Overview
Ready to take your dance career to the next level and develop your unique artistic voice? Want to explore new styles and cultures, challenge traditional ideas of what dance can be and engage with dance practices shaped by communities across Africa, Asia, the Americas and the global diaspora? Then this is the place where your movement ambitions belong. In our MA and MFA Dance programmes, you’ll explore dance forms historically excluded from traditional settings, approaching them as powerful expressions of lived experience, resistance and cultural identity that connect histories, people and cultures across continents. You’ll refine your creative vision while gaining practical experience in choreography, dramaturgy, archival work and curation. Blending theory with practice, these programmes prepare you for a range of artistic and professional pathways.
You will:
- Explore a wide range of dance forms, challenging the traditional Western dance canon.
- Immerse yourself in East London’s vibrant performance scene at the heart of Stratford’s cultural quarter.
- Gain real-world experience through industry partnerships with organisations such as East London Dance and Breakin’ Convention.
- Develop critical, artistic, dramaturgical and curatorial skills that help you understand your work’s meaning, impact and audience, and position it confidently within today’s evolving creative landscape.
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Course modules
This MA/MFA in Dance at UEL will prepare you for a career in the creative industries by combining practice, theory, and professional development. The core modules of this programme cover critical theories of performance, dramaturgy, and representation. You'll also receive intensive training in different dance practices and collaborative creation. You'll develop skills in dance curation, production, and digital archiving. You'll also use research methods to support your final project showcase. Through the Mental Wealth module, you’ll build an industry-ready portfolio. You'll master audition techniques, self-taping, funding applications, and professional networking. Designed for aspiring performers, choreographers, producers, and educators, this degree equips you to innovate, lead, and thrive in today’s global dance landscape.
In your second year, which is an MFA programme, you'll focus on bridging your artistic skills with professional practice. In the Creative Practice module, you will develop a full-length, professional-quality creative work in your discipline. You'll receive expert support and critical feedback throughout the process. The Professional Platform module places you directly in the dance industry. You'll engage in supervised projects, placements, and collaborations with external organisations, leading to performances or exhibitions. You will graduate with a professional portfolio, practical case studies, and the confidence and creative independence needed to become a leading practitioner in the performing arts.
NOTE: Modules are subject to change. For those studying part time courses the modules may vary.
Entry requirements
What makes this course different

Focus on inclusivity and diversity
Our courses centre dance styles often excluded from Western canons and foster an inclusive, collaborative environment that supports experimentation and artistic confidence. Engage with social and global dance forms and help bring diverse practices to the forefront of the field.

Build on established expertise
Leveraging UEL’s pioneering BA in Dance, a leader in inclusive dance education for nearly two decades, this course offers unparalleled expertise and industry connections. Benefit from a well-established network and a proven track record of successful dance graduates.

Develop artistic and entrepreneurial skills
This dance course combines theory and practice, centring on your personal projects. You’ll hone your choreographic voice while also gaining curatorial and entrepreneurial skills, ensuring you’re prepared for both artistic and leadership roles in the dance industry.
What we’re researching
Our dance team conducts diverse and dynamic research that challenges the boundaries of dance practice and scholarship, engaging with global discourses on the body and performance. We prioritise innovative, inclusive, and globally connected approaches to understanding dance and its societal impact, with a focus on researching and documenting marginalised dance and performance practices often overlooked by the global North.
Your future career
Our MA and MFA Dance programmes open the door to a wide range of exciting careers in the dance and performing arts industries. While you study, we’ll provide opportunities to engage with industry professionals and real-world projects. MFA students will be able to do work placements, building valuable relationships with leading dance companies and cultural organisations.
Prepare for leadership roles in choreography, performance, arts production/management and dance curation. Gain hands-on experience and connect with our professional industry networks, such as East London Dance, Breakin’ Convention, Boy Blue.
Industry links
UEL is connected to a range of leading dance organisations and cultural institutions, including East London Dance, Breakin’ Convention, Far From the Norm and Boy Blue. These industry links and partnerships provide our MA and MFA Dance students with unique opportunities to collaborate with professionals, gain practical experience, and develop a strong network within the dance and performing arts sectors.
Graduate employers
With our postgraduate degrees in dance, you can pursue a variety of roles across performance, choreography, dance curation management and education. Graduate employers include dance companies, arts festivals, performance venues and museums, cultural organisations and independent projects. Graduates may also find opportunities in arts administration, curating and producing, and working with organisations that support dance communities and cultural exchanges.
Job roles
Our MA and MFA Dance graduates are prepared for a variety of careers in dance.
Job roles could include being professional choreographers, dancers, movement directors for commercials or television, dance educators, festival curators and directors. You will be ready to shape the future of the dance industry, driving its innovation and growth.
Further study
Our Dance MA/MFA graduates may choose to move on to one of our PhD or Professional Doctorates in Performing Arts.

As a university committed to your career growth, we've curated dedicated Career Zones across all of our campuses with practical services tailored to your success. From internships, personalised coaching, and employability workshops to volunteering, mentoring, placements, and enterprise opportunities, we offer a diverse range of support."Rema Khatun
Career Zone
How you'll learn
The MA/MFA in Dance employs a dynamic and interactive learning approach, combining practice-based and theory-integrated methods to support your artistic, academic and professional development. You will engage in a variety of formats, including practical workshops, lectures, seminars and online learning. We run guest artist sessions and work with industry professionals in our state-of-the-art studios. The dance course begins with tutor-led instruction and gradually shifts to independent research and self-directed projects. We encourage you to work with students from other courses so you can gain interdisciplinary skills for the wider creative industries. In the MFA, you can do professional placements with dance companies, organisations or independent choreographers. This gives you hands-on experience in choreography, performance production and dance event curation.
Guided independent study
When not attending timetabled lectures or workshops, you will be expected to continue learning independently through self-study. This will typically involve skills development through online study, reading journal articles and books, working on individual and group projects and preparing coursework assignments and presentations.
Your independent learning is supported by a range of excellent facilities including online resources, and specialist facilities, such as edit suites, the library, the full Microsoft Office software, including MS Teams, and Moodle: our Virtual Learning Environment.
Academic support
Our academic support team provides help in a range of areas - including learning and disability support.
Dedicated personal tutor
When you arrive, we'll introduce you to your academic advisor. This is the member of the academic course team who will provide academic guidance, be a support throughout your time at UEL and who will show you how to make the best use of all the help and resources that we offer.
Workload
Year 1
- Taught sessions: 216 hours
- Practical sessions: 150 hours
- Independent learning: 960 hours
Year 2 MFA
- Taught sessions: Approximately 100hrs x 2 (10 per credit)
- Independent learning: 500hrs x 2
Your timetable
Each year you will spend up to 366 hours of timetabled learning and teaching activities. These may be lectures, workshops, seminars and individual and group tutorials. Contact hours may vary depending on each module.
Class sizes
As this is a new course, the size of class may vary in size. However, we predict a cohort each year of between 5-15 students.
Your practice by terms
Term one
Develop your choreographic, performance voice through a balance of individual and collaborative work. Cultures of Performance combines theory and practice to help you build frameworks for your creative ideas while producing auto-ethnographic solo work. Dance Performance Practice introduces advanced choreographic and dramaturgical tools to shape your choreography, reflect on its impact and experiment with collaborative approaches.
Modules: Cultures of Performance, Dance Performance Practice
Term two
Strengthen your creative, research and production skills through hands-on work in curation, documentation and project design. Dance Curation and Production explores dance’s digital migration, authorship and the performativity of documentation, leading to a collaboratively produced evening performance. Research Methods in Creative Practice supports you in developing independent research strategies and preparing material for your final project.
Modules: Dance Curation and Production, Research Methods in Creative Practice
Term three
Focus on professional practice and industry engagement. Mental Wealth: Professional Life – Practitioners and Praxis guides you through completing and promoting your final project while building the networks, funding knowledge and digital profiles needed for creative careers. Project Platform culminates the programme with a public presentation of your work at the annual festival.
Modules: Mental Wealth: Professional Life – Practitioners, Project Platform
How you will be assessed
Assessment tasks are mainly spread across the year to make the workload manageable. Assessment methods include group work, exams and individual work including essays, presentations, case studies, professional development and practical activities depending on the nature of the course. All grades count towards your module mark. More details will be included in the student handbook and module guides.
You'll always receive detailed feedback outlining your strengths and how you can improve. We aim to provide feedback on assessments within 15 working days, although you will receive immediate feedback following many of our face-to-face assessments.
Campus and facilities
University Square Stratford, London, E15 1NF
University Square Stratford is one of London's most modern and well-equipped campuses. It serves 3,400 students and is the base for our courses in law and criminology, dance and performing arts, and the Master of Business Administration (MBA).
Modern facilities include: performing arts spaces; three performance studios; the Harvard lecture theatre, with live lecture capture technology; the multimedia Weston Learning Centre; a dedicated MBA suite and teaching space; a 300-seat specialised tiered lecture; and a simulated courtroom for mooting experience.
The campus is close to Stratford developments such as Westfield Stratford City and the Theatre Royal. You can be in Canary Wharf in 20 minutes, the English National Ballet in 15 minutes and Sadler's Wells East in 8 minutes.
Who teaches this course
This course is delivered by School of Arts and Creative Industries
The teaching team includes qualified academics, practitioners and industry experts as guest speakers. Full details of the academics will be provided in the student handbook and module guides.



















