MA Dance and Professional Practices
Full-time
One year
September 2025
In a nutshell
The MA Dance and Professional Practices offers a unique blend of creative and professional development tailored specifically for portfolio dance artists. You will develop creative practice across four key strands: Teaching, Choreographing, Performing, and Producing. With guidance from experienced industry professionals and respected academics, you will connect your values, skills, and attributes to forge your artistic identity. This course empowers you to thrive both independently and collaboratively, supporting versatile and innovative dance artists to realise their potential.
MA Dance and Professional Practices is industry focused and reflects the wide-ranging roles undertaken by dance graduates, preparing you for diverse industry opportunities. You will work collaboratively on projects which combine your skills as a performer, educator, producer, maker and facilitator with opportunities to showcase your work with your artistic community and the public.
Dance at Salford is a community of lecturers, students, artists in residence, alumni artists and visiting professionals who work together to provide a professional training and education to support your career aspirations. As a postgraduate dance student studying at Salford, you'll have access to vibrant local dance scene with links to local venues and dance organizations. We'll create collaboration and networking opportunities through live dance and music events, as well as access to discounted supplementary training and live performances, creating space to engage with like-minded creative artists.
Find out more by signing up for an upcoming Open Day.
You can also follow our Dance@Salford Instagram account and find helpful FAQs, learn more about student life at Salford or explore all our Dance courses.
International applicants: Please check the international intakes page for the latest information and application dates.
You will:
- Gain expertise in small-scale company /project development, tailored for freelance work.
- Develop your unique creative voice through focused workshops and mentorship.
- Enhance your teaching practice, fostering confidence in educational and community settings.
- Develop your chorographic voice and collaborative practices.
- Acquire entrepreneurial skills to help support, manage and sustain your work.
- Master a portfolio of dance proficiencies to diversify your practice/artistry and enhance employability.
options available
students accepted
01
03
This is for you if...
You aspire to work as a small-scale company, responding creatively to briefs that challenge and innovate your practice.
You’re eager to master versatile skills across Teaching, Choreographing, Performing, and Producing.
You’re seeking a practical industry-responsive MA which focuses on real world learning.
You wish to deepen your knowledge of effective teaching facilitation and learner engagement.
You aim to cultivate producing skills that empower you to support, fund and manage independent projects.
You thrive in collaborative environments and embrace the opportunity to work with participants and artists from diverse backgrounds and disciplines.
All about the course
This program is tailored to empower and equip you for a successful portfolio career in the dance industry. You will explore four key areas of practice: Teaching, Choreographing, Performing, and Producing, combining these skills to realise creative projects that are innovative, artistically relevant, industry responsive, and promote access and engagement in dance. The programme is led by a team of academics with extensive industry experience and guided by expert industry professionals.
You will refine your creative voice and connect your skills to create, teach, and produce work both independently and collaboratively. You will engage in creative projects that simulate industry standards in dance production and education and participate in residencies and learning opportunities with professionals. The inclusion of an industry placement supports real-world learning and helps you develop professional networks. Ongoing dance technique training fosters continuous practical development and embodied learning.
The curriculum emphasises practical skills and industry understanding and is delivered primarily through seminars and workshops, with you working both individually and collaboratively. Over three trimesters, the focus shifts from direct instruction to self-directed projects, culminating in a Final Major Project.
Find out what you’ll cover in each module by taking a look at the full course breakdown below.
Advanced Dance Practices
This module is designed for postgraduate students seeking to advance their technical skill and creativity. You will participate in technique classes to enhance your physical preparation, engage in choreographic and repertoire workshops, and refine your reflective practices. Practical learning will foster your professional development as a dance artist while encouraging personal growth. The module includes interactive workshops and seminars that provide critical, theoretical and historical insights into choreographic practice, enhancing your embodied knowledge and skills. You'll focus on reflective practice to support your ongoing growth and autonomy within the dance field.
Collaborative Practices
This choreography module focuses on conceptual, practical, and contextual explorations while encouraging collaboration among you and your fellow students. You’ll begin with a 20-hour intensive to explore collaborative devising practices and methodologies. You’ll then work as a small company to research and develop your own project, working with a supervisor to refine your creative projects and culminating in practical presentations of your work. The module integrates professional choreographic practices with contemporary trends in the field, providing you the opportunity to deepen your artistic approach and work to a creative brief.
Professional Career Practices
In this module, you'll develop as an emerging dance artist through three key strands: Pedagogy, Producing, and Industry Practices.
In the Pedagogy strand, you'll engage in practical classes and workshops to enhance your understanding of workshop development and teaching strategies for diverse client groups, addressing current challenges in dance education.
The Producing component, delivered through lectures and seminars by industry professionals, will provide essential knowledge of the performance industry, covering funding, programming, and audience development to prepare you for a dynamic dance career.
In the Industry Practices strand, you'll undertake work-based learning with an organisation or artist aligned with your career goals. You will complete a case study research project, culminating in a presentation of your findings, linking theoretical knowledge with practical application through rehearsals and project planning. This module will deepen your understanding of industry procedures and the theory behind them.
Final Major Project
In the Final Industry Project module, you will immerse yourself in real-world dance experiences by participating in a small-scale collective, engaging in external projects at venues across the North West, including a dedicated MA Dance showcase in New Adelphi. Throughout the course, you will collaborate with industry partners, engage in technical rehearsals, and deliver workshops, all while honing your skills in choreography, production, and audience development. You assume various company roles to create impactful dance events that align with community outreach programs. The module emphasises the practical application of learning, industry networking, and critical reflection, culminating in a comprehensive Final Project Portfolio that cases your research and creative outputs and demonstrates your growth and professional readiness in the dance industry.
Please note that it may not be possible to deliver the full list of options every year as this will depend on factors such as how many students choose a particular option. Exact modules may also vary in order to keep content current. When accepting your offer of a place to study on this programme, you should be aware that not all optional modules will be running each year. Your tutor will be able to advise you as to the available options on or before the start of the programme. Whilst the University tries to ensure that you are able to undertake your preferred options, it cannot guarantee this.
BE A PART OF A CREATIVE, SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITY
All our Dance courses are delivered by the Salford School of Arts, Media, and Creative Technology. We are a creative community with a focus on creating a collaborative environment where you can thrive and gain the skills needed to pursue your dreams.
Our Engagement Team coordinates school-wide events such as the Create Student Awards, academic conferences, networking and volunteering opportunities, welcoming and wellbeing fairs and exhibitions like our annual Degree Show.
For non-course matters, you will have access to our university-wide support service askUS, who will support and guide you to be successful in all aspects of your life.
Throughout your time at Salford, you’ll be mentored and supported by experts. And once you graduate, it won’t end there. You’ll join a thriving alumni network across Greater Manchester and beyond, meaning you’ll be supported professionally and personally whenever you need it.
Meet the dance teaching staff
Sarah Jane Lockwood, Programme Leader of MA Dance and Professional Practices
Sarah is an experienced dance artist with a background in community arts and performance, dance pedagogy and socially engaged practice. When not lecturing at Salford, she works as a professional dance artist and project evaluator, delivering activity for a range of education and community arts providers across the North of England. In her previous post with Ludus Dance, Sarah worked as a Creative Programme Manager, delivering/managing a range of projects in grassroots, community performance, inclusive dance and talent development contexts. In recent years she has delivered projects in collaboration with Grand Theatre Blackpool, Ludus Dance, The Electric Sunshine Project and Maelstrom Theatre.
Contact Sarah Jane Lockwood or explore the Dance faculty at the University of Salford.
DANCE FACILITIES
This MA Dance and Professional Practices degree course is based at our £55 million New Adelphi building, the home of performance and creativity on campus.
Our range of performance facilities include:
Dance studios – our industry-standard studios are where you’ll spend much of your time, honing your skills in a professional environment to best prepare you to enter the world of dance.
New Adelphi Theatre – this 350-seat venue provides opportunity for you to stage performances in front of live audiences. It also regularly hosts professional shows and performances.
Studio theatre - this classic black-box performance space offers a more intimate venue than the New Adelphi Theatre. It features flexible seating and staging, so you can shape the space to meet your creative needs.
Explore our Dance facilities at New Adelphi, or take a 360 tour of our New Adelphi building.
What about after uni?
Our MA Programmes are well respected in the industry, with graduates going on to work with Move Manchester, Burnley College, St. Bedes College, Youth Zone Chorley, Z Arts, Active Tameside, Fallen Angels Dance Theatre, Axial Dance (Manchester Pride and Manchester Day Pride), Walk the Plank (Green Spaces Dark Skies), The Lowry Creative Education Team, Die Cast Mcr and Coalesce Dance Theatre.
Dance@Salford is a community of lecturers, students, artists in residence, alumni artists and visiting professionals who work together to provide a professional training and education to support your career aspirations. As a postgraduate dance student studying at Salford, you'll have access to vibrant local dance scene with links to local venues and dance organisations. We'll create collaboration and networking opportunities through live dance and music events, as well as access to discounted supplementary training and live performances, creating space to engage with like-minded creative artists.
By pursuing a Master’s in Dance and Professional Practices, you'll be well-prepared to build a career as a versatile dance professional. You can work freelance or within established companies, taking on roles as a creative educator, maker, producer, or engaging in a portfolio career that includes arts marketing and administration.
Graduates have successfully secured funding and employment with organizations such as Company Chameleon, Fallen Angels Dance Theatre, Move Manchester, Burnley College, St. Bede's College, Youth Zone Chorley, Z Arts, Active Tameside, Axial Dance, Walk the Plank (Green Spaces Dark Skies), The Lowry Creative Education Team, Die Cast MCR, and Coalesce Dance Theatre. We take pride in the fact that some of our graduates have developed their own companies and have received ACE funding as well as other national arts grants.
Studying on this course will provide you with a wide range of transferable skills applicable to various roles and industries. You will learn how to generate, develop, and present your ideas to a professional standard, while also gaining strong research and evaluation skills that are highly valued by employers.
Further study
Graduates showing strong academic and research skills can pursue a further academic research path through our doctoral (PhD) programmes on a full-time or part-time basis subject to a satisfactory proposal.
Career Links
This Master’s degree in Dance Performance has links with a number of strategic bodies for Dance in the UK including Joss Arnott Dance, The Lowry, Company Chameleon.
Our annual dance artist-in-residence scheme which has included companies such as Company Chameleon, Hawk Dance Theatre, Kapow Dance Theatre, as well as independent dance artists. As part of this scheme, our dance students benefit from workshops, apprenticeships, performance and project opportunities, mentoring opportunities. Each academic year, we run a range of Masterclasses to develop your knowledge of the wider dance ecology and to assist you in developing your personal career trajectory. Recently, this has included work with artists such as New Adventures, Gary Clarke, James Wilton Dance, Natasha Gooden, Faye Stoeser and Gemma Nixon, among many others.
As part of the annual tour, your will also be performing at a range of UK venues and working with industry professionals at each. In addition to personal networking, this will strengthen your understanding of the variety of venues for dance performance in the UK.
What you need to know
APPPLICANT PROFILE
Are you an enthusiastic and inquisitive dance artist eager to elevate your creative practice and enhance your career prospects? If so, we invite you to explore our MA in Dance and Professional Practices, tailored for dancers at all stages of their career. We are seeking applicants who have either been working professionally or have completed a related undergraduate course.
We are looking for dedicated individuals who are committed to pursuing a career as a dance creative. Candidates should be open to exploring and interrogating various processes of creation, production, teaching, and performance, as well as engaging in rigorous independent research.
To apply for the MA in Dance and Professional Practices, you will need to submit a personal statement and meet our entry requirements. Your personal statement (up to 500 words) should address the following:
- What motivates you, and what current dance experience do you have?
- How have you engaged in the dance community, and what specific contributions have you made?
- Which artists and dance professionals inspire you?
- What drives your desire to work in the performance and dance sector?
- In what ways will this specific MA program help you progress towards your career aspirations in dance?
As part of the application process, you will also need to provide a portfolio of work and participate in an online audition and group interview, either live or recorded. Your submission should include:
Portfolio:
- 3-5 minutes of digital footage links showcasing relevant examples of your working practice and/or your movement, accompanied by a recorded introduction (self-tape) to your digital portfolio. In your introduction, please articulate your role in the work presented (dancer, choreographer, teacher), the theme or focus of the practice, and provide context for the work.
Examples of footage links may include:
- A showreel featuring multiple aspects of your work
- Technique class footage (all dance training styles accepted)
- Teaching footage, whether with a group or an example of solo teaching practice
- Solo or group choreography
- Digital performance work
CV:
- An up-to-date CV detailing your dance education, training, and professional experiences to date. Please include a link to your professional website and relevant links that showcase your work.
If you have professional social media accounts, we encourage you to include links to platforms like Instagram, Vimeo, and YouTube
Once you submit your application, we will reach out to inform you of the next steps. We look forward to hearing from you and supporting your journey in dance.
Standard entry requirements
To join this MA you should have a second class honours degree, 2:2 or above.
International students
If you are an international student and not from a majority English speaking country, you will need IELTS 6.0 with no element below 5.5. We accept qualifications from all around the world. Find your country to see a full list of entry requirements.
We also accept a range of other English language qualifications. If you do not have the English language requirements, you could take our Pre-Sessional English course.
Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL)
We welcome applications from students who may not have formal/traditional entry criteria but who have relevant experience or the ability to pursue the course successfully.
The Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) process could help you to make your work and life experience count. The APL process can be used for entry onto courses or to give you exemptions from parts of your course.
Two forms of APL may be used for entry: the Accreditation of Prior Certificated Learning (APCL) or the Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL).
How much?
| Type of study | Year | Fees |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time home | 2025/26 | £9,100 per year |
| Full-time international | 2025/26 | £17,000 per year |
Additional costs
You should also consider further costs which may include books, stationery, printing, binding and general subsistence on trips and visits.
Scholarships for International Students
If you are a high-achieving international student, you may be eligible for one of our scholarships. Explore our international scholarships.