Dance (BA)

Aims

The main educational aims of the programme are the following:

1. To provide intellectually and creatively challenging courses which fulfill the personal development of students and are founded on scholarship, artistry and research.
2. To enhance participation, guidance, support learning and teaching policies which fulfill the needs of a diverse student community at high standards of achievement.
3. To develop in students a blend of knowledge, experience, transferable skills and capabilities through a curriculum and intellectual/artistic environment that strengthens their employability and provides the foundation for further study.

Objectives

The main educational objectives of the programme are the following:

1. To provide students with a high level practical, theoretical and artistic education in the field of dance
2. To provide a conceptual framework of dance as reception, applied (kinaesthetic), and creative process which will enable students to appraise and appreciate the wide operative range of the field
3. To equip students with the knowledge, the technical skills and artistic competencies (kinaesthetic/physical, spatial, creative, perceptual), which would enable them to enter the market as versatile professionals
4. To provide students with the knowledge and skills with which to conduct in-depth inquiries and research in fields of dance, relating dance to social, cultural and political events, past and current
5. To prepare students for a realistic career prospect in dance performance (contemporary dance based), dance composition/choreography, dance theory and research, dance history (including a cultural approach to dance), movement analysis, dance education, and ensemble directing
6. To prepare students for postgraduate study in various areas of dance.

Career Prospects

The art of dance is unique in that its primary medium is the body itself. In conjunction with the creative and analytical mind, movement can be an active, transformative prism in any aspect of life. This characteristic has, since antiquity, rendered dance an immediate and basic way for people to communicate, celebrate, express emotions, reach the divine, experience freedom and catharsis, or simply partake in the joy of movement.

For many of these reasons dance remains a prominent part of modern, and, in turn, Cypriot society. Yet, like all the arts, dance is characterised by the changes, trends and challenges that reflect modernity. Residing in a number of social contexts and bearing specific functions within each, from contemporary and abstract art, to commercial advertising, to popular culture, to traditional practices and to entertainment – dance offers a broad realm of creative and professional opportunities. Not-for-profit dance organisations, dance troupes, contemporary dance, ballet and traditional dance festivals, and dance education programmes are on the rise in Cyprus and in Europe, receiving both public and private funding. On the other hand, more mainstream and commercial dance (in conjunction with pop music, video and social/club dancing) is a fast-growing area of business both nationally and internationally.

Professionally, the contemporary conditions regarding dance mentioned above are an advantage.

Due to the current diverse nature of the field of dance, its stark popularity and its rapidly evolving character locally, regionally, and internationally, there is a need for competent graduates trained for technical proficiency, innovation and versatility. Career opportunities for such graduates include performing, teaching, choreographing, arts management, arts/dance education programme and policy writing, dance writing and criticism and academia. More specifically, employment can be found in sectors such as primary and secondary education, tertiary education, private arts, public arts administration, and non-profit organisations. Finally, the unexplored areas in the field, waiting to be discovered and developed, undoubtedly provide exciting, promising prospects for the young dance performer, artist and educator.

Access to Further Studies

Graduates of the programme can be accepted into Second Cycle degrees (Master’s Degree).