If you are applying for this course from within the UK click apply now.
Course starts: 19 September 2022Apply now
Close
If you are applying for this course from within the UK click apply now.
Course starts: 19 September 2022Apply now
Absorb yourself in all that dance is, in the North East's dance hub. Adventure into new corners of dance in the studio and beyond. Make connections that last.
This unique course is offered by North East dance organisation, Dance City, in partnership with the University of Sunderland.
The course has been designed by industry professionals and experienced educators to prepare you for a varied and multi-faceted career, focusing on developing a range of dance skills that will enable a sustainable future in dance and beyond.
It’s a challenging course, and will demand much of you physically and mentally across the three years of practice and study, but will also be engaging, immersive and fun!
Dance City graduates are top-class performers, teachers, choreographers, producers and cultural managers. Dance City is proud to be empowering the next generation of dance professionals and we invite you to start your dance career here.
Sessions will take place at Dance City Newcastle, the leading hub for dance in the North East. Library and student support services can be accessed through the University of Sunderland.
If you’re passionate about dance and dream of a career as a professional practitioner, then this course will provide you with the skills, knowledge and experiences you need to excel.
The Dance City BA (Hons) Professional Dance is practically focused and has a strong emphasis on developing your dance practice. You’ll spend most of your study time in the dance studio, taking part in distinctive and challenging technical training.
You'll cover a wide range of classical and contemporary styles and develop knowledge in a number of forms outside the typical training focus, including aerial dance, voguing, bboying and dances of the African diaspora. Working with a range of professional choreographers from around the country, you will gain an understanding of various choreographic processes and learn how to develop your own individual interests and ideas. You'll also learn within four additional strands, through lectures and workshops: Work Placement, Dance Education, Dance Management and Dance History and Analysis. Each area integrates with the broad and relevant nature of the technical elements of the course, together preparing you for a career in all areas of dance.
Teaching methods include a mixture of classroom, practical work, workshops and seminars.
Assessment includes assignments, reports, presentations, case studies and practical work-based portfolios.
For anyone who has a passion for performing, a degree in Performing Arts can be your path to a fulfilling and hugely engaging career. Here at the University of Sunderland, our Performing Arts department has a proud history of delivering quality degrees that are an immersive, enlightening and interactive experience for students.
Read more about studying Performing Arts
We place a strong emphasis on ensuring you have the skills and experience that will catch the eye of a wide range of employers and prepare you to start your career from the moment you graduate. As a result, our graduates have gone on to enjoy careers in a range of varied and diverse careers including performance, management, education and many more.
Learn how to begin your Performing Arts career
Thinking about a creative degree but unclear about the career prospects? Here are some compelling reasons for a career in the creative sector.
Discover some compelling reasons for a career in the creative sector
We don’t currently display entry requirements for United States. Please contact the Student Admin team on studentadmin@sunderland.ac.uk or 0191 515 3154.
We welcome applicants without traditional qualifications. We are open to hearing from any prospective students who feel excited about the course and are willing to commit to its rigours.
In your first week, you will be required to complete an enhanced DBS check with Dance City. Successful completion of this and subsequent DBS enhanced clearance will allow you to undertake placements in schools and with young people. If you are not able to obtain an enhanced DBS check, you will not be able to undertake these placements and alternative placements will be made available to you. If you believe you will not be eligible for enhanced DBS clearance, please contact Dance City direct to discuss your options.
Please note that you will be required to purchase appropriate dance wear.
Experience
Places on this course are limited so you must be able to demonstrate the following: a basic grounding in one or more dance styles, excellent basic coordination, excellent musicality and sense of rhythm, good ability to pick up movement and to push yourself physically, good physical potential, a desire to dance/teach/choreograph as a career.
Audition requirements
If your application is successful you will be invited to attend an interview which includes an audition, held at Dance City, Newcastle. You will be asked to take part in a ballet barre, a contemporary class, and also have the option of performing a solo dance piece in any genre, of no more than one minute in length that demonstrates your strength and ability.
For more information on this course and details of upcoming open days, please visit Dance City.
The annual fee for this course is:
Please note that this course is not available to international students.
Learn more about settled status, pre-settled status, special discounts, visa requirements and Common Travel Area (CTA) agreements for the Republic of Ireland applicants in our Help and Advice article.
Take a look at the Your Finances section to find out about the scholarships and bursaries that may be available to you.
This information was correct at the time of publication.
This course develops skills, knowledge and understanding that will equip you for a range of careers in performance, dance marketing and management, choreography, dance journalism, community dance and technical aspects of production.
Dance City is a vibrant and friendly place where people come together to take part, enjoy, experience and talk about dance; where professional and aspiring dancers meet, learn and train; somewhere to watch world-class dance performances and somewhere for everyone to come along and get involved in dance.
People come to Dance City to socialise, learn new skills, keep fit and active, train professionally and find out more about dance.
This all takes place under one roof, in the purpose-built dance-house, in the heart of Newcastle upon Tyne.
Dance City graduates are working in the dance sector in a number of ways:
Running community dance classes, teaching dance in schools, training in dance rehabilitation and therapy, managing their own dance academies, training to teach dance in schools, studying for MAs in dance and other subjects, and working with regional, national and international dance companies.
Performing dance
Dance City graduates are currently working with the following dance companies: State of Emergency, Verve, Lo-Giudice Dance, Fertile Ground, Rosie Kay Dance Company, Southpaw Dance Company, Kelly Abbot Dance, Mapdance and balletLorent.
Dance education
Dance City graduates are teaching dance and undertaking further teaching qualifications with the following companies: Dance City, Decote Dance School, RGS, and Dame Allen’s School.
Dance in health
Some Dance City graduates are pursuing a career in the health industry including training to become registered therapists in rehabilitation.
Sign up to receive emails about your subject area.
Using Your Personal Information
The University of Sunderland is collecting this data in order for you to receive information on your chosen subject(s). Your information will be stored securely in our Customer Relationship Management system which is provided by a 3rd party and used only for the administration and provision of this information. Should you choose to opt in to further communications we will also use your information to facilitate other useful marketing information based on your preferences. Further information on how your data is stored and used can be found in our Privacy notice - marketing.