dance students. We have excellent links with dance companies and creative organisations which enable us to provide stimulating workplace-learning opportunities.

We are ranked number one in the UK for the impact of our research in dance (Research Excellence Framework 2021).

Our BA Dance course is number one for learning resources in London (National Student Survey 2020).

Excellent career and earnings prospects: Roehampton is in the top five universities in London for graduate pay in dance (Longitudinal Education Outcomes, 2020 results, earnings three years after graduation).

How you'll learn

Using a framework of philosophical and aesthetic inquiry, the programme offers a unique perspective to explore the concepts, assumptions and theories which underpin and inform dance practice and discourse. These ideas will be explored further during your encounters with performance, devising dance and learning dance repertory. You will also have access to the full range of optional modules which are offered to all our postgraduate students.

The School is home to the internationally recognised Centre for Research in Arts and Creative Exchange, which gives students rich opportunities to investigate a broad range of cultural, artistic and embodied inquiry. These activities are positioned as critical, scholarly, embodied and creative in order to equip students for original and independent approaches to dance performance.

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Career options

The knowledge and skills gained from the programme will support careers which involve performance, choreography, dramaturgy, community dance practice, and commissioning dance. The programme also opens the opportunity for further study for a practice as research PhD.

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Our careers team is available to support you from the start of your studies until after you graduate. We will help you build your CV, prepare for interviews, and meet and learn from successful graduates working at the top of their careers. You’ll also have opportunities to work with our partners across London and beyond, and to attend a Roehampton jobs fair where you can find out about graduate opportunities and meet employers.

Application Info

How to apply

Postgraduate programmes

You can now apply for any programme for any entry point in 2023.

All postgraduate taught applications can be made via our online application form.

If you need any help or advice with your application, or just want to ask us a question before you apply, please do not hesitate to contact us.

International students
Please note that most international applicants have to pay a deposit before securing their place.

  • See our Finance pages for more details

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Specific Entry Requirements

Applicants are required to provide a link to a short film (10 minutes maximum) of them dancing. This can be a solo dance, or an excerpt from a class or performance setting where the applicant is clearly identified in the film. The work should be accompanied by a short written statement (<250 words) which reveals the applicant’s interest in developing their performance practice.

Validation and curriculum review

What is validation?
Validation is a formal process through which the University approves a programme (content, teaching, learning and assessment) as being of appropriate standard and quality. This is a normal process used throughout the university sector.

The University expects to publish details of the validated programme in the academic year prior to the start date of the programme. You are advised to check the University website at that time to ensure that you have up-to-date information. In the meantime, if you require information you should contact 0208 392 3232.

What is curriculum review?
Curriculum review is the regular and systematic monitoring and reviewing of programmes. It is a normal process in the sector and it is the way by which the university ensures that your course remains up-to-date and relevant. The process may result in changes to the content, structure and/or assessment of the programme.

The University expects to publish details of the re-validated programme by 31 March in the academic year prior to the start date of the programme. You are advised to check the University website at that time to ensure that you have up-to-date information. In the meantime, if you require information you should contact 0208 392 3232.

Need help before you apply?

Our Research

Research conducted in the School of Arts covers a wide range of diverse and innovative arts practices, from dance and drama to journalism, film, media, linguistics and computing. Our School of Arts is divided into three subject areas: Dance; Drama, Theatre and Performance; and Communication, Culture and Media. Click here to view our research page.

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