Overview
"Subject to Validation"
Professional Dance BA (Hons) is an intensive, vocational dance degree programme for performers who want practical and versatile training rooted in dance-industry principles and practices. Taught by industry professionals, it’s designed to develop highly skilled, technically proficient, creative and employable individuals.
Expect a full-time timetable with up to 30 hours a week across five days. You will be led by professionals with extensive industry experience, with strong links to agents, choreographers, casting professionals and dance companies.
Year 1 – Train: foundations in commercial, contemporary, ballet, jazz, tap, singing, fitness and flexibility, acro, singing and anatomy.
Year 2 – Advance: further development of your dance technique from first year towards a professional standard, while also gaining transferable skills, such as Dance-for-Camera and Teaching Skills
Year 3 – Launch: getting ready to transition into the dance industry through professional shoots, showreel, self-tapes, industry portfolios, professional audition and showreel.
The Arden’s Professional Dance degree provides rigorous training in an inclusive and supportive environment that values individuality, consistency and creativity – equipping our students with skills and tools to transition into the dance industry.
- City Campus Manchester
- Full Time
- 3 years
- September 2027
Staff profile
Natalie Maloney, Programme Leader, is an experienced dance educator specialising in higher education, vocational training, curriculum development and employability. Holding a Level 7 PGCE (M) in Dance, she has taught at institutions including Arden School of Theatre, Kate Simmons Dance, The Hammond School and Shockout Arts. Her leadership experience, including Head of Jazz and Commercial at Kate Simmons Dance, provides expertise in curriculum design, quality assurance and student progression.
Tomas Simon is a performer, choreographer and senior higher education practitioner with extensive experience across commercial dance, television and live events. His professional credits include work with Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Taylor Swift, Ellie Goulding, Alexandra Burke, Kelly Rowland and The Saturdays, alongside choreography for television, commercial campaigns and international events. He holds an MEd in Sports Science and Psychology, is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA), and is completing a PhD in Dance Biomechanics. His teaching combines industry practice with expertise in anatomy, biomechanics and injury prevention.
Dr Belinda Grantham is a lecturer, researcher and dance practitioner specialising in choreography, cognitive science and neuroscience. A Senior Fellow of Advance HE (SFHEA), she brings extensive higher education experience, including programme leadership and external examining. Her research explores creativity, embodiment and audience perception, enriching choreography and dance education through research-informed practice.
Nicola Rowell is a lecturer and dance practitioner whose international performance career includes major cruise lines, Tokyo Disneyland and the London Palladium. She supports students in developing technical proficiency, professional behaviours and employability skills aligned with industry expectations.
Sandro Franchini is a dance artist, choreographer and educator with over 20 years of international
Academic Entry Requirements
• Full level 3 qualification in a relevant subject
• We strongly recommend that all applicants have GCSE English Language and Mathematics grades A*-C or level 9-4.
• Mature applicants (aged 21 or over) who are able to demonstrate relevant skills or knowledge gained in employment or vocational activity will be considered and may be invited to interview.
• If English is not your first language, you will need an IELTS score of 6.5 with a minimum of 5.5 in all skills, or equivalent.
• 96 UCAS points for Level 4 entry OR completion of relevant FdA/HND for level 5 and 6 entries
Non-Academic Entry Requirements
All applicants must undertake a successful audition, comprising of a self-tape solo piece, practical workshops, and interview.
What will I be studying
Year 1: Choreography (40 credits)
Study key choreographers and compositional methods to create your own jazz and contemporary work.
Year 1: Commercial Dance Techniques (20 credits)
Develop commercial, acrobatic and street dance skills, ending in a group performance project.
Year 1: Contemporary Dance Techniques (20 credits)
Explore contemporary technique, repertoire and creative tasks, ending in a group performance.
Year 1: Skills for Dancers (20 credits)
Fitness, conditioning and functional anatomy to prevent injury and sustain your career, plus 1-to-1 singing lessons.
Year 1: Theatre Dance (20 credits)
Build secure foundations in ballet, jazz and tap, plus professional studio discipline.
Year 2: Advanced Commercial Dance Techniques (20 credits)
Raise your versatility in commercial, acrobatic and street styles through a performance project.
Year 2: Advanced Contemporary Dance Techniques (20 credits)
Refine technique and improvisation, performing repertoire and original work.
Year 2: Advanced Skills for Dancers (20 credits)
Apply evidence-informed fitness and anatomy, and develop your singing further.
Year 2: Advanced Theatre Dance (20 credits)
Refine ballet, jazz and tap with more complex vocabulary and professional performance standards.
Year 2: Dance-for-Camera Project (20 credits)
Learn filming and editing to create your own dance-for-camera piece.
Year 2: Teaching Skills (20 credits)
Design, deliver and evaluate safe dance sessions, preparing for teaching and dance captain roles.
Year 3: Industry Readiness and Showreel (40 credits)
Create a showreel, self-tapes and portfolio, and learn about agents, contracts and self-employment.
Year 3: Professional Audition and Showcase (20 credits)
Perform in a Graduate Showcase and a professional audition in front of agents.
Year 3: Professional Practice (40 credits)
Industry masterclasses, then a chosen strand in performance, teaching or choreography.
Year 3: Professional Shoot (20 credits)
Perform in three professionally produced dance-for-camera projects with external creatives.
How will I be assessed?
Assessment on this degree is designed to reflect how the dance industry works today, so every task you complete prepares you for professional life.
In the studio, practical technique assessments show your growing skill, versatility and artistry across styles. On stage, performance projects and your own choreographic works show you as a technically competent and creative artist. Through dance-for-camera and digital performance, you’ll create work for screens and online platforms, where so much of today’s dance is made, shared and seen. You’ll also prepare for casting the way professionals do: you’ll attend auditions and record self-tapes to the standards that agents, companies and casting directors expect. Presentations and viva voce examinations build your ability to talk about your work with confidence and insight. Reflective evaluations help you develop the self-awareness and critical thinking that support a long, sustainable career.
As you progress, you’ll build a professional portfolio, a showreel and a digital toolkit that present you to employers and collaborators. Teaching practice and workshop delivery prepare you for the varied freelance careers many dance artists now build. Collaborative, industry-focused projects give you real experience of working in creative teams, often with practising professionals.
By graduation, you’ll have shown, in authentic and professionally relevant ways, that you’re ready to step into the industry.
Course Associated Costs
• £475 for uniform and dance shoes at the beginning of your studies
• Laptop - £300 (optional, it’s possible to work on computers on campus)
• Optional extracurricular events, trips, and competitions – up to £100 per year
• Books and printing: £50 per year
• Industry Portfolio headshots in 3rd year: £150
No audition fee – Arden has removed all audition charges to ensure accessibility for all applicants
No showreel fee – each student receives a professionally filmed and edited showreel in 3rd year.
All students are subject to UCEN Manchester’s Terms and Conditions from the date they accept an offer to study here. The UCEN Manchester Admissions Policy and Procedure can be found here.