Dance Teaching in Education guides you through the creation of an applied dance project focusing upon dance in education. You will identify and devise an appropriate project for a formal setting and present your plans with key illustrations of practice in the controlled setting of the university. The practical work is informed both by the theoretical and historical study of applied dance alongside focused studio practice.

Histories of Dance introduces you to selected histories of Western Theatre Dance, studying theory alongside focused studio practice. The module outlines the development of dance as an art form within Western culture, looking at traditions and innovations in Europe and America. Practical and theoretical approaches are used to identify and discuss the work of key artists in relation to historic practices, concepts and contexts, which may include developments of ballet, modern and post-modern dance.  You will select specific artists, styles and contexts to study in more depth, identifying how historic dance practices respond to broader historic issues.

Introduction to Choreographic Practices is a practice-based module which introduces you to dance making and movement enquiry. You will investigate composition, explore relationships and experiment with movement through experiential analysis of contemporary and post-modern dance practice. Alongside focused studio practice, you will develop your abilities in the devising of movement, present short choreographic studies and demonstrate your capacity to outline and discuss your practical and research processes.

Explorations into Dance Writing introduces you to approaches to  writing about dance which will facilitate your skills in observing, describing, researching  and interpreting dance, encouraging engagement with current dance practices. Alongside focused studio practice, you will watch and write about live and recorded dance performances using a range of practical, observational and textual frameworks to support analytical description and interpretation. You may also investigate wider processes of dance documentation, such as writing reviews, journals or reflection.

Introduction to Dance Making and Performance further develops your skills in devising and creating dance. You will engage in the making, rehearsal and performance of a small-scale dance piece under the direction of a tutor undertaking the role of choreographer. The module focuses on areas such as developing performance and technical ability, as well as considering intentional points such as creating from an improvisational, conceptual or thematic/issue base. Throughout the devising period, you will explore approaches to movement making and composition in preparation for public performance of the dance work.

Teaching Dance in the Community is a project-based module where you will be guided through the creation of an applied dance project focusing on a range of informal community settings. You will identify and devise an appropriate project for a chosen setting and present your plans with key illustrations of practice. The practical work is informed both by the theoretical and historical study of applied dance alongside focused studio practice.

Devising Projects in Education and Community gives you the opportunity to demonstrate independence and entrepreneurship in the creation of an applied dance project. You will visit and assess a community or education setting and then devise and plan an appropriate project for that client group. You will present this as an industry-style proposal, complete with an associated scheme of work, engaging in creative and innovative approaches to dance practice and demonstrating an aptitude for decision making and flexibility when working within a group. During the planning of this venture, you will incorporate and understand effective dance principles alongside focused studio practice.

Body and Performance examines current perceptions of performance through expanding your knowledge, understanding and experience of the body in relation to studio practice. Underlying this is the principle that as you develop your sense of self awareness, you are more able to adapt artistic practice to a variety of diverse settings, in particular those associated with health and wellbeing. You will explore how and why the body has been objectified in both medical/health and performance contexts and consider implications for the development of modern health systems and performance practices.

Cultural Perspectives in Dance extends your understanding of current dance practice by exploring cultural aspects of global, social and popular dance. Alongside focused studio practice in relevant dance forms, you will critically investigate current scholarship, theories and methods which contextualise the cultural significance of social dance traditions and practices. This will develop your scope for reading dance practices within social contexts and extend your understanding and application of critical analysis from a range of written and practical sources.

Choreographic Practices 2 expands your understanding of dance making for performance under the direction of a tutor undertaking the role of choreographer. The module will enable you to broaden your potential as an artist and performer through practice in dance work. Alongside focused studio practice, you will engage in analysis of practices, forms and aesthetics of dance which enable you to contextualise your movement enquiry and apply compositional skills as practiced by the professional artist. Devising dance and theatre which draws from cultural contexts and/or concepts such as popular culture, identity, locality, society and non-Western dance practice, you will explore and apply approaches to movement making and composition in preparation for creating and choreographing a final piece of dance work which you will present in a public performance.

Contemporary Circus provides a broad-based introduction to the diverse contemporary field of circus, allowing you to develop a basic level of circus skills in the context of a thorough historical and social exploration of the significance of contemporary circus. The module focuses in particular on the current state of the field of circus arts and the multiple forms and guises in which circus appears in contemporary culture. This will include developing your awareness of the breadth of potential employment opportunities within the growing field of clowning, in addition to furthering your understanding of the routes and means by which those employment opportunities could be attained.

Aerial Dance: Breaking Ground introduces you to the core skills (physical, technical and creative) in aerial performance and familiarises you with the evolution of contemporary aerial performance. You will also be taught the correct use of basic aerial equipment and different types of harness and discover their uses in performance. The module has a particular focus on the physical training and skill acquisition necessary to perform bungee-assisted dance, with some time dedicated to learning about the specialised equipment involved. You will also receive a comprehensive outline of the evolution of aerial dance and undertake independent research into contemporary practices in aerial performance.

Aerial Circus Performance introduces you to the practical, creative and safe acquisition of aerial skills in the context of contemporary circus. Due to the severe technical demands of aerial circus performance, this module will be heavily weighted towards physical skill development. A training regime will run alongside skills tuition in order to increase personal strength levels to help execute the techniques you will learn. A range of traditional circus equipment will be used to encourage the transference of skills between different but related apparatus. Alongside the development of skills, you will also learn to interpret and analyse aerial circus performance in relation to the history of circus and its evolution in the twentieth century.

Dance Making and Performance 2 progresses from an initial group focus of exploring dance practice and theatre in relation to a range of cultural frameworks to offer you the opportunity to engage with independent creative projects. This will enable you to investigate your creative and contextual ideas in the process of devising choreography. You will work in the role of choreographer or co-choreographer, synthesising research into practice to create choreography for public performance. As a collaborative group, you will be responsible for in-house promotion of your performance events and the scheduling of both technical and dress rehearsals. Focused studio practice sessions will facilitate the continued development of your dance practice.

Teaching Practice is a project-based practice module in which you are expected to demonstrate independence and entrepreneurship in the delivery of an applied dance project. You will gain an understanding of, and develop, effective dance principles, alongside focused studio practice. You will implement a project in your chosen setting and document this using industry models for evaluating applied dance. You will be assisted in fieldwork by working from a menu of client groups who have been contacted and briefed by the programme team.

Dance Theatre Performance focuses on the practical exploration and critical interrogation of contemporary dance theatre. The module explores choreographic and creative strategies while also enabling the acquisition and development of embodied knowledge and skills through the context of a tutor-led production. Relevant historical, theoretical and socio-cultural perspectives will be considered and you will be required to critically engage with these themes in relation to your own creative and practical experiences.

Site-Specific Performance enables you to engage with the practice and theory of site specific performance. In this context, site specific is used as a generic term relating to work that arises from and responds to its immediate environment and surroundings outside of the traditional theatre context. The various forms and categories of response to site will be addressed and can be expected to include dance, performance, multimedia installation, art installation, and scenography. You will participate in workshops concerning devising for, and performing in, various spaces. The module culminates in practical site-specific work and the submission of a viva providing evidence of the influences and objectives of the performance, as well as the significance of your research.

Researching Dance offers you the opportunity to initiate research into an area of study that supports your personal interests and strengths in relevant performance, dance and/or movement practices. You will identify areas of inquiry, explore methodologies and sources, develop skills in writing a researched industry-style project proposal, and investigate relevant  practices, practitioners, and methods which inform current practice. You will also engage in professional development practices which are designed to enhance your graduate employability skills.

Dance Techniques 1 develops your movement skills and techniques in addition to expanding your potential as an emerging dance professional. A combination of sessions relevant to current dance practice from the Western tradition are complemented by relevant cultural and popular forms. This experience will be underscored and widened through the study of experiential anatomy and holistic approaches to the moving body.

Dance Making and Performance 3 involves collaborating with current professional practitioners in dance making for performance in theatre and non-theatre settings. You will engage with visiting artists and/or external venues and experience an interdisciplinary approach to dance making and performance. The aim of the module is to nurture your development as an artist through gaining authentic experience of current practice and the processes involved in realising performance work. There is also the opportunity to engage in processes that underpin the making and performance of dance work such as costume, lighting, tour development and management, locating and assessing settings for site work.

Dissertation provides the opportunity for you to undertake an independent investigation of an identified area of interest within relevant fields of current practice. You will identify areas of inquiry according to your own interests and strengths, and negotiate the parameters for independent study with your appointed supervisor. You will apply your research to the creation of a dissertation, which may take the form of a performance, creative, applied or written project.

Circus and Silent Movies enables you to research specific topics relating to physical comedy and clowning. You will analyse an aspect of physical comedy practice and demonstrate considerable depth of knowledge and understanding of its past and present forms. You will subsequently apply this research and relevant performance methodologies to the devising of a group or individual physical comedy performance. In doing so, the aim is to extend basic clowning skills and encourage you to develop your own imaginative and creative visions within the field of comic performance.

Independent Aerial Projects is a module that enables you to develop your personal vision of aerial performance and explore this creatively in the context of contemporary practice. A written proposal/outline for a project will be required, detailing the main aims, creative ideas and type of apparatus that you wish to focus on. You will be guided and assisted through the creative process with technical and artistic support. On completion of the project, you will be invited to discuss and share aspects of your research and explain the critical perspectives adopted.

Jazz Dance introduces you to the cultural and performance aspects of jazz dance, studying the historical context of the form alongside focused studio practice. The module interrogates jazz dance from a traditional perspective, looking at its origins in New Orleans, to its development as concert dance in New York, and its impact on American theatre dance. Practical and theoretical approaches are used to identify and discuss the work of key artists in relation to historic practices, concepts and contexts. This will include tap dance, social/concert dance, and modern jazz dance influences.

Dance Techniques 2 gives emphasis to your own command over your individual artistry and engages with frameworks of specific techniques and practices through a combination of enhanced dance sessions and workshops. The techniques and practices studied will include genres such as contemporary, post-modern, somatic practice, jazz, hip-hop, and improvisation, in addition to focusing on performance in set scores/repertoire. The aim of the module is to support you in efficiently and reflectively implementing your anatomical and technical engagement to embody diverse dance practices. Providing a range of overlapping approaches to movement and dance will give you a rich palette from which to source your work, developing your unique potential as a mover and practitioner and encouraging self-reflection.

Arts and Enterprise is a theory and practice-based module where you are expected to demonstrate independence in the creation and implementation of an applied performance project. You will utilise skills of an independent practitioner, such as enterprise, pitching for work, project management and the articulation of current arts funding and strategies involved in the planning and delivery of a project. You will devise and deliver projects in a real world context and experience challenges in unfamiliar settings which will enhance your skills in problem solving, negotiation, collective decision making and liaising with client groups.

Installation and Immersive Performance explores and interrogates contemporary, innovative and avant-garde practice in areas such as video art, installation art, performance art and immersive performance. The module will develop an advanced knowledge and critical perspective on specific areas of your choice within the subject area and provides you with the opportunity to create live art work manipulating your own creative relationship between ‘body’, visual technologies, critical scenographies and live performance. The aim is to challenge the conventional definitions and boundaries of current understanding of what constitutes performance.

Dancing Anarchy analyses non-mainstream dance practice and examines its relationship with established and traditional forms. The module questions how dance might be deployed in the service of specific political, social and cultural agendas. Using a wide range of non-mainstream performance practices, you will analyse and create hybrid forms of dance. You will also develop dance-performance vocabulary in terms of appreciating and producing dramatically visual choreography.

PFA2101 Site-Specific Performance (20 credits) added as an optional module in Year 2.

112-120 UCAS Tariff points are required to join this programme with effect from September 2020 entry.