Studiegids

Vision

The program recognises and is built with the idea that today’s dancers draw from multiple interconnected sources and experiences of movement, performance, and choreography. Thus, the term ‘contemporary dance’ is understood as a dynamic process and context rather than a style. It reflects complex histories and current influences, shaped by diverse artists and communities.
The curriculum moves beyond the traditional Western canon, incorporating Euro-American, African, Afro-diasporic, and Street and Club dances. Moreover, the program strives to giving space to what the students themselves bring: their backgrounds, interests and development trajectories and encourages them to think beyond habitual modes of perception and expression.
It combines technical training, artistic creation, and research to prepare students for the evolving world of dance. 

By broadening our perspective and  redefining our understanding of what ‘contemporary dance’ is, we want to offer students a  place where they can explore their singularity, artistic personality and challenge their (world)views. We invite students to think and act as artists with their own voice. In this way, next to being able to work with established choreographers and companies they will hopefully have the confidence to carve their own unique path as artists. They will find perhaps their own way to help create new possibilities to envision the world and to keep dance evolving.
Our hope as well is to continue challenge ourselves as a learning community, working on what dance training and education can be rather than perpetuating the same ideas of what it should be. Since an education is a first stepping stone into a professional dance world, we - ECD students, teachers, staff and guest artists alike - hope to be able to contribute to the ongoing process of diversifying the choreographic canon and newly produced works, and be involved in shaping a workfield based on open imagination, sharp thinking, and above all, equality and mutual respect.