BA (Hons) Contemporary Dance Performance

In the second-year elective units you will focus on exploring the relationship between music and dance, with the opportunity to develop an independent choreographic project. In the final year of the course, you may take on the role of a choreographer in fully developed professional productions, working within interdisciplinary artistic teams on projects like Collaborations.

In the second-year elective units you will deepen your technical proficiency of specialist dance techniques and challenge yourself to meet the demands of professional repertoire. In the final year of the course, you will have additional opportunities to perform in front of public audiences in fully developed professional productions, working with your peers in multi-disciplinary teams and with professional choreographers.

In the second-year elective units you will begin to take responsibility for leading teaching spaces to ensure the development of safe and positively motivated learning environments. You will experience a diverse set of participants across different teaching programmes. In the final year of the course, you will have the opportunity to work as facilitators in participatory arts projects and engage in outreach activities connected to multidisciplinary performance projects, for example co-creating choreographic work with youth dance companies.

In the second year elective units you will discover and develop new skills in producing, management and event organisation. You will act as producers for the work of your peers, under the supervision of professional producers. In the final year of the course, you will have the opportunity to work as producers, rehearsal assistants, marketing officers, production managers as part of multidisciplinary performance projects with your peers and professional artistic teams.

During the Admission Workshop we will be looking for your ability to engage in creative processes, demonstrating imagination, resourcefulness, and adaptability. We also want to see if you understand dance in its wider context and a potential for development of technical capabilities and performance skills. The Workshops are designed to give you the best opportunity to demonstrate your individuality. This is your time to show us what kind of dance artist you want to be and to question whether London Contemporary Dance School is the right place for you.

Dance Experience

You will have experience in contemporary dance and/or other dance forms, including hip hop and associated styles, ballet, south Asian dance practices, and dances of the African diaspora. You might experience dance as a medium to express yourself and as a creative outlet.

You will be considering a career in the dance industry or more broadly the arts.

We look for:

• Ability to engage in creative processes, demonstrating imagination, resourcefulness, and communication skills
• Understanding of dance in its wider context, i.e. awareness of critical issues relevant to dance
• Potential for development of technical capabilities and performance skills

Academic Requirements

1. Three GCSE passes at grade 4 or above (grade A*- C)

2. One or a combination of the following accepted full level 3 qualifications:

• Passes in 2 A Levels
• Pass, Pass, Pass (PPP) at BTEC Extended Diploma (preferred subjects include Dance, Performing Arts or Musical Theatre)
• Pass at UAL Extended Diploma
• Access to Higher Education Diploma
• Equivalent EU/International qualifications, such as International Baccalaureate Diploma

English Language

English Language IELTS level 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in reading, writing, listening, and speaking

Student Visas

If you are an overseas student, you might require a Student Visa to study with us.

Tuition Fees:

£9,250 – UK Home Fee per year*

£22,000 – Overseas Fee per year*

*The course fees are subject to change from 2025/26 year onwards. They may also be increased in further years of study in line with inflation.

Find out more about our financial support for your studies.

Stage 1 – Online Application Form
First, you must complete our online application form where you input details about yourself, your educational and dance history, as well as a personal statement about why you want to join LCDS. We encourage you to complete your application form at the earliest possible as submissions will be viewed on a first come first served basis. Admissions Workshop dates and destinations for Sept 2025 entry will be updated here soon.

If you have a questions or need some help with the application form please get in touch with the Admissions Team.

Stage 2 – Admission Workshop
If you meet the application requirements, you will be invited to an Admission Workshop (online or in person depending on your location), where we will set creative and improvisation tasks, as well as host a seminar-style discussion as a whole group. All details of what to expect from the Admission Workshop will be sent to you via email from our admissions team.

Stage 3 – Interview
You will be interviewed by one of our faculty here at LCDS during your Admission Workshop. We will send you the questions prior to the interview so you will have time to prepare. After your interview, the Admissions Team will be in touch via email (approximately two weeks after your interview date) with an outcome.

If you need extra help, be that academic, financial or in other forms, please get in touch with the Admissions Team. This is part of our commitment to ensuring people from all backgrounds have access to dance education. We do not discriminate on grounds of age, sex, disability, ethnicity, or religion. We only think about your readiness for the course.

We also welcome applications from people with a disability. We encourage you to inform us of any access requirements you may have on the application form (for example relating to dyslexia, a physical or sensory impairment or mental health condition), and this will help us make any necessary, reasonable adjustments for the Admissions Workshop and during your time studying.

For Sept 2025 entry, London Contemporary Dance School will be hosting admissions workshops at the following locations:

Mumbai, India - 25 Jan 2025
Newcastle, UK - 18 Jan 2025
Singapore - 08 Feb 2025
Nottingham, UK - 08 Feb 2025
Belfast, UK - 17 Feb 2025
The Place, London*
Global (Online)*

*If you select The Place, London or Online as your location of choice on the application form, our admissions team will assign you a date and time on a first come, first serve basis as demand for attending admissions workshops at The Place, London is high and places get filled fast.

If you cannot attend any of the dates listed above, contact our admissions team at admissions@theplace.org.uk

Dance Practices

You will be exposed to dance practices from various cultural backgrounds both physically and academically, exploring histories and cultural contexts to ensure holistic training and artistic development. You will often be split into groups of 25 with some classes in full or half year group depending on the practice.

The curriculum explores Euro-American, African, and South Asian dance practices, including but not limited to:

Ballet aimed at contemporary dancers
Release based work
Cunningham based work
Floor work
Popping
Flying Low and Passing Through
Gaga
Hip-hop
Bharatanatyam based work
Kathak based work
Improvisation
Contact improvisation
Partner work
Capoeira
Authentic jazz

Most classes are accompanied by live music.

Choreography

At the school, you will learn to broaden your perspective of what choreography is and develop tools to create work. You work with each other and people outside of LCDS, giving you the opportunity to collaborate with other art forms like design, music, or film.

Contextual Studies

Contextual Studies puts contemporary dance in context. It helps you to find your own voice and way of thinking about dance. It introduces you to debates from areas like; art theory, philosophy, cultural studies, and history, and considers contemporary dance within the broader cultural landscape. Contextual Studies gives you the skills to interpret dance and reflect critically on your dance practices.

Extra Curriculum

You can get involved in student-led initiatives. Student societies create the opportunity to get together socially with other students across year groups and courses. Students are supported to develop, create and promote their societies and initiatives and are also given the resources with which to run them. Many of the societies at LCDS are dance focused, for example the opportunity to choreograph or focus on a particular practice. We also have groups that focus on self-discovery and advocacy.

Your voice is an essential part of LCDS life. You have the chance to become a year group representative, playing a vital role in shaping The School and your time here. There is also the opportunity to work as Teaching Assistants for the Centre for Advanced Training and Classes and Courses programmes, as well as become front of house staff in the Robin Howard Dance Theatre and in the library.

At the London Contemporary Dance School, our BA (Hons) in Contemporary Dance Performance integrates the principles of periodisation within our course design, teaching approaches, and overall student experience.

Periodisation is the strategic planning of 'peak' moments—such as performances or assessments—where students aim to perform at their optimal physical and psychological capacity. This planning also includes strategically placed rest periods to facilitate recovery after intense activities, monitoring class intensity throughout the term to prevent fatigue and burnout, and scheduling 'deload' times (periods where the intensity of training is reduced) following high-intensity periods to allow for reflection and a gradual decrease in physical and psychological demands.

Our curriculum design incorporates these periodisation strategies to ensure students are well-prepared for significant moments like performances while avoiding burnout. By strategically increasing physical and psychological capacities—such as technique, fitness, and resilience—we aim to reduce injuries and enhance overall wellbeing. Dance science education is a core component of our program, providing students with a thorough understanding of periodisation. This knowledge, combined with practical experience, equips students to confidently apply these strategies in their future careers.

We conduct longitudinal research (studies conducted over a long period to observe changes and gather data on the effectiveness of our methods) to continuously evaluate and improve our periodisation strategies. This research includes feedback from student focus groups, training load monitoring (measuring and tracking the amount and intensity of physical activity over time), wellbeing surveys, injury tracking, and fitness profiling.

Our findings inform our teaching and student support practices and are shared nationally and internationally within dance education, higher education, and dance science communities. By embedding periodisation principles in every aspect of our program, we strive to support our students in achieving their highest potential, both during their time with us and in their future professional endeavours.

Do I need to choose a pathway at the point of application?
We ask you to give an indication of one or more pathways you may be interested in. If successful in the admissions process, you will receive an offer for one or more of our pathways, at which point you will be asked to make a choice about which pathway offer to accept. However, it may be possible to change pathways after you enroll up until the middle of year 2, provided you show aptitude for your desired pathway and there are still spaces available on your desired pathway.

Are the pathways capped?
We require a minimum of 6 students enrolled onto a pathway to run it, however there is no cap on the maximum number of students on any pathway. We anticipate a large number of students to choose the Advanced Physical Practice and Choreography pathways at the point of admission, with many shifting to the Education and Communities or the Producing and Arts Management pathways as they learn more about those fields in year one.

Do I need to have prior experience in my chosen pathway to apply to this course?
No. You just need an interest in developing further knowledge and experience in this area. At the point of admission we are looking for your potential.

Will my degree title include the pathway I choose?
Yes, the pathway will be included in brackets after the main course title. It is up to you whether you wish to include the brackets on your CV; this may depend on the future job or further course of study you are applying for.

Will I get to participate in performances if I don’t choose Advanced Physical Practice?
Yes, there are many performance opportunities across the three years which are common and core across the programme, whichever pathway you choose. The programme is Contemporary Dance Performance, so everyone will get experiences of this and be enabled to develop all the required skills to work as a dance performer.

Will I have to audition in year 2 to be selected in my chosen pathway?
No there will be no additional audition at any point in the process. Students will be supported and guided by staff throughout their studies to make an informed choice.

What happens if I am not eligible for my preferred choice of pathway?
At the point of application, we are only looking for your interest and potential in a particular pathway. In the rare instance that you are not eligible for your preferred choice of pathway, you may receive an offer for one of the other pathways.

Can I choose to be part of multiple pathways?
Not formally, but all pathway learning materials will be available on our virtual learning environment for all students to engage with if they are interested. There are lots of opportunities to learn with and from students on other pathways, and/or to take on roles in projects that may sit outside your pathway, so you can create a unique learning journey for yourself where you do get experience in the other areas.

Can I choose to not be part of any pathway?
Offers are made for one or more of the pathways. However, you are only eligible to receive the bracketed degree title if you have completed sufficient elective units, placements and/or professional roles in projects to demonstrate competence within the pathway area. In the rare event that a student has completed all the credits but does not meet these requirements, they will simply receive the general degree title.