DANCE courses at Salford
Dreaming of a career where you can express yourself through dance?
If so, a dance course from the university of Salford has you covered.
Unleash your talent and creativity
When you study a dance degree course with us, you will call the £55 million New Adelphi building home. It’s where you’ll find industry-standard facilities and a team of supportive and experienced tutors to help you unleash your talent and creativity.
You’ll be able to specialise in the areas of dance that interest you, develop your dance practice on your own or in collaboration with other ambitious students in the School of Arts Media and Creative Technology. At the end of it all, you’ll graduate with a portfolio of work and the confidence you’ll need to make an impact from day one of your new career.
Read on to find out what Dance courses we offer, and where they could take you.
Undergraduate courses
Spend three years exploring the areas of dance that interest you. You will gain an understanding of the general skills you’ll need, and as you progress, you’ll get the chance to shape your degree how you want to.
Postgraduate courses
These courses will allow you to build on your undergraduate and work experiences to further develop your skills and job prospects in a specific area.
What dance styles do you study?
When you study on a Dance degree course with us, you will train in a range of dance styles that support your development as a performer, choreographer and teacher. These include: Contemporary Dance; Contemporary/Commercial Fusion; Ballet; Pilates; Jazz; African Dance Styles; Yoga; and Dance Theatre. As you progress through your studies and enter your second year, you will also have the opportunity to learn Aerial Dance Skills.
Will there be professional networking events and opportunities during my studies?
Our dance teaching staff teaching style is industry-focused as they have been employed or are still employed in the industry. During your dance studies, you will meet and be taught by a wide range of dance professionals, many of whom will be part of your core teaching team.
During each academic year, you will also participate in professional masterclasses and industry-focused events, both on campus and at arts venues across Salford and Manchester. Here you can meet, dance with, and network with other dance professional artists and strengthen your knowledge of the dance scene.
Can dance students book studios out of lesson time?
Yes, the studios are available for student bookings in the evenings and on Saturdays, when not being used by curriculum lessons.
Am I allowed to attend classes outside the University?
All students get at least one opportunity per semester to perform their work in the New Adelphi theatre for an audience. This is sometimes to a live audience or is filmed for a digital stream.
We also encourage you to be part of choreographic work with other year groups and our MA students. This will deepen your choreographic experience and offers increased performance opportunities.
What do your graduates go on to do after graduating?
We have successful alumni who are advocating for dance as a vital element of everyone’s cultural experience. Our ambition is to support our graduates, so they are highly employable Dance Professionals working across the spectrum of dance employment.
Graduates have gone on to work with dance companies and organisations such as: Phoenix Dance; ACE Dance and Music; Beijing Dance Theatre; Yorkshire Dance; Footlights; Hawk Dance Theatre; Joss Arnott Dance; Dance4; Movema; and Merseyside Dance Initiative.
Graduates have also set up their own dance companies and created and performed work in venues nationally. We have graduates who embrace self-employed portfolio careers combining performing, teaching and project managing. Many graduates have developed successful careers as teachers in schools, colleges and the private dance sector.
Other graduates take their dance experience to new levels and set up health and well-being businesses or work in companies where their creativity and passion are highly valued as key employability skills.
What's the professional background of the Dance teaching staff?
The dance teaching staff have all had or continue to maintain a career in professional dance. Some have been performers, some have run their own dance companies, some have been involved in community dance and youth dance. All are passionate about the art form and are active in the advocation for the value of dance in everyone's lives. The dance team also have a university background and have continued their education into advanced Masters level study and are Fellows of the Higher Education Authority.
Do you have a social media account that I can follow?
Yes, we are active on Instagram: DanceatSalford and Facebook DanceatSalford.
You may also be interested in following our MA Dance Performance company Emergence on Instagram: Emergence_Dance.
Get in touch, we would love to hear from you.
Do your dance students get to collaborate with other courses?
Yes, we encourage you to collaborate with students on other courses in the school. We have a module that explores this called Interdisciplinary.
We have recently been working with music students on developing our skills as dance improvisers and are excited to be running a monthly event in central Manchester.
There are multiple opportunities to get involved in activities beyond what’s offered on our dance degree programmes. An excellent way to meet other students is by participating in one of the many performing arts and music student societies.
Are there any additional costs apart from course fees?
There are no additional fees, but we encourage you to watch as much live dance and theatre as possible. Often we receive discounted and free theatre tickets, but there may be times when you need to find these yourself. We also have a Dance At Salford branded clothing that you can purchase.
How do I know which course to pursue?
We understand that choosing a degree can be difficult. Start by thinking about which area interests you most and what job you can see yourself doing in the future. You’ll then be able to see which of our courses match up best with your ambitions.
However, it’s important to remember that with most degrees the skills you learn are transferable to other disciplines and when you graduate with us, you’ll have learnt a full range of skills to prepare you enter this fast-paced industry.
Which influential alumni have graduated from your dance degree courses?
Many of our graduates have shaped successful careers within the creative sector. One of which is Emilie Lahouel, a proud graduate from our BA (Hons) Dance course. Emilie was awarded with the University of Salford’s Alumni Achievement award for her creative contributions to the arts sector.
Explore our facilities
When you study Dance with us, you’ll get access to industry-standard facilities in our £55 million New Adelphi building and in our new multi-purpose studio in Maxwell. The facilities are geared towards helping you harness your creativity, with everything from Dance studios spaces to the New Adelphi Theatre. Not sure how something works? Don’t worry, our team of experts will ensure you'll get the most out of using our Dance facilities at the University of Salford.
Dance studios
Our industry-standard studios are where you’ll spend much of your time honing your skills in a professional environment to prepare you best to enter the world of dance.
New Adelphi Theatre
This 350-seat venue provides an opportunity for you to stage performances in front of live audiences. It also regularly hosts professional shows and performances where our students get to perform at least twice a year.
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 area to meet your creative needs.
Discover the New Adelphi building
Why study Dance at Salford?
You'll join the Salford School of Arts, Media & Creative Technology. Our focus is to ensure that you have the skills you need to pursue your dreams, and we encourage our students, past and present, to collaborate with each other and achieve great things.
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.
We’re proud of all the equipment, hardware and software we have, but we know that it can be daunting if you’re unfamiliar with it. No matter what level of experience you start with, our team of tutors and technicians will be able to help and guide you.