Study BA (Hons) Dance at Déda

As part of your application to this course, you will be required to audition and interview.

• 300 UCAS points, of which at least 220 will be from core A2s (full A levels) or equivalent qualifications such as BTEC Diploma, International Baccalaureate, Scottish Highers etc.
• We'll accept up to 40 points towards the total from level 3 qualifications such as AS levels (where those AS levels are not taken on to A2 level), the Extended Project, Graded Dance or Vocational Graded Dance qualifications, Music qualifications or Gold Arts Award (TCL).
• We don't accept points from Key Skills Level 3. If you have any questions about what is or isn't accepted, please contact the University of Derby Admissions team.
• We also accept the Access to HE Diploma.
• Points at level 3 will be in addition to 5 GCSEs at grade C or equivalent level 2 qualifications.

The fees for the course will be £9,000 for the year 2015/16 entry.

The course will provide you with skills for your career as a professional Dance Artist; concentrating on being a performer, choreographer and dance teacher. You'll learn in Déda - the East Midlands’ dedicated Dance House. You'll have opportunities to present your own work in Déda Theatre, with full professional technical support and mentoring.

Four key strands create the signature of the course:

1. the development of knowledge and understanding of choreography

2. technical dance training and performance enhancement

3. development of  excellent performance skills in a wide range of contexts

4. the study of dance historically and sociologically including the process of producing dance

Teaching and learning will be through a mixture of taught classes, guided practical sessions, group discussion, studio-based independent learning, reflective journal making, theatre visits, research-based essays, rehearsals, informal and formal sharings, presentations and dissertation.

Teaching will be delivered by expert lecturers who are practising artists in the dance industry.

BA Dance at the University of Derby will give a unique experience of learning within the working environment of the East Midlands' dedicated Dance House. Based at Déda, professionally equipped studios and new purpose-built facilities will provide the ideal environment for students to engage with the dance profession through teaching, producing and residencies.

Alongside this, Déda's sister company Déda Producing will provide opportunities to work on a wide range of events, from large outdoor spectaculars to more intimate productions presented at regional venues. Students will learn first-hand how a production is conceived through to presentation along with how it is financed, instilling an entrepreneurial instinct – a necessary quality working in the arts sector currently.

This specialist degree will develop you as a high quality technical Dance Artist for performance, entertainment, theatre or film. You will also have the opportunity to apply the skills you've gained in a range of community, health and education settings to enhance your skills as a dance teacher.

There will be opportunities to present students' own work in the Déda Theatre with full professional technical support and mentoring.

Stage 1

Fundamental principles of choreography
History of Western Performance Dance
Introduction to Dance Technique and Performance Enhancement
Introduction to Performance Skills

Stage 2

• Developing your Performance Skills
• Exploring Current Choreographic Genres
• Exploring Current Dance Practice
• Exploring Dance Technique and Performance Enhancement

Stage 3

• Advanced Dance Technique and Performance Enhancement
• Applied Performance Skills
• Dance and Professional Practice
• Independent Study in Dance

As a student on this course, you will also join the creative community of the Faculty of Arts, Design and Technology at the University of Derby – an energetic and exciting learning environment.

Students will make use of excellent links within the arts sector, as Déda is an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation and a member of the National Dance Network.

Déda is the dedicated professional Dance House for the East Midlands region and as such has strong formal links with the arts sector. Déda is an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation and sits on the National Dance Network. Professional memberships include Dance UK and the Foundation of Community Dance. The organisation has extensive links with leading UK dance companies such as the Akram Khan Company and National Dance Company Wales.

Sister company Déda Producing creates work for a variety of settings and currently has a focus on large scale outdoor projects. A key part of the student experience will be the opportunity to be involved with all aspects of part of these projects, including performance, production and administration.

Déda Producing is also a touring associate of Without Walls, a consortium which produces work nationally for festivals and the outdoors.

There is a need within the UK Dance Sector for highly trained technical dancers and dance teachers who also have an understanding of how the industry operates. Current professional dance artists are required to operate as sole traders with a working knowledge of their physical practice but also how to run their business.

The aim of this course is to produce capable and versatile dance professionals who can adapt to the needs and demands of the dance sector, applying their learning to working in a range of professional, community, health and education settings.