MA Dance: Performance

The inaugural year of the MA Dance: Performance programme, this pioneering new course was launched under the leadership of Tom English, Tina Afiyan Breiova and Andrew Sanger. A talented and vibrant group of 26 students from around the globe came together to form Cohort 01 and to dive into a rigorous year of training, performance projects and academic study.

The students worked extensively with high profile project leaders from the contemporary dance sector, including choreographers and movement directors such as Hannes Langolf (Repertory Project), Theo Clinkard (Research and Development Project), Alexandra Reynolds (Movement for Film Project), Jenna Jalonen (New Repertory Project), Benjamin Jonsson (Movement for Fashion Project), PALETA (Music Video Project), AΦE (Experimental Technology Project) and course leader Tom English, assisted by Emma Farnell-Watson, for a special Creation Project with neo-soul singer Kymara and guitarist Louis Bell. Live and digital performances across the year allowed the students to engage with new and exciting ways for interacting with audiences, alongside the development of a deep community of practice amongst the cohort.

The students also enjoyed workshops and seminars led by acclaimed international teachers such as Jozef Frucek and Natalia Pieczuro (Fighting Monkey Practice), Horacio Macuacua, Edivaldo Ernesto, Dickson Mbi, Lucia Chocarro, Liam Francis, Vanessa Vince-Pang, Emma Farnell-Watson, Natalia Gabrielczyk, Samuel Hall, Ponciano Ponciano, David Kam and Amarnah Amuludun.

In the final independent unit students spread out across the globe, organising placements and residencies, attending workshop festivals and meeting with their individual industry mentors. Finally, students returned to London for their final assessments to complete their MA qualification, before embarking on their exciting next steps as freelance international dance artists.