Course length: 1 year

Strengthen your future as a dance educator while learning about the power of creative frameworks in dance teaching. Delivered at our world-leading school with +30 years of specialist dance education knowledge, the MA Creative Dance Education is a key step towards a brighter future in dance education.

The next generation of dance educators has the potential to transform the learning experience of their students. We believe it’s time to move away from outdated teaching styles and following only one dance training curriculum. Evidence-based approaches to dance education prioritise student wellbeing, mental health, diversity and collaboration. There isn’t a single ‘right’ way of teaching dance to students, and we want to empower dance teachers of the future with multiple tools for educating, engaging and growing deep connections with dance.

The MA Creative Dance Education programme is your opportunity to learn a variety of theories and frameworks for dance, education and creativity. You will understand the value of evidence-based approaches to dance education, and you will interrogate the advantages and disadvantages of different methods, so you can find the teaching practice that best connects with your learners. Benefitting from a range of pedagogical experiences, this course enables you to elevate your future as a dance educator. And if you want to pursue Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) or other relevant additional qualifications, you’ll be able to do so through seamless pathways within this course, using your placements to build towards the requirements to reach QTS.

Creativity sparks discovery, innovation and positive mental health – and you will learn how creativity in dance and movement can enhance the experience for learners and for you as a teacher.

With our proud history of dance education and innovation, London Contemporary Dance School (LCDS) is recognised globally for our dance teaching expertise. We’re the only school with world-leading status that exclusively teaches dance. Our building is also a community hub, where we teach children and adults of all ages, plus pre-vocational and higher education learners. As such, your learning will be elevated by direct access to our variety of teaching expertise and one-of-a-kind opportunities to get involved.

Join us to become an adaptable dance educator, ready to apply knowledge and connect with learners in any context, crafting a brighter future for dance education.

How does the course achieve this?

Learn, apply and interrogate

Spread over three distinctive units, the MA Creative Dance Education course invites you to develop your own understanding and ideas of effective dance education. You will start by gaining a comprehensive understanding of international frameworks of dance education and theories of creativity. Understanding how to design and develop meaningful dance classes appropriate to learners’ needs, you'll also observe taught sessions across LCDS and The Place to develop your own insights and analytical skills.

Underpinned by this knowledge, you'll further develop your skills through a placement, where you will plan, design and deliver work as a dance educator. During the final phase of the programme, you will design, plan, carry out and evaluate an action research project, focusing on an area of dance education you are interested in. This is your opportunity to generate new insights into dance education, which can be shared more widely with others in the field.

Strengthen your future as a dance educator and craft a brighter future for learners

Learn theories and frameworks of dance, education and creativity to underpin your future as a dance educator.

Put your learning into practice through placements, which could be at The Place, with the Creative Learning Team, or in the community where you’d like to teach in the future.

Analyse and interrogate an aspect of dance education through a practice research enquiry.

Understand the value of evidence-based approaches to dance education, so you don’t perpetuate outdated practices or a legacy of didactic teaching.

Learn about the relationship between positive dance education, mental health and wellbeing for your future learners.

Benefit from a range of pedagogical experiences to elevate your future as a dance educator. This learning isn’t tied to a specific dance body, but your learning will map over seamlessly, so you can also pursue Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) or other relevant additional qualifications through this course.

Shape adaptable dance educators ready for different contexts

There’s currently a lack of industry-ready dance teachers and a growing and insatiable demand of people (children, young people and adults/older people) who want to learn to dance – in the UK and globally. Prepare now for a future need for dance educators.

Find your place whatever stage of the dance education journey you’re at. You could be a new dance graduate, or a mid-career dance artist ready to pivot to teaching.

Disrupt conventional notions about how dance should be taught, by understanding and interrogating a range of dance teaching methods.

Learn about teaching dance from different contexts, countries, cultures and teaching styles.

Understand how to take an agile and creative approach to dance education.

Enjoy the flexibility to focus on the aspects of dance teaching that appeal to you, while being part of a strong community.

Blend dance education with creativity to elevate the future for all dancers

Explore how creativity sparks discovery, innovation and positive mental health – and how creativity in dance and movement can transform the experience for learners.

Understand how dance educators can stimulate creativity, as well as creative ways of teaching.
Embrace a programme that follows person-centred dance pedagogy, which develops the dancer as a whole person.
Learn how to integrate technical, creative and critical skills through teaching, prioritising student wellbeing.

Provide dance education from the world’s best dance educators

London Contemporary Dance School is a world-leading dance school with +30 years of specialist dance education knowledge. You’ll be taught by renowned educators, who are considered to be some of the best in the industry.

We teach from our building every day of the week – which includes children of all ages and over 60s in community classes, as well as CAT scheme participants and higher education students. Benefit from direct access to our teaching expertise and one-of-a-kind opportunities to get involved.

There is a strengthening research arm of The Place – you could become part of it through your personal research inquiry, helping to drive dance education knowledge forward.