University of Suffolk launches Dance degree with DanceEast

The first two-year practice-based dance degree in the UK has been launched by University of Suffolk and DanceEast. The degree will be hosted at DanceEast’s Jerwood DanceHouse which boasts some of the best dance facilities in the country, including purpose-built dance studios and a fully equipped 200-seat theatre, supported by a team of highly trained staff.

The unique partnership will provide BA (Hons) Dance from September 2018 with another entry point in January 2019. Students will work with professional dance artists, companies and specialists in related subjects to create, manage, see and participate in dance performances, classes and innovative community and education projects. Many of these will be provided by DanceEast’s wide-ranging programme which includes performances by internationally renowned dance companies such as James Cousins Company, Jasmin Vardimon Company, and Hofesh Shechter Company, alongside highly specialised classes such as Dance For Parkinson’s.

Responding to growth in demand for dance artists working in health, education and community settings, this course will prepare students for a successful career within this context. The learning experience and employability of the students taking part will be enhanced by a interdisciplinary approach to dance that brings together a number of departments at the University of Suffolk, from health science to education to photography and film.

The two year programme will provide accelerated learning for students, led by Stephanie Schober, founder of the Stephanie Schober & Dance Company, Head of 3rd Year at Trinity Laban, and former resident dance artist at the SouthBank Centre. This new dance degree course will bring an invaluable benefit to many in providing a unique pathway for young dance artists to bridge vocational training with professional experience. It will also be instrumental to increase the reach of the ground-breaking work that DanceEast has been promoting in the East of England.