HNC Performing Arts (Dance) (Level 4) — Full-time

This course is perfect if you have a talent and passion for dance and want to pursue a career in this industry.

It offers you the ability to refine your skills, taught predominantly through practical exploration, rehearsals and performance opportunities whilst meeting the demands of the workplace, nurturing your technical and creative talents.

You will collaborate on a number of projects over the course of the year and still have the time to investigate your individual potential as a creative artist, teacher or performer. This vocational training course focusses on building strength and confidence in a broad range of practical skills, underpinned by theory and in response to contemporary and current practice.

The curriculum will be taught in units where skills and knowledge will be assessed. As the students become more proficient in their studies they will be able to draw from knowledge and skills learnt across a range of modules to demonstrate a more rounded and holistic approach to dance. The cognitive, practical and transferable skills learnt will help prepare the student for progression, whether continuing in education or in the workplace. The course is mainly practical with theoretical sessions to support development of the practitioner in creative and educational settings to the extent that it concentrates upon the fundamental factors that determine success.

Units will include:

• The Performing Arts Industry - developing awareness of various job roles within the performing arts industry. It will also include health, well- being and self- promotion of the dancer.
• Professional development - exploring the many potential avenues of employment that relate to individual specialist skill sets, particularly in areas such as performing and teaching. Current sector and employment skills are areas that will help develop skills, interests and professional development.
• Dance Techniques (Contemporary, Jazz and Ballet). Weekly classes in all three disciplines will encourage a wider range of knowledge and understanding. It will also broaden physical awareness, develop core strength, co-ordination, line, placement and flexibility along with the requisite artistry and musicality. To underpin your knowledge further, students will be expected to deliver a class in a preferred style.
• Choreography - giving the dancer an overview of choreography, establishing an understanding of what goes into dance making and how to measure one’s own skill as a choreographer, developing an understanding of choreography in relation to different career pathways.
• Investigation of specialism – providing an opportunity to deepen your knowledge by exploring a chosen style or genre of dance through theory and practical research, resulting in a solo presentation.
• Devising Theatre and Performance – gives the opportunity to work as a company to create and perform a piece of devised work which will be performed to a live audience in a variety of settings such as schools or the local community.

Nottingham College is proud to have been awarded the Teaching Excellence Framework Bronze Award for high quality student experience and outcomes. You can read more about this on the Office for Students website.