The partnership will offer a BA (Hons) Dance from September 2018 with another entry point in January 2019.
The degree will be hosted at DanceEast’s Jerwood DanceHouse, based at Ipswich waterfront, which features some of the leading dance facilities in the country, including purpose-built dance studios and a fully equipped 200-seat theatre.
Responding to growing demand for dance artists in education, health, and community settings, the course will prepare students for a career in these fields. It will be the first two-year practice-based dance degree in the UK.
The programme will be led by Stephanie Schober, founder of the Stephanie Schober & Dance Company, head of third year at Trinity Laban in London, and former resident dance artist at the South Bank Centre.
She said: “I am very excited to be involved in this new dance degree course, which will bring invaluable benefit to many. It will provide a unique pathway for young dance artists to bridge vocational training with professional experience.
“It will open opportunities for the internationally established dance artists associated with DanceEast to play a proactive part in nurturing future generations.
“It will be instrumental to increase the reach of the ground-breaking work that DanceEast have been promoting in the East of England and it will be good for developing the art form of contemporary dance.”
Students will work with professional dance artists and specialists to create, manage, watch, and participate in dance performances, classes, and projects. The fees for the two-year degree will be £11,500 a year.
Dr Lisa Wade, head of arts and humanities at the University of Suffolk, said “I am delighted to be working in partnership with our colleagues at DanceEast on this unique programme.
“The launch of this new undergraduate honours course in Dance will bring together the expertise of both academics at the University of Suffolk and that of internationally revered professional performers. As a forward thinking institution we are pleased to offer this as a two year programme providing accelerated learning.”
Programmes at DanceEast include performances by internationally renowned dance companies such as James Cousins Company, Jasmin Vardimon Company, Hofesh Shechter Company and Stopgap, alongside other specialised classes.
Contemporary dance choreographer Sir Matthew Bourne OBE said: “I welcome this new kind of dance degree course. Working with a range of visiting and resident professionals at DanceEast offers students a great start to a dance career.
“I look forward to New Adventures / Re:Bourne being involved in it, and to welcoming future graduates to our continuing professional development for dance teachers and practitioners.”
To find out more about the degree, visit an open day at the university on Saturday, November 4.
In addition, see here for more details.
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