Studying dance at degree level - answered by Instep Dancers!

With the increasing number of Instep dancers going onto study dance university and specialised dance colleges this weeks blog post gives and insight into what it is like to be a dance graduate and hopes to advise and future insteppers considering a career or future education in Dance.

Over the past 20 years dance has become an increasingly more popular degree to study and now hundreds of universities and specialist colleges in the UK and overseas offer dance at a degree and diploma level. No course will be exactly the same; some will have a strong focus on teaching, others performance and some choreography so it is always important to make sure you are applying for a course that best suits you. However all good courses will address different avenues within the dance industry giving students a chance to explore other opportunities than the obvious dancer/teach choreographer option such as dance administration, dance movement therapy and community dance.

Its always reassuring to get advice from friendly faces, and so here’s what three talented ex insteppers have to say about going on to study dance at a degree level …

Beth Dare is currently studying Dance at the University of Chichester. Beth is in her third year and says ‘I wanted to study dance at a degree level so that I could continue to perform as I grew to love it from my many years at instep. It's given me the opportunity to broaden my horizons in both technique and theory aspects of dance and now I am part of the university’s touring dance company 3fall which I am looking forward to beginning next year’

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Jacob has graduated with a BA (Hons) in Dance from the University of Chichester and has continued studying for his MA in Dance Performance. When asked why he chose to study dance Jacob said ‘I can't really answer the question of 'why are you studying dance, more simply than because I love it. It's the only thing that captures my imagination to the point where I cannot sit in a car listening to music without thinking about choreography. After completing my GCSE's and A-levels at Brockhill (and performing in Instep), going on to study dance at university felt the complete natural thing to do.

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Elle Weekes is in her second year at Laban on the Dance Theatre degree course. She was answered the question what is it like studying dance at a degree level?

‘One word that sums this up in my experience so far would have to be ‘INTENSE’. The practical side of the degree course is not only extremely demanding but also a huge enjoyment of those who feel that dance is essential within their everyday life. The theory work and research is very interesting and allows me to be open minded when it comes to viewing dance as an art form; by being exposed to many different works and choreographers it allows me to draw upon how dance has evolved, in whicj I feel influences my creative practice. The main reason I chose to study dance in higher education is simply because I LOVE to dance. I couldn’t imagine a life without dance and being able to dance everyday is an absolute joy.’

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Dance UK’s website offers great advice on different places to train, courses, and funding for studying Dance at an advance level follow the link below to find out more … http://www.danceuk.org/resources/faqs/professional-dance-training-and-careers/