Our Dance Practices degree presents a vibrant curriculum that prepares you for a versatile, lifelong career in the dance and creative industries. Our diverse team of industry experts and professional artists will support you in tailoring this dance degree to suit your individual interests. Select from our exit awards in Dance Science and Choreography or develop a portfolio of skills in areas such as dance teaching, collaboration and journalism with the Dance Practices pathway.
The course is designed to help you discover your passions and interests across the field of dance and creative industries. You will be exposed to a range of practice through project-based learning and industry focused learning, equipping you to make your pathway selections in Year 3. The exit awards in Dance Science and Choreography present a defined specialist pathway, whereas remaining on the Dance Practices route offers you a collection of modules to choose from. You’ll have the opportunity to develop various transferable skills through immersive training in dance teaching, collaborative practice, creative performance and dance journalism, all of which will provide you with valuable skills to pursue diverse career avenues in the creative field/s..
A vibrant curriculum, state-of-the-art dance facilities and links to our London connections will help you in your pre-professional development. You will become part of a network of entrepreneurial practitioners and you will receive rigorous practical training in a broad range of dance techniques, project-based experiences that have been mapped to current external practice and experimental collaborative exchanges that engage you with artists and professionals from across the creative field.
You'll develop your professional skills through examining, reflecting and performance. Our four fully equipped dance studios and specialist dance theatre allow you to train in a professional-level environment.
Find out more about our MDX Dance community via @MdxUniDance
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The Year 1 module, The Emerging Dance Artist, is a year-long 120-credit module that provides you with a sound foundation from which to develop. By positioning you at the centre of the learning experience, it lays the fundamentals of effective working practices and encompasses a range of core areas such as dance techniques, choreographic processes and dance-making, contextualisation of current and past practices, cultural identities, collaboration and independent working. You will explore the interrelationship between these components through a portfolio of learning themes that provide lineage and currency to the landscape of dance today.
Your Year 2 modules will further develop your knowledge, understanding and skills of Dance Practices. Each of the four modules has a distinct and specific in-depth focus which is central to the developing artist. The modules together offer the opportunity for you to reflect on your learning within dance practices and shape your pathway into Year Three.
Year 3 will enhance, further develop and allow you to apply knowledge and skills within a professional practice context.
All students follow Year 1 and Year 2 modules on the BA Dance Practices and can remain on that award for Year 3 with a further choice of one 30 credit module from Directed Performance, Creative Performance or Collaborative Practices. And one 30 credit module from Teaching Safe Dance Practice or Dancing Research. You can also choose to study Teaching Safe Dance Practice and Dancing Research together in your final year.
Alternatively, through discussion with your Personal Tutor, toward the end of Year 2 you can either transfer to BA Dance Performance or access one of two exit awards: BA Dance Practices (Choreography) or BA Dance Practices (Dance Science).
This module provides you with a sound foundation from which to develop. By positioning you at the centre of the learning experience, it lays the fundamentals of effective working practices encompassing a range of core areas such as dance techniques, choreographic processes and dance-making, contextualisation of current and past practices, cultural identities, collaboration and independent working. You will explore the interrelationship between these components through a portfolio of learning themes that
provide lineage and currency to the landscape of dance today.
This module develops key academic frameworks of methodological approaches and theoretical perspectives for analysis and interrogation of dance practices and dance works. The module also introduces areas of professional practice, alongside developing your understanding of ethical considerations, strategies and skills required for navigating a journey through the profession.
Through practical work you will explore various dance techniques, enhance your technical and artistic abilities and develop knowledge and understanding of technique and performance. You will learn and perform dance works ranging from twentieth century repertoire to current creations in order to develop an understanding of the principles, methods and processes embedded in dance works and performance.
This module further develops your knowledge and understanding of collaborative creative processes and practices in dance. You will be introduced to different modes of presentation (screen, site specific and theatre) and engage in collaborative processes to produce a creative outcome. The module also introduces different approaches to framing, presenting and disseminating creative work.
This module develops your understanding of the moving body. You will be introduced to common postural changes in dancers, and the effects of this on dance performance. The module will equip you with the skills to recognise the importance of warm up/cool down, supplementary fitness training, and nutrition, for safe dance practice.
This module makes links with the wider dance profession, develops key skills and attributes and engages you in practice-based experiences. Learning through reflection on your engagement with professional practice, you will gain vital employability skills necessary to effectively plan and pursue a career in the creative arts industry.
This module will enhance your dance technical skills. Alongside the technical training, you will be encouraged to reflect how the techniques studied inform your artistic, creative, or educational growth and understanding of dance.
This module enables you to develop research in collaboration with other disciplines; fostering independence and ambition in dance making through dialogue with other artists. You will develop knowledge and understanding of the range and diversity of inter-disciplinary practices. You will engage in the research, invention and planning of choreographic projects.
This module enables you to develop and manage an individually designed practice-as-research project. You will engage with scholarly discourse in the fields of arts research and develop critical thinking through practice. Synthesising current theory in relation to your own emerging artistic voice, the module will allow you to position your work within wider contemporary choreographic landscapes.
This module makes links with the wider dance profession, develops key skills and attributes and engages you in practice-based experiences. Learning through reflection on your engagement with professional practice, you will gain vital employability skills necessary to effectively plan and pursue a career in the creative arts industry.
This module will enhance your dance technical skills. Alongside the technical training, you will be encouraged to reflect how the techniques studied inform your artistic, creative, or educational growth and understanding of dance.
In this module, you will enhance and extend your understanding of safe dance practices and be equipped with the skills to apply and demonstrate these from a practical teaching perspective.
This module will allow you to develop knowledge, skills and methods required to research and present an individually chosen, designed and managed Dance Science related research project. You will be able to pursue a subject that interests you and engage with a topic in greater depth. The module will extend and develop your research skills.
This module makes links with the wider dance profession, develops key skills and attributes and engages you in practice-based experiences. Learning through reflection on your engagement with professional practice, you will gain vital employability skills necessary to effectively plan and pursue a career in the creative arts industry.
This module focuses on the development of a sophisticated understanding and physical articulation of the artistic and technical skills embedded in dance technique. Alongside the technical training, you are expected to advance your physical fitness.
This module will enhance your dance technical skills. Alongside the technical training, you will be encouraged to reflect how the techniques studied inform your artistic, creative, or educational growth and understanding of dance.
This module provides you with an embodied artistic understanding of dance repertoire. You will be challenged to apply and expand
your technical proficiency, acquire stylistic and interpretive skills through engagement with rehearsals in a directed context and explore the multiple layers inherent in the rehearsal process and performance of dance repertoire.
Through engaging with a choreographer you will develop a sense of personal artistic interpretation and an awareness of ‘self’, enhancing your understanding of the role the dancer plays within the creation and performance of new work. You will have the opportunity to investigate, develop and apply varying rehearsal techniques and perform in a professional theatre context.
This module enables you to develop research in collaboration with other disciplines; fostering independence and ambition in dance making through dialogue with other artists. You will develop knowledge and understanding of the range and diversity of inter-disciplinary practices. You will engage in the research, invention and planning of choreographic projects.
In this module, you will enhance and extend your understanding of safe dance practices and be equipped with the skills to apply and demonstrate these from a practical teaching perspective.
In this module, you will have the opportunity to explore, in-depth, a dance-related topic of your choice. Emulating the research field, you will learn to articulate and present findings in written and oral form. Through participating in seminar sessions and one to one tutorials, you will develop key skills and processes embedded in the practice of academic research.
In this module, you will enhance and extend your understanding of safe dance practices and be equipped with the skills to apply and demonstrate these from a practical teaching perspective.
In this module, you will have the opportunity to explore, in-depth, a dance-related topic of your choice. Emulating the research field, you will learn to articulate and present findings in written and oral form. Through participating in seminar sessions and one to one tutorials, you will develop key skills and processes embedded in the practice of academic research.
See the course specification for more information about typical course content outside of the coronavirus outbreak:
Optional modules are usually available at levels 5 and 6, although optional modules are not offered on every course. Where optional modules are available, you will be asked to make your choice during the previous academic year. If we have insufficient numbers of students interested in an optional module, or there are staffing changes which affect the teaching, it may not be offered. If an optional module will not run, we will advise you after the module selection period when numbers are confirmed, or at the earliest time that the programme team make the decision not to run the module, and help you choose an alternative module.
Students from across our Dance courses have produced some wonderful work on group and individual projects in recent years. Have a look below at some examples.
The London Museum partnered with Middlesex University dance students to commemorate the RAF Museum's "First World War in the Air" exhibition.
The RAF museum teamed up with Middlesex University dance students to produce a series of recitals that supported their "First World War in the Air" exhibition.
Inoron - choreography by Dance Studies BA student Charlie Ford.
Choreographer Bethany Holmes talks about the inspiration behind her stunning final year dance piece.
What the Water Gave Me - choreography by Dance Studies BA student Weronika Cegielska.
A degree in Dance from Middlesex opens up a wide range of careers:
There is such a wide range of performance opportunities available to you once you graduate. Recent graduates working both independently and with leading companies such as:
The Resolutions season at the Place Theatre, London continues to feature numerous companies involving Middlesex graduates as choreographers and/or dancers.
After graduation, you might wish to enhance your skills with an internship. Our graduates have taken advantage of a range of dance internships at studios and organisations such as Dance Research Studio, Dance programme Support Graduate Intern at Trinity Laban, Ombetja Yehinga Organisation Namibia, Tanzplatform Rhein-Main Frankfurt, DanceXchange, Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing.
There are also a number of arts organisations you could forge a career with and previous graduates have been successful at One Dance UK, The Lowery Theatre, Creation Box, Move IT, Capezio, East London Dance, DanceXchange, Big Dance Bus, Arts Depot, The Place, One Dance UK, Jackson’s Lane Theatre, London Studio Centre, Activate Performing Arts, Richard Alston Dance Company, Dance4, Blac Canvas, Northern School of Contemporary Dance, National Dance Teachers Association (NDTA), The Royal Ballet School.
Interested in Choreography? Our graduates have worked with the following companies GradLab ACE funded project, Young Choreographer South West, Resolutions!, ACE funded dance artist Leva Kuniskis, Siobhan Davies Dance, Young Artists Advisory Group. Our graduates have also been selected for Young Choreographers South West and worked with Arts Council England (ACE) funded companies as part of GradLab at the Point. Some have even won ACE funding to tour their choreographic works.
There are other sectors you could go into with a Dance degree such as arts administration, the media industries, or the health, fitness and wellbeing industry. Graduates have attained posts at The Place, London Studio Centre, The Royal Ballet School and the Royal Academy of Dance, writing for leading dance journals in the UK, working within the health and fitness industry teaching Exercise to Music and coaching dance/sport related activities
You could further your education with postgraduate study. Many of our graduates progress to Masters level study and beyond, with annual progressions to MSc Dance Science and subsequent internships at Laban, while some hold managerial positions in NIDMS (National Institute of Dance Medicine & Science), One Dance UK and Dance Science lecturing posts at vocational schools. You could also progress into teaching with a high percentage of dance graduates becoming Head of Dance and other teaching posts across the country.
Our Employability Service can help you to develop your employability skills and get some valuable work experience. We provide workshops, events and one to one support with job hunting, CVs, covering letters, interviews, networking and so on. We also support you in securing part-time work, placements, internships, and volunteering opportunities, and offer an enterprise support service for those looking to start their own business.
Anne started teaching dance at Middlesex University in 1994, previous to that she had a long career as a professional dancer with London Contemporary Dance Theatre (under the name Anne Went).
Dr Bernkopf has danced as a professional ballet dancer in Austria, Germany, the Czech and Slovak Republics.
She studied pedagogies of Ballet at the Academy of Performing arts in Prague. She studied for her PhD at the University of Surrey.
,Angela’s artistic practice is concerned with audience relations, performance installation, site specific work and interdisciplinary practice. Her most recent collaborative work will tour internationally in 2019/20.
Helen is a dancer, choreographer and movement practitioner. She specialises in release-based techniques and improvisation and is currently undertaking her doctoral study. Helen has previously served as an executive board member for DanceHE, worked as Artistic Assessor for Arts Council England and is an External Examiner for other HEIs.
Jordan Franklin
Dance Studies BA graduate
Having had experience in the dance industry prior to coming to Middlesex University, the course was able to further my dance knowledge and skills a great deal. It gave me all the necessary tools to become stronger and more physically able in order to better my dance styles within and outside of contemporary dance. It also improved my professionalism, punctuality and organisation.
After graduating I performed in Boy Blue Entertainment's production of Blak, Whyte, Gray at the Edinburgh International and Emancipation of Expressionism in the GCSE AQA Curriculum as shown on BBC2’s Darcy Bussell’s New Dance. In addition to my work as a performer and choreographer I have also taught dance in multiple countries and around the UK, something I was able to continue whilst studying.
Bethany Holmes
Dance Studies BA graduate
Choreographer Bethany Holmes talks about the inspiration behind her stunning final year dance piece, how she came to collaborate with a Music student, and what her time at Middlesex was like.
Cherilyn Albert
Dance Studies BA graduate
I am very grateful for the creative freedom I had whilst studying at Middlesex University. I was able to test my choreographic ideas and take risks, which has already benefited me since graduating. For example, I have presented a developed version of my 2nd year choreography at Resolution! at The Place. I collaborated with a designer of whom I connected with during my 3rd year collaboration project at Middlesex. I was very happy to be invited back to the Dance department to create a new work with 15 first years and alongside that I have been teaching dance to children across London. I am part of YAAG at Siobhan Davies Dance where I'm an advisor, panellist and a co-curator of their youth events. A lot of my time post graduation has been focusing on solidifying my company Instigate Unknown, doing research and development, workshops and performances. Aspirations for the future are being able to spend more time focusing on my company, applying for funding, hosting events and taking our works on tour.
We’ll carefully manage any future changes to courses, or the support and other services available to you, if these are necessary because of things like changes to government health and safety advice, or any changes to the law.
Any decisions will be taken in line with both external advice and the University’s Regulations which include information on this.
Our priority will always be to maintain academic standards and quality so that your learning outcomes are not affected by any adjustments that we may have to make.
At all times we’ll aim to keep you well informed of how we may need to respond to changing circumstances, and about support that we’ll provide to you.
Start: September 2022, EU/International induction: September 2022
Duration: 3 years full-time
Code: W500
Start: September 2022
Duration: 18 months part-time
Code: W49X
