This course is validated by University of the Arts, London
The Certification of Higher Education (CertHE) in Preparation for Contemporary Dance is a foundational course, designed to refine your dance knowledge through daily embodied physical practice, focussing on preparing you for higher education in dance. It also enables you to develop key skills across core dance practices which you may not have experienced before.
The programme will:
Include introductions to dance science and periodisation as a framework to support individual development and learning to prepare you for further study. The various dance practices will develop core skills in technical dance practice, rehearsal and performance.
Focus on developing the foundational physical principles required for dance training grounded in health and fitness components.
Mentor you through the Athletic Development pathway alongside your developing understanding of Principles of Professional Practice.
Introduce you to improvisation practices for the development of creative skill; you will experience performance through live sharings and a special artist-led project which will be showcased as a curtain raiser for BA Graduation Shows.
Introduce you to self-reflective practice and goal setting to support progression and development in both studio-based and contextual practices.
Support you with applications, auditions and admissions workshops to progress with further study at LCDS or other Higher Education institutes with degree courses in Contemporary Dance.
Key Information
Units
Unit 1: Foundational Movement Principles
In this unit, you will be introduced to the course and its aims. You will explore basic movement principles centred around alignment and placement as utilised within safe dance practice. You will experience a variety of dance practices from different cultural backgrounds. In addition to your technical classes, you will be given support in understanding how to apply to programmes of further study to align with application cycles.
Unit 2: Developing Physical Practice
You will begin to increase your individual physical knowledge through an increased intensity of practices alongside focused physical support. You will be introduced to creative practices such as improvisation and choreography to begin to discover your own artistic voice. Alongside practical skills, you will begin to develop a contextual understanding of where you sit in the wider field of contemporary dance practices.
Unit 3: Introduction to Process and Performance
In this unit, you will be led by a professional artist enabling the exploration and discovery of the relationship between technical and creative practices. This artist-led project will be presented as part of a showcase to give you an introduction to working professionally and collaboratively.
Block Teaching
Throughout the year, you will be learning using block teaching – a method which allows you to focus on one unit at a time instead of several at once. You will have space to focus on one unit before moving on to the next, allowing you to focus solely on the content and the assessment of that unit.
Entry Criteria
1 GCE A Level (or equivalent)3 GCSE passes at grade 4 or above (grade A*-C)
OR (one or more of the following)
International Baccalaureate Certificates at grade 4 or above – two at ‘Higher Level’ and one at ‘Standard Level’
International Baccalaureate Diploma
Pass at UAL Extended Diploma in Art and Design
Pass at Access to HE Diploma
Pass, Pass, Pass at BTEC Extended Diploma
Equivalent EU or Non-EU qualifications
Fees
How to Apply
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.