The study programme’s vision statement makes it clear that a student’s goal is to create and dance in performances. This is the profession they aspire to. During performances staged at school, the full range of a student’s dance and performance skills are addressed, in a situation that resembles professional practice as closely as possible. Working with a choreographer, developing a professional attitude as a dancer / performer (also during the creative process), collaborating with other dancers and gaining insight in dance concepts and composition, are all steps in a process that students in all year groups of the study programme undergo. In the course of their study, students are expected to assume increasingly more responsibility for the creative process so that after graduation they can profile themselves as strong and independent professional dancers.
Both national and international choreographers from the contemporary work field are invited to work with students. From the very first year, students work to develop the way they present themselves and stage performances. Throughout the course, students give presentations in an informal setting in front of their teachers and colleagues - for example - to conclude subjects such as improvisation, composition, movement research, partnering or physical theatre drama.
In addition, students gain performance experience in more theatrical settings. That process starts in the first year when students present their personally created solos (conceived during the subjects Music Theory / Rhythmic Education and Movement Research). In November / December the students work on creating a repertoire for the so-called Mid-Term performance. At the end of the first year, students collaborate with a professional choreographer to create a piece.
During the second year, presentations are held in two separate periods (November / December and May / June) The students, who work with professional makers, first concentrate on developing their dance theatrical ability while the second time, emphasis is more on physical prowess. In the second year, students make a duet by themselves so that they learn to shape their own ideas, apply the compositional tools they have been taught and work together.
In collaboration with aspiring theatre-makers from the School for New Dance Development (Bachelor of Choreography), dance students work on a performance that tests their improvisation skills and physical and mental forms of expression. The performance is scheduled to be staged in the spring (March / April). To establish a network and gain better insight in the professional field, students pursue mini-internships, during which they interview the choreographer of an ensemble and attend rehearsals and performances. They write a report about their experiences.
In the third year, students are confronted with makers and teachers who have their own way of working or teaching. They also learn about the practicalities of doing auditions to obtain an internship. Just as in the second year, there are two periods during which students work with a choreographer on a piece. They also spend short, intensive intervals working on the repertoire of, among others, Emio Greco and Anna Teresa de Keersmaeker. These work periods are concluded with a private presentation. Throughout March and April, students work on their own Third Year Project, taking responsibility for execution, choreography, production and publicity.
During the fourth year, the dancers are busy with internships, auditions, work field orientation and building a professional network. At the end of that year, and to conclude their dance training, the students are given the possibility to work on a full-length production with an internationally renowned choreographer / maker (such as Blenard Azizai, Igor & Moreno) or formulate their own graduation piece.
