Course

We focus on the development of creative ability. From improvisation classes and creating solos, duets and group work to working with choreographers to develop your own methods and/or dance language.

You receive lots of feedback from teachers. We expect you to reflect on this and absorb it, so that you can give your own direction to your further development.

To discover your potential and to continue developing, it is vital that you take ownership of yourself and your body and find a balance between intensity and rest.
Insights from (sports) research provide the basis for this. We ensure that intensive periods in which you 'peak' alternate with quieter periods. You warm up with fitness training, after which you can work on your technique in class. We carefully coordinate training, repetition and execution. The timetable can therefore vary monthly or even weekly. It is also important to obtain deeper understanding of your body. We offer methods like kinaesthetic awareness, process inquiry© and inner movement evolution©.
To develop more connection between mind and body, you also receive support at somatic level, for example through yoga and meditation.

To see dance and the meaning of dance in a broader perspective, you learn to place the developments in your course in a context and perspective. You do this by studying literature, reading articles, attending performances and lectures and through reflection. You also enhance your mind with theoretical subjects like dramaturgy, music, dance history, philosophy, anatomy and fitness.

The dance academy is situated in the multidisciplinary environment of ArtEZ. Because the dance world is becoming increasingly diffuse, the curriculum offers interdisciplinary subjects and projects, including:

• Pleasure Island: an interdisciplinary week in which first year students from different art courses at ArtEZ are given the freedom to create together. This results in a performance which is open to the public.
• Physical Theatre: to develop creativity, self-expression, execution and group dynamics, you use improvisation based on physical theatre practice.
• Dance & Camera: a collaboration with Cinedans which focuses on the connection between dance and camera. Over the course of a week, you work in small groups, choosing different roles: script writer, cameraman/woman, director, maker, dancer, sound man/woman.
• Choco: In Choco, third year makers work together on various projects with composers from the Academy of Music. They are accompanied live by musicians from the Orkest de Ereprijs orchestra. The dancers are second and third-year students who - besides being involved in a creative process - can also assume the role of production assistant in the co-production role.

The second year of the dance course at ArtEZ focuses on developing skills and technical ability. You also study body awareness to help you in your development as a dance artist and performer. Content of the second year:

• Classical, modern (including Limon), contemporary Floorwork, Release and partnering techniques.
• Techniques and methods for more physical awareness at a deeper level. kinaesthetic awareness, anatomical awareness, process inquiry (essence work)©.
• As in the first year, you do Pilates and fitness for support.
• You work on your personal profile through classes in improvisation and physical theatre, composition duet, repertoire and dance dramaturgy. You also explore the work field, create your own work and work on artistic projects like Choco, which bring together composition, choreography and execution.
• You attend anatomy-focused lectures by medical professionals. You also study the theory of music and dance analysis and start philosophy classes.

From the third year of the dance academy, you increasingly focus on developing your own artistic identity as a dancer or maker and you learn to integrate the skills you have acquired in a presentation. You are also given extra coaching and peer review sessions from an external dancer or maker. With a personal development plan, you prepare for the transition to the work field. Your academic year is filled with:

• Continuing to work on techniques: classical, modern and contemporary
• Supporting techniques and methods: kinaesthetic awareness, Pilates and fitness
• Working on your personal profile through classes in improvisation, release, inner movement evolution, repertoire and process inquiry©. You also work on an artistic project in which - within the repertoire of a choreographer and under their guidance - you study theory and methods and dance.
• Artistic Research (individual) Modules if you wish to specialise in performance or choreography.
• Depending on your ambitions and plans, there is also time to work on other projects and do audition workshops.

The fourth year of the higher professional dance course in Arnhem involves an internship and/or projects in the Netherlands or abroad. With support from a mentor, you plan your own graduation programme. You might do an internship with a company, develop your own method, set up a project or create your own dance production. In this graduation year, you therefore have one foot in the dance academy and the other in the work field. In consultation with your mentor, an alternative programme is also possible. This might be a programme in the dance academy or a series of workshops outside school. Our students participated in projects in among others Milan, Porto, Vienna, Brussels, Mainz, Aachen, Copenhagen, Lisbon, Reykjavik, Tel Aviv, Jersey, Linz, Sienna, New York and Bern. They did internships or projects at:

• Club Guy & Roni
• Ann van den Broek
• Introdans
• De Stilte
• David Middendorp 
• NB Projects
• Keren Levi
• Scapino Ballet
• Generale Oost
• Dansateliers
• Jan Martens
• Cullberg Ballet
• Nordans
• National Dance Company Wales 
• Tanz Mainz