Dance BA (Hons)
UCAS code: W500
Experiment. Push boundaries. Celebrate dance. Explore your creative potential in performance and choreography with tutors employing the latest teaching practices. Refine technique and theory as you grow as a reflective and creative dance artist on Edge Hill University’s dance degree.
Overview
| Course length: | 3 years full-time 6 years part-time |
|---|---|
| Start dates: | September 2022 September 2023 |
| Location: | Edge Hill University |
| Example offers: | BBC-BBB (A Level) or DMM (BTEC) View full entry criteria |
| Subject(s): | Dance, Drama and Musical Theatre |
| Department: | Creative Arts |
Practical performance projects, technique classes, and inspiring seminars. Follow your dreams as a creative practitioner with a dance degree that gives you the knowledge, skills and experience to launch a professional career.
Dance to your heart’s content on our BA (Hons) Dance course. Collaborate with professionals in dance-making for a wide range of performance settings. You’ll study dance techniques and theories essential to current practice. We’ll encourage you to perform and grow in our Arts Centre theatres and studios.
Your artistic and creative development is everything to us. See dance through different lenses as you explore performance and choreography, applying your skills in different contexts. Our research-active practitioners will help you elevate your perception and experience of the body, and develop cultural perspectives.
Our culture of performance will expand your portfolio. Workshop new ideas and make connections with visiting professionals. Learn to fund and pitch projects. Gain industry skills as part of our staff and student-led dance companies. By the time you graduate, you’ll be ready to work as an independent dance professional.
Course features
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Learn a Language
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Sandwich Year Option Available
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Studying Abroad Option Available
What you'll study
What goes into a performance? How can we describe dance? You’ll discover why dance remains an important contemporary artform. Develop your skills in devising and creating dance alongside your technical and performance ability. See how theory and history inform applied dance projects as you investigate choreography, dance-making and performance in University and community settings.
You’ll grow as a dancer and choreographer in Year 2. Working with students, tutors and visiting artists, you’ll plan, compose and perform on the public stage, celebrating dance as an inclusive practice. Strengthen your progress by refining your technique, learning to question and analyse approaches to dance-making.
In your final year you’ll refine your technique, performance and choreography skills to become industry-ready. You’ll build your portfolio and learn how to fund projects. We’ll encourage you to pursue your own interests in an independent research project that will also prepare you for work or postgraduate study.
Optional modules provide an element of choice within the course curriculum. The availability of optional modules may vary from year to year and will be subject to minimum student numbers being achieved. This means that the availability of specific optional modules cannot be guaranteed. Optional module selection may also be affected by timetabling requirements. Some restrictions on optional module choice or combinations of optional modules may apply.
How you'll study
A wide range of teaching styles are offered, delivered through practical workshops, technique classes, performance projects, formal lectures and seminars.
Through independent ensemble work and personal research, you will acquire critical and creative skills which will be of use in a wide range of future careers. You will develop a personal portfolio and prepare practice CVs for employment, supported by sessions in career planning.
Many of our modules include placements alongside taught sessions. In previous years, students have had the opportunity to undertake placements with companies and organisations including ENB Dance for Parkinson’s, Wired Aerial Theatre, Avanti, U Dance and The Lowry in Salford. They have also delivered a number of workshops in regional education and community settings.
In addition, award-winning student directed dance companies, including the Hill Start Dance Company and the University’s Hip Hop society, deliver sessions and performance events supported by the University.
How you'll be assessed
Through practical and written work, including workshop performances and full productions, essays, portfolios and seminar presentations. All practical work in dance demands theoretical underpinning, so most modules will require either a piece of writing or an oral presentation. You will reflect on your learning in each assessment and summarise your development regularly.
There are no formal written examinations as part of the current assessment methods on this degree.
Who will be teaching you
You will be taught by a dedicated team of academic specialists and professionally-experienced practitioners and benefit from a wide range of learning experiences. Learning is driven by the principle of research-informed teaching and supported by a team of technicians.
To enhance your experience, the department has industry links with a wide range of professional bodies both regionally and nationally. These include Ludus Dance, The Grand Theatre in Blackpool, Dance Manchester, Lisa Simpson Dance, Curious Minds, the LPM Dance Theatre, Culture Warrington, the Merseyside Dance Initiative, and Arts Council England.
These well-established links have enabled students to gain experience creating, performing and touring work by professionals including Theo Clinkard, Joss Arnott, Company Chameleon, Garry Clarke, Sally Marie, James Wilton , Alesandra Seutin and Eleanor Perry.
Entry criteria
Entry requirements
Typical offer 112-120 UCAS Tariff points, preferably to include Dance. Other subjects will be considered if you have demonstrable interest or experience in dance.
Relevant experience will be taken into account and all offers are made on the basis of an audition.
If you accept a formal offer from Edge Hill University you will be required to apply for a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Enhanced Disclosure indicating that you meet the mandatory criteria of ‘Clearance to Work with Children and/or Vulnerable Adults’. Further information will be sent to you after you have firmly accepted an offer.
Example offers
| Qualification | Requirement |
|---|---|
| A Level | BBC-BBB. |
| BTEC Extended Diploma (or combination of BTEC QCF qualifications) | Distinction, Merit, Merit (DMM). |
| T Level | Overall grade of Merit. |
| International Baccalaureate (IB) | We are happy to accept IB qualifications which achieve the required number of UCAS Tariff points. Subject-specific requirements at Higher Level (HL) Grade 5 may apply. |
| Access to Higher Education Diploma | 45 credits at Level 3, for example 15 credits at Distinction and 30 credits at Merit or 24 credits at Distinction and 21 credits at Merit. The required total can be attained from various credit combinations. |
Please note, the above examples may differ from actual offers made. A combination of A Level and BTEC awards may also be accepted.
If you have a minimum of two A Levels (or equivalent), there is no maximum number of qualifications that we will accept UCAS points from. This includes additional qualifications such as Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), AS Levels that haven't been continued to A Level, and General Studies AS or A Level awards.
English language requirements
International students require IELTS 6.0, with a score no lower than 5.5 in each individual component, or an equivalent English language qualification.
If your current level of English is half a band or one band lower, either overall or in one or two elements, you may want to consider our Pre-Sessional English course.
How to apply
Apply full-time
Read our guide to applying through UCAS to find out more about the application process.
Apply part-time
Complete our online application form if you want to study this course on a part-time basis.
International
Please see our international student pages for further information about how to apply as a prospective international student.
Should you accept an offer of a place to study with us and formally enrol as a student, you will be subject to the provisions of the regulations, rules, codes, conditions and policies which apply to our students. These are available at www.edgehill.ac.uk/studentterms.
Did you know?
If you join a full time undergraduate degree at Edge Hill University, we will guarantee you the offer of a room in our halls of residence for the first year of your course.
Discover our accommodation
Facilities
Dance, Drama and Musical Theatre students at Edge Hill University enjoy industry-standard teaching and learning facilities in the £7million Arts Centre which is also home to the Rose and Studio Theatres.
The Department of Creative Arts’ outstanding resources ensure you gain practical experience to a professional standard. Contemporary performance environments include dance studios, black box drama studios, rehearsal rooms, a theatre construction workshop, costume construction workshop, scene dock, theatre design studios, digital sound studio, digital design suite, music technology room, music practice studios, a recital room and an outdoor amphitheatre. The Studio Theatre also functions as a fully equipped aerial performance space.
The Arts Centre hosts a diverse range of high-quality productions and performers, including comedy, dance, drama and music, designed to supplement Creative Arts programmes and entertain both students and the local community.
Where you'll study
Arts Centre
Finance
Tuition fees
UK Full-Time
£9,250
a year
UK Part-Time
£77 per credit
for 360 credits
International
£15,000
a year
EU/EEA and Swiss students who have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, as well as Irish nationals, may be eligible for the UK tuition fee rate.
Financial support
Subject to eligibility, UK students joining this course can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan from the Government to cover the full cost of tuition fees. UK students enrolling on the course may also be eligible to apply for additional funding to help with living costs. Please view the relevant Money Matters guide for comprehensive information about the financial support available to eligible UK students.
EU/EEA and Swiss students who have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme may be eligible to apply for financial support. Irish nationals should ordinarily apply to Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI). If you are an EU student who does not have settled or pre-settled status, or are an international student from a non-EU country, please see our international student finance pages.
Your future career
A dance degree at Edge Hill sets you up for a career in the creative arts. Our EHU-Arts HUB offers professional opportunities to ensure you are industry-ready.
Our graduates have the specialist skillset to work as artists, performers, choreographers and teachers. Past students are now employed by organisations like Company Chameleon, DeDA, Ludus Dance, Volcano Theatre Company, and Wired Aerial Theatre.
Many dance students go on to work as freelance dance teachers and community artists. Roles you could aim for include:
- academy manager
- freelance commercial dance artist
- artistic director
- dance development and learning coordinator
- choreographer
- teacher
- director
Some graduates choose to move into teaching or lecturing in education. Others complete further education and training or diversify into careers outside dance.
So, do you need a degree for dancing? Some do make it without a degree, but the rich, diverse knowledge of dance you’ll gain on our course will help open doors to a career in the arts. Whatever profession you’re interested in, our dance degree will help you follow your dream.
Course changes
Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this information, however our courses are subject to ongoing review and development. Changing circumstances may necessitate alteration to, or the cancellation of, courses.
Changes may be necessary to comply with the requirements of professional bodies, revisions to subject benchmarks statements, to keep courses updated and contemporary, or as a result of student feedback. We reserve the right to make variations if we consider such action to be necessary or in the best interests of students.
