Choreography (MFA)

Program Overview

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The MFA Choreography Program at the University of Roehampton, London offers a transformative two-year experience for aspiring choreographers. This program emphasizes developing artistic practice, advancing creative and technical skills, and fostering connections with industry professionals. Through a collaborative environment and guidance from renowned faculty, students refine their vision and build a portfolio of original choreographic works.

Program Outline

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Degree Overview:

This MFA program is designed to fast-track your career in the exciting creative field of choreography. It champions individuality, delivers competitive advantage, and prioritizes skill development. The program emphasizes the development of artistic practice through advancing creative, technical, and performance skills.

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Objectives:

• Refine artistic practice through a series of self-directed choreographic projects.
• Develop a portfolio of work showcasing individual choreographic vision.
• Gain expertise in technique classes, choreography workshops, laboratory sessions, dialogue, writing, and reflection.
• Build connections with dance companies and creative organizations.
• Benefit from the mentorship and teaching of experienced staff.
• Study with highly experienced in-house and visiting artists and tutors.
• Develop work alongside a creative community of peers.

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Outline:

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Program Structure:

• Duration: 2 years
• Credits: 240 credits
• Delivery: Full-time

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Course Schedule:

• Year 1:
• Compulsory Modules:
• Mediated Choreography
• Practice-as-Research
• Dance Practice 1
• Dance Practice 2
• Choreography
• Year 2:
• Compulsory Modules:
• Applied Lighting and Production
• Philosophy and Performance
• Optional Modules:
• The Performance of Heritage: Dance in Museums, Galleries and Historic Sites
• Dance Facilitation in Social Context
• Independent Research Module:
• Choreographic Thesis

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Module Descriptions:

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Year 1:

• Mediated Choreography: Explores choreography and media, focusing on intermediality, transdisciplinarity, and technological mediation.
Students conceive of art that works at the edges of disciplines and with bodies in mediated spaces.
• Practice-as-Research: Introduces and interrogates artistic practices as a method of research.
Students question conventions for conducting research and pursuing artistic practice, understanding that artistic processes can generate knowledge and be applied in various contexts.
• Dance Practice 1: Provides a framework for exploring movement potential using various approaches.
Technical, performance, improvisational, and interpretative skills are addressed through action, imagination, observation, and questioning.
• Dance Practice 2: Deepens technical and artistic understanding, exploring movement potential using a range of practices.
Students critically interrogate their technical knowledge of dancing and deepen their awareness of communicating movement.
• Choreography: Interrogates existing choreographic practice through a collaborative and constructive laboratory environment.
Students investigate choreographic identity and question the shifting roles of a choreographer.

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Year 2:

• Applied Lighting and Production: Focuses on developing holistic production values and conceptual lighting design.
Students investigate the relationship of potential and limitation, exploring how production and light impact choreographic process and presentation.
• Philosophy and Performance: Covers philosophical themes and encourages students to critically interrogate their dance practice.
It explores concepts, theories, and assumptions underpinning dance and performance, empowering learners to question, challenge, and transform artistic fields.
• The Performance of Heritage: Dance in Museums, Galleries and Historic Sites: Investigates the use of dance as an interpretive tool in museums, galleries, and historic sites.
Students explore how contemporary dance performance can be used to interpret past contexts of production and performance.
• Dance Facilitation in Social Context: Explores socially engaged participatory dance, equipping students with the understanding of principles and practices of community dance.
Students learn how to facilitate dance in various contexts and understand how dancing can become a meaningful activity for non-professionals.
• Choreographic Thesis: Students complete an independent choreographic vision using original research, supported by tutorials, peer review, and open rehearsals.

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Teaching:

• Teaching Methods:
• Mentorship and teaching by experienced staff.
• Practical workshops, laboratory tasks, offsite visits, feedback sessions, seminars, and tutorials.
• Collaborative and constructive laboratory environment.
• Self-directed choreographic projects.
• Faculty:
• Highly experienced in-house and visiting artists and tutors.
• Unique Approaches:
• Emphasis on developing a portfolio of work showcasing individual choreographic vision.
• Focus on advancing creative, technical, and performance skills.
• Strong connections with dance companies and creative organizations.

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Careers:

• Potential Career Paths:
• Independent artist
• Dance teacher in higher education
• Dance curator
• Dance event organizer
• Opportunities:
• Teaching in higher education in the UK and abroad.
• Outcomes:
• Graduates are found working as independent artists in London, Berlin, and New York.

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Other:

• University of Roehampton London is ranked No.

• The campus has superb studios and a state-of-the-art theatre for dance students.

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Tuition Fees and Funding

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September 2024 entry tuition fees (UK)

| Level of study | Full-time | Part-time | |---|---|---| | MFA | £14,438 | £7,580 |

• average fee per year

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September 2024 entry tuition fees (international)

| Level of study | Full-time | Part-time | |---|---|---| | MFA | £24,675 | £12,954 |

• average fee per year