Post 18 training

[Pups_mum]

Sorry this could be a bit long, but I would really value some advice. DD is in lower 6th at a good academic school currently working towards her AS levels.Up until very recently she has been adamant that she didn't intend to pursue dance as a career. She doesn't have the ideal classical ballet body and isn't really interested in MT,despite having a good singing voice, so she had pretty much ruled a dance career out. However, as the end of schooling gets closer she is rethinking somewhat. She has always put her dancing before anything else, since she was a pre schooler and I think she is going to find it very hard to suddenly change that.So she is now wondering about applying for post 18 training. Problem is, we don't really know where to begin. Quite a few of her friends have gone away at 18 but all to MT colleges, whereas DD just wants to dance. Ballet is her first love, but she knows she's not cut out for a purely classical career so would want to do a mix of ballet and contemporary ideally. I think she should give it a go as better to try and fail than to spend the rest of her life wondering "what if...?" It really needs to be a degree though- firstly because we would not be eligible for a DaDA and need student finance, and secondly because her alternative plan is primary school teaaching.as far as I can tell she should be ok to do a PGCE after a BA in dance so that would leave her options open.

Any advice, suggestions on courses to look at or pitfalls to beware of would be greatly appreciated.My husband is highly sceptical which is another problem, so anywhere I can find evidence to help convince him that a dance degree is worth as much as a more traditional subject would also be a big help. Thank in advance for all information and advice offered.

[Ellie]

Sorry I don't have much time to post ! But off the top of my head I'd say look at Rambert / Laban / Northern and the RAD BA in classical ballet. Good Luck. x

[Guest]

I would also have a look at ballet west as well. Very good school and does a degree x

[Circe]

Central, enbs and elmhurst appear to also accept applications at 18, but there are other attractive options at 18, Laban, london contemporary if have an interest in contemporary plus lots of other perhpas more general dance degree programmes egRoehampton, Falmouth.

[Katymac]

& London Studio Centre which is a mix but lots of Ballet/Contemporary

[Pas de Quatre]

For contemporary also look at Chichester & a new BA at Pavilion Dance Southwest in Bournemouth starting 2015.

Edited January 29, 2015 by Pas de Quatre

[Nana Lily]

London School of Contemporary Dance is a good course, still an opportunity to carry on with classical. They are coveted by student finance, but it is a private college, so the student finance won't cover the full fees. Good luck.

[SBallerina]

You can check Royal Conservatorie of Scotland. They do a BA in modern ballet!

[taximom]

I would echo the royal conservatoire of Scotland, Northern Contemporary and London Vontemporary Dance all ope which are fully funded by student finance and degrees. They are not private schools. labantrinity Laban is also a possibility but not too much classical work. LCDS and Northern do ballet for contemporary dance, I expect Lapban do but I don't know.

 

Heather

Aka Taximom

[Flit and float]

RCS is a classical course, don't be confused by the modern! It's not the same as Northern Contemp Dance, for instance. There is the Scottish School of Contemporary Dance in Dundee (I think I've got the exact name!)

[aballetlife]

these have probably all been said but just in case;

 

ballet west and Hammond have a mix of ballet/contemporary/jazz and both offer degree courses, also Royal Conservatoire. 

there's also London Studio Centre, kate simmonds, LIPA, performers, Elliott Clarke, Bodyworks, Rambert, but im not sure which offer degrees or other forms of education.

 

(musical theater wise there's Urdang, Italia Conti, Millenium, Laine, Bird, just in case!)

[Pups_mum]

Thanks all. Lots of food for thought there. Can anyone enlighten me about what a dance degree at a "normal" university involves? DD is sceptical but I feel we should investigate all options before writing anything off.

[2dancersmum]

Have a look at Edge Hill University and its details on the BA Dance course.

http://www.edgehill.ac.uk/study/courses/dance#details

 

DD and I have noticed when looking at dance companies that graduates from Edge Hill seem to keep popping up everywhere - as performers, choreographers and teachers.

 

I think really for universities she would need to look at course details and attend open days, as with any university degree.

 

Trinity Laban gives a very detailed breakdown of their degree on their website (BA in Contemporary Dance) as a point of comparison with a vocational university course. They all do classical ballet as part of the course.http://www.trinitylaban.ac.uk/

 

The level 6 diploma itself is roughly 25% academic and she could also use their specification as a point of comparison.http://www.trinitycollege.com/site/?id=270

 

This is really all just research though and it is only by visiting or attending open days that she would really know if the place and course were right for her. Though I think university courses and the RAD BA Honours course often have placements where she could build experience of working with children for her PGCE

[aileen]

Does your daughter want to be a teacher if she is not a dancer? What subject would she teach? I thought that you had to have a degree in the subject that you were going to teach or are you referring to a PCSE leading to a career as a primary school teacher?

[Pups_mum]

Yes that's right Aileen, it's primary school teaching she is interested in, and as far as I can see any BA or BSc is ok,plus GCSEs must include at least one science as well as maths and English language. She is a good all rounder academically - pretty competent at everything but not outstanding in any one sphere which I think is quite ok for a primary teacher. I'm just not sure she has the passion for any of her academic subjects to study them exclusively for 3 years which is why I want to explore the dance degree idea. If she gets to perform to any level it would be wonderful, and if not she still has her other plan open to her. Plus I suspect she will work harder towards a dance degree than say history or psychology which are her other main options.

[Circe]

I have a friend who's dd did a dance degree at University.  She really enjoyed the course and it also gave her the opportunity for a term dance/studying overseas.  It was contemporary/creative/choreographic in focus and the dd is now tutoring dance for the same university and has set up a small contemporary company with a couple of other graduates.  I don't think she is raking in the money but she seems to be enjoying herself and doing what she wants to do. 

So it really depends on the course being offered and your own objectives/aspirations.