Professional Dance and Musical Theatre

In the first year of study you will study all disciplines in order to develop skills in the fundamental skills required for dance and musical theatre.

• Contextual and Critical Studies 1 (10 credits)

  This module is intended to introduce students to contextual themes, concepts and genres within dance, performing arts and musical theatre which will build a theoretical and intellectual underpinning of the performative and practical aspects of their programme of study and also help to provide students with the necessary subject knowledge to ensure they are a well-rounded performer.

• Contextual and Critical Studies 2 (10 credits)

  This Module is intended to develop and enhance the initial foundation built in Semester 1. It is a great advantage for the modern musical theatre practitioner to be musically literate. Knowledge gained from studying Music Theory will help to increase employability and enable students to function more successfully within professional music and dance rehearsals.

• Dance 1 (40 credits)

  This module provides a comprehensive technical and artistic education essential for any student aspiring to a career in dance and musical theatre. The understanding and performance of each discipline are gained gradually through sustained study across the year. Students are also encouraged to discover their own interpretative skills in order to develop their ability for independent learning.

• Musical Theatre 1 (40 credits)

  Musical Theatre 1 focuses on developing skills within the three main disciplines of musical theatre: singing, acting and voice. The first year of study will equip students with the necessary technical skills in these core disciplines.

• Performance 1 (20 credits)

  The aim of this module is to combine learning in the contextual and technical modules to begin to explore the necessary requirements of an interdisciplinary performer. Students will be given the opportunity to perform within a group setting and learn the basic principles of choreographing a dance solo.

In year two, alongside the core modules, you may choose a more focused study track: triple threat training, singer/acting focus or a more dance-based focus.

• Contextual and Critical Studies 3 (10 credits)

  This module will introduce a range of key concepts and theories in performance studies focusing on the critical analysis of a theatrical work in a variety of different contexts. The module will engage with varying cultural and critical theories, which may include gender, sexuality, race, environment, and approaches to the analysis of performance work drawn from, for example, historicist, semiotic and narrative studies.

• Contextual and Critical Studies 4 (10 credits)

  This module is designed to develop the students’ research skills in preparation for the dissertation in the final year. The module gives students the ability to design, plan and engage with existing research in order to formulate and equip them with the necessary skills to develop an independent research project.

• Dance Solo (20 credits)

  Students will choose one dance discipline in which to be examined. The technical classes in the dance modules underpin the expectations of the specific skills required in each discipline. The focus of the module is to sharpen and refine the student’s ability to replicate and demonstrate choreography with the necessary stylistic nuances as directed by the choreographer and/or module tutor.

• Performance 2 (20 credits)

  Students develop their choreographic skills to consider the integration of text, music and dance and its ability to contribute to narrative development and explore a range of differing dance styles. Students are given the option to perform in either Integrated Performance or the Dance and Choreography Project.

• Track A: Dance 2a (20 credits)

  The aim of this module is to provide a more comprehensive technical and artistic understanding of each dance discipline essential for any student who wishes to progress into a career in dance and/or musical theatre.

• Track A: Musical Theatre 2a (40 credits)

  Musical Theatre 2A aims to further develop and explore the technical requirements of new modes, genres and techniques of musical theatre performance.

• Track B: Musical Theatre 2b (20 credits)

  Musical Theatre 2B aims to further develop and explore the technical requirements of dance-based musical theatre pieces.

• Track B: Dance 2b (40 credits)

  The aim of the module is to prepare students with the necessary technical and artistic skills required for a career as a versatile dancer in all genres, with confidence in singing and acting skills. Students will be given the opportunity to gradually develop a more nuanced and focused awareness of style as appropriate to each dance discipline.

• Track C: Dance 2c (20 credits)

  The focus of the module is on developing the use of dance for an actor-singer where a more nuanced sense of characterisation is required. The emphasis will be placed on equipping students with the skills of finding the motivation behind the movement.

• Track C: Musical Theatre 2c (40 credits)

  Musical Theatre 2C aims to develop and explore a wide variety of genres and styles specific to actor/singer musical theatre pieces.

In the third year, alongside the core modules, continue on your chosen study track.

• Contextual and Critical Studies 5 (40 credits)

  This module aims to focus students’ understanding of current dance and musical theatre practice and scholarship through an extended independent research project. In a supportive learning environment, the students assume responsibility for researching, shaping, completing and disseminating the proposed research project, which can either be a written or practice-based dissertation.

• Performance 3 (40 credits)

  Students will be given the opportunity to work with professional choreographers, directors and musical directors with a varied viewpoint drawn from the professional world. Students will appear in two full-length productions, one being a full-length musical and the other containing a mixture of dance and musical theatre numbers.

• Employability (10 credits)

  The aim of this module is to prepare students for entry into the professional workplace and will introduce the key skills required for auditioning, seeking representation and securing work.

• Track A: Dance 3a (20 credits)

  In Dance 3A students choose two core dance disciplines to focus on, in order to develop and hone the necessary skills required for a Musical Theatre professional. The classes will focus on learning advanced level technical skills which will then be applied to the performance of a taught solo from each chosen discipline.

• Track A: Musical Theatre 3a (10 credits)

  Musical Theatre 3A is designed for Track A students who are developing as ‘triple-threat’ performers and aims to prepare them for acting and singing auditions. The focus is on vocal delivery, acting techniques, sight-reading skills and the demands of preparing appropriately for auditioning in the Musical Theatre industry.

• Track B: Musical Theatre 3b (10 credits)

  Musical Theatre 3B is for the dancers on Track B, who need to develop accompanying skills in acting and voice for auditions. The module aims to equip students with a portfolio of materials that can be used for a variety of audition contexts.

• Track B: Dance 3b (20 credits)

  In Dance 3B students choose two core dance disciplines to major in, and a third discipline as a minor option. The selection of three areas of focus encourages increasing versatility in Track B dance students, whilst also allowing them to develop their individual strengths in particular genres.

• Track C: Dance 3c (10 credits)

  In Dance 3C students choose one core dance discipline to focus on, offering students the opportunity to develop a greater understanding of the dance skills required as a singer or actor in Musical Theatre.

• Track C: Musical Theatre 3c (20 credits)

  Musical Theatre 3C is for those students on Track C, who are developing specialist skills in acting and singing. This module comprises three disciplines: singing for audition, acting for audition and acting for camera. As versatile vocalists, students will be expected to demonstrate a full range of expertise across given repertoire categories that represent the musical theatre canon.