Dance Studies
Factfile
| Typical Entry Requirements | A level grades BBB-BBC (300-280 points) |
|---|---|
| Required Subjects | There are no specific subject requirements. Dance at either A, AS level or equivalent is preferable. English at A level is also particularly welcomed. |
| English Language Requirements | An IELTS score of 6.5 or equivalent for non-native-English-speaking applicants. |
| Other Suitable Qualifications | BTEC National Diploma - DDM-DMM (with a substantial dance element) A wide range of other qualifications will be considered on an individual basis such as HND, Irish Leaving Certificate, Scottish qualifications, Access Diplomas and Foundation courses. |
|---|---|
| Selection Process | Offers are usually made in terms of grades. Suitable candidates are invited for audition and interview. During the visit to the University the candidate can find out more about the programme and meet staff and students. |
A commitment to the value of all dance forms in Western and non-Western cultures underpins our Dance and Culture programmes. A focus on dance of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, from ballet to kathak, breakdance to tango, allows you to study and experience dance forms as they exist today and encourages you to understand their histories and influences.
Strong links between theory and practice support the development of your knowledge across a range of disciplines and enable you to gain an understanding of the rich diversity in current dance practices.
Further information
Degree Programmes
BA (Hons) Degrees
| Degree | UCAS code | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| * Programme includes a professional training year | ||
| BA (Hons) Dance and Culture | W552 | 3 years |
| BA (Hons) Dance and Culture with Professional Training | W553 | 4* years |
Our Degrees
Our programmes encourage independent learning and a capacity for critical and creative work. The wide-ranging foundation programme in your first year features theoretical study that supports performance modules to ensure an understanding of dance forms and their roots in different cultures and histories. It includes dance techniques – ballet, kathak, contemporary and African peoples’ dance – alongside choreography and several theory modules including Labanotation, choreographic analysis, and dance policy and practice.
Increased choice in your second year allows you to specialise and hone strengths in areas of your choice, according to individual interests. The professional training year will provide you with the opportunity to apply theories and concepts acquired on the programme in a working environment. The final year fosters autonomous research skills and encourages you to work independently through a dissertation on a subject of your choice.
Our teaching staff are all recognised experts in their respective fields and our programmes have been designed with the dancer, choreographer, teacher and administrator in mind – someone who enjoys dancing, choreographing, watching, reading about and discussing dance. The four-year programme includes a professional training year and has been designed for those already motivated toward a specific dance career. It is professionally orientated and provides unique opportunities through substantial work placements and award-bearing programmes.
Our programmes provide you with a firm foundation to meet the demands of the creative industries in the future.
Programme Overview
The Department of Dance Studies offers both three- and four-year programmes. Our programmes begin with a wide-ranging foundational approach. As you progress through your programme, the choice of options increases, enabling you to specialise in both theory and practice according to your personal interests.
Level 1 includes an introduction to four techniques – African peoples’ dance, ballet, contemporary and kathak – as well as to choreography, anatomy, choreographic analysis, cultural studies, movement analysis and notation, among other subjects. All modules are shared between both degree programmes.
At Level 2, although some modules remain common to both degree programmes, specialisation is introduced. For example, if you are studying on the three-year programme, you will pursue further study in analysis and documentation while also studying modules in Dance Politics and Identity. If you are studying on the four-year programme, you will extend your knowledge in areas of dance facilitation with module topics such as Leading Through Dance and Dance Management. You will also be given the opportunity to study one area from the opposing strand of the degree programme.
Level 3 offers further opportunities for specialisation. You will develop your independent learning assisted by our mentoring provision. This, along with a module in Research Methodologies, will help to prepare you for your dissertation. Your dissertation is an opportunity to complete an extended piece of work on an area in which you are particularly interested. In addition, you will be able to select from a range of module options.
Programme Structure
Level 1
Modules include:
- Arts and Society
- Choreography
- Cultural Approaches to Theatre, Vernacular and Media Dance
- Dance Technique and Performance (African Peoples’ Dance, Ballet, Contemporary, Kathak)
- Movement Analysis/Anatomy
Level 2
Modules include:
- Choreography
- Critical Theory and Analysis
- Cultural Perspectives
- Dance Politics and Identity
- Dance Facilitation
- Dance Technique and Performance
- Historical Perspectives
- Laban Movement Analysis and Notation
Level P
- Professional training year (W553 only)
Level 3
- Research Methodologies
- Dissertation
All other modules are optional and include:
- Choreography
- Dance on Screen
- Dance Technique and Performance
- National Forms/Global Forms
- Vertical Dance
Professional Training
The Department of Dance Studies gives students on the four-year programme the opportunity to participate in the highly regarded professional training year. On this programme, you will benefit from a unique mentoring scheme in an internationally or nationally renowned organisation, where work-specific techniques are enhanced by transferable skills in professional communication, organisational strategies and critical reflection. Alternatively, those who are more vocationally minded may choose to take an award-bearing course to achieve a professional qualification, for example, in Labanotation.
If you choose a professional training year, you will work with an established dance organisation usually based within the United Kingdom. You may choose to specialise in a particular area of dance, for example, within dance management, community dance or dance company education, but whatever your specialism, you will find yourself doing a wide variety of activities.
A pioneer in integrated professional training, the University has operated its placement scheme in partnership with industry and professional bodies for the last 40 years. Although dance students do not usually receive a salary, they are often paid a small bursary by their employer, and all students receive high-quality mentoring and support over the year by experienced placement hosts. Employers interviewing graduates have been impressed by the maturity and professionalism of those with placement experience.
Organisations and companies that have participated in the scheme include DanceXChange, Foundation for Community Dance, Green Candle, Greenwich Dance Agency, Ludus Dance Centre, Northern Ballet Theatre, Rambert Dance Company, Sadler’s Wells, South East Dance, The Place Artist Development, Birmingham Royal Ballet and Phoenix Dance Theatre.
The professional training year can include community dance, dance company education, dance management, and dance and disability. Placements can also consist of a professional certification such as a Labanotation course, or a Diploma at the Royal Academy of Dance.
Ten reasons to study Dance Studies at Surrey
- Highly qualified staff who are respected professionally at national and international levels
- A strong research culture that informs your learning
- A friendly working environment
- A range of high-quality performing opportunities
- A professional development programme which provides vocational opportunities in dance companies and institutions
- Excellent employment prospects in education,the community, theatre and industry
- Close to London’s international cultural scene, providing access to the latest dance works
- Well-resourced programmes that benefit from the National Research Centre for Dance
- Campus dance and the Surrey Sports Park provide further dance training opportunities and sports therapy
- We are a centre for collaborative projects and dance events including workshops, symposia, conferences and artistic residencies
Top for Jobs
Graduates have a good track record in securing places on MA and PGCE courses in dance and related subjects. Over the last few years graduates have also entered employment in roles such as:
- West London Partnership/Surrey County Council - Graduate Dance Teacher
- Royal Opera House - Education Department
- Independent Dance - Administrator
- King Edward VI School – Dance Teacher
- East London Dance – Project Coordinator
- Ludus Dance Agency – Project Manager
- Self-employed – Ballet Teacher
- Dance School, Maya Sofou, Athens – Dance Teacher
- Rambert Dance Company – Development Officer
- Arts Strategy, Arts Council – Assistant Officer
Career Opportunities
Graduates from the Department of Dance Studies are currently employed in performance and choreography, education (including private, secondary, further and higher education), community dance settings, such as at arts centres and on arts and dance projects, theatre management, dance company education, public relations and marketing. Dance graduates have received employment in some of the foremost dance institutions in the UK including Greenwich Dance Agency, Shobana Jeysingh Dance Company, The Place Theatre and the English National Ballet.
Teaching
Practical classes, lectures, seminars and tutorials are used to deliver the degree programme. Performance and choreography modules have lots of class contact time while theory modules have fewer contact hours to ensure that you have plenty of time to use the Library and resource facilities to conduct independent research. You will have the opportunity to develop computing skills using Lifeforms and LabanWriter, in addition to wordprocessing, spreadsheet and database packages.
You will be able to participate in dance classes, events, performances, seminars and residencies on campus. These are open not only to members of the Department but also to other members of the University and the residents of Guildford, London and the South East region. This will provide you with a lively and challenging dance environment.
Facilities
Our Dance programmes are well resourced. The campus is home to a unique archive, the National Resource Centre for Dance, and the Labanotation Institute, which holds the most comprehensive collection of Labanotation scores in the UK. The Department is a participant in the Arts and Humanities Research Council Centre for Cross- Cultural Music and Dance Performance. We host artistic residencies featuring prominent performers of Asian and African music and dance. Artists from the Centre have offered free workshops and sharings for students and have participated in public seminars and study days, which students are welcome to attend.
Assessment
All modules are assessed, using a format that is suited to the content and structure of each. Assessment methods include essays, portfolios, seminar presentations, lecture demonstrations and performances.
Contact Details
T: 0800 980 3200 or +44 (0)1483 681681
What our students say
Student Profile: Julie Havelund
BA Dance and Culture Level 2
Coming from Denmark, I hardly knew anything about universities in the UK, so I made my decision by reading about the university, and receiving recommendations from other students through UCAS. I was excited, not nervous, about coming to a new country for the first time and I felt welcome at the University straight away.
I was very impressed with the excellent communication between staff and students, and the helpful responses I received from the very beginning. I appreciate the variety of both permanent and guest lecturers throughout the course, as this gives the degrees more variety and pushes us to learn through various methods and different points of view.
I have three very different organisations in mind for my placement year; Tavaziva Dance, which explores merging the two dance styles, African and contemporary. Plus I am very interested in project management, so I’m also looking into Dance Umbrella. Finally I am considering Sadler’s Wells as I would love to work within the theatre world, and already have experience in this area from Denmark.
Previously I thought I would go back to Denmark after my degree but now I am keen to do an MA, possibly in dance therapy or dance management.
During my spare time I take regular classes in contemporary and ballet. I am also the organiser of the CDI contemporary dance classes, as well as dancing and performing with the Actual Size Dance Company. I teach contemporary, gymnastics and aerobics at the University as well as elsewhere in Surrey. Plus, I am the South East Region Student Ambassador for the 2012 Olympic Games.
Graduate Profile: Jo Read
BA Dance and Culture
When visiting the campus at Surrey I felt welcome and safe and could easily see myself studying here. The course appealed to me as it offered the opportunity to study dance in relation to both theory and practice.
I enjoyed my programme immensely throughout the four years on the BA Dance and Culture course. I had the opportunity to study a range of dance techniques including contemporary, African, kathak and ballet. I also became involved in extracurricular activities which supported my studies. I choreographed a piece for the first-and second-year students for a performance, as well as being involved in the admissions process for prospective students.
I would definitely recommend Surrey to other students interested in this subject area the quality of teaching on the programme is outstanding and the staff were inspirational and this remained constant throughout my time at Surrey.
The placement opportunity at Surrey is currently unique to dance courses in the country. During my professional training year I worked at Surrey Arts Dance and the Dance Movement. I was a paid teacher on the community dance programme. Plus I also worked for an extended learning project at a local secondary school, choreographing and teaching 15–16-year-old girls who had disengaged from sport and academic study.
I enjoyed my placement because it equipped me with valuable skills and presented challenges that have prepared me for employment once graduating from Surrey.
I am currently studying for my Masters at Surrey, and working as a choreographer and teacher of dance.
