MA DANCE, SOMATICS AND DANCE SCIENCE

The MA Dance, Somatics and Dance Science is an immersive 12-month full-time programme designed for students with an undergraduate degree in dance or dance science with a particular interest in somatic approaches to dance practice. The interdisciplinary perspective explores the confluence (and potential divergence) of a somatic and scientific approach to dance practice. The programme is aimed at dancers and graduates who have had some experience of dance science and/or somatics but who want to extend their knowledge and studio/applied/experiential practice to gain the necessary skills to pursue a career which may fall within or use expertise in either or both of these disciplines.

On the MA Dance, Somatics and Dance Science you will develop an awareness of your own movement potential in terms of structure, function and efficiency from both a somatic and movement science perspective as well as develop the experiential and scholarly language required to reflect and critically document your practice. These specialist skills can be applied in professional, community and educational dance contexts, as a dance artist, pedagogue, practitioner and/or researcher, for example.  Creative, critical and reflective skills, which are integral to this programme, also afford transferability to a range of employment contexts as valued attributes in a dynamic and ever-changing world.

The programme is immersive and demanding in nature, requiring both practical and theoretical enquiry while interrogating first and third person perspectives within dance practice. This approach necessitates a certain maturity, a willingness to delve into complex phenomena, and an acceptance of periods of uncertainty and ‘not-knowing/unknowing’. Specialist tutors delivering across the modules will guide you through this experience via your weekly sessions and with one-to-one tutorial support, as required. Alongside the module-specific tutors, a range of departmental and University-wide academic and pastoral support is also available.

The core modules offer focussed learning in Scientific Principles of Practice, Awareness in Motion, Examining Practice: Subjective Perspectives, along with Dissertation.  In addition to the core modules, you may select three optional modules to support and complement your studies.  Optional modules include Technical Dance Practice, Improvisation in Professional Contexts, Pedagogical Approaches, Awareness in Performance, Applied Dance Science: Case Study and Principles of Motor Learning for Dance.