Course Award: | Duration: | Application Deadline: | In Person Audition Dates: | Interview Dates: | Places: |
MA | 1 year Full-time | Midnight 25 January 2026 | February 2026 | February 2026 | 18 |
VERVE is the postgraduate touring company of Northern School of Contemporary Dance.
The MA Contemporary Dance Performance (VERVE) equips students with the performance skills required to succeed within the current landscape of the contemporary dance industry, enabling them to transition into the profession. Each year, the company commissions choreographers from all over the world to create an artistically distinct, physically daring and diverse programme of dance work.
The course offers emerging dance artists the opportunity to challenge and develop their skills across varied repertoire and newly commissioned works, guided by teaching staff, alongside an exciting range of visiting artists. VERVE provides dancers with a safe and inspiring space to grow their individual artistry and rigorously challenge their physical skills. Dancers develop their identities as performers, whilst building an understanding of the professional working environment to support them in their future careers. The programme also gives students a thorough grounding in research practice and the ability to apply this learning in professional contexts.
The company tours to venues and festivals across the UK and internationally. VERVE seeks connections with partner institutions, industry professionals, choreographers and companies, to broaden and enrich the students’ experience and understanding.
Previously commissioned choreographers include:
Lea Anderson, Jamaal Burkmar, Mari Carrasco, Joan Clevillé, Maxine Doyle, Ben Duke, Akram Khan, KOR’SIA, Anton Lachky, LA(HORDE), Hannes Langolf, Bosmat Nossan, Sita Ostheimer, Douglas Thorpe, Faye Tan, Ben Wright, Noa Zuk
Eligible home-fee paying postgraduate students can apply for a postgraduate loan from the Student Loans Company to help with course fees and living costs
For detailed information on tuition fees, financial support, and associated costs for all courses, visit our Fees and Finance page here: www.nscd.ac.uk/study/fees-finance/postgraduate
Home | Overseas |
£12,360 | £21,630 |
In this module, students will develop and refine their ability to contribute effectively in the devising and creation of new dance works. The exact processes will depend on the specific choreographic artists, with students experiencing processes involving taking on and developing given material, and in generating new movement material based on a given theme or idea. Through these experiences, students will develop the ability to devise and refine distinctive movement material to a high level, including integrating it into their own body and individual performance qualities.
Students will cultivate the skills necessary to contribute meaningfully to creative processes, both through individual artistic input and as collaborative, dynamic members of the group. Each creative process will culminate in the preparation performance works, most often in the form of a technical rehearsal.
Students will participate fully in the life of a contemporary dance company including engaging in a range of technical classes, workshops, touring, rehearsals and performance periods. The module emphasises how all elements of company life combine and overlap to form a holistic experience. Students will develop the skills to sustain creative engagement, to contribute effectively in a range of different circumstances, and to develop effective working relationships across the different roles within a company.
Students will participate in daily classes as a method of developing technical and performance skills in studio-based sessions. This will include a range of approaches designed to extend interpretive abilities, enhance physical execution of technical material and also provide strategies for movement observation and analysis.
The module will enable students to utilise class and rehearsal as an effective tool to realise creative and performance work, alongside developing the transferable skills needed by professional dance artists in the current ecology, applying those skills across a range of contexts. Students will also be supported to develop self-awareness and reflective skills to enhance their ability to contribute effectively in both individual and group situations. These skills will support students in developing autonomous approaches to work, nurturing their progression into the professional world, and emphasising the importance of life-long learning.
This module represents the culmination of study undertaken in the Devising & Creation and Company & Technical Practice modules, with students performing a significant body of work. Here, the focus will be on applying technical skills, integrating performance skills sympathetically to the performance mode, and helping realise the shared artistic and choreographic vision of the works. Students will also be expected to take on any corrections given and apply them to their performance practice in real time.
Typically, students will be involved in a number of performances, experiencing the opportunities and challenges of reperforming work a number of times. Students will also train to adapt to different performance venues, situations and environments, learning to work effectively and in a professional manner.
In this module you will undertake a substantial and focused research project based on a critical and systematic understanding of current knowledge. Research outcomes may take a range of forms including performative or choreographic work, lecture demonstration or dissertation. You will be expected to draw on your experiences from earlier in your MA programme, with the opportunity to utilise this expertise within practice centred research frameworks.
The module will equip you with a range of supporting skills to undertake this project successfully, including individual tutorial support focused on your research work. Student outcomes will be presented in the most effective mode for t your work as appropriate to research, including supporting contextual information as appropriate to the research field. Where any students work collaboratively, they will provide evidence for their individual contribution and research enquiry.
This module is seen as an opportunity for you to apply the specificity of your learning on the course to a project directly relevant to their on-going professional development.
The school is well equipped to facilitate students’ work in state-of-the-art facilities not shared by any subject area other than dance.
Graduates of the MA Contemporary Dance Performance (VERVE) course are well-equipped to pursue diverse opportunities in the professional dance world. During their studies, they gain extensive performance experience as part of a touring contemporary dance company, working with both established and emerging choreographers. This exposure helps them develop their artistry, refine their technical skills, and build a strong professional identity.
Graduates often transition into careers as performers in dance companies, freelance artists, choreographers, or educators. Additionally, their connections with industry professionals and partner institutions during the creative processes and tour embedded within the course, broaden their career options, potentially leading to collaborations or roles in UK and international venues.
VERVE 24: Dancer at Ballet National de Marseille X (LA)HORDE
VERVE 23: Dancer at Holstebro Danse Kompagni, Denmark
VERVE 23: National Dance Company Wales (UK) and Skanes Dance Theatre (Sweden)
VERVE 23: KOR’SIA – Spain
VERVE 23: Korea National Contemporary Dance Company – South Korea, and KOR’SIA – Spain
VERVE 22: Dancer at Hofesh Shechter II, UK
VERVE 22: Tanz Muenster – Germany
VERVE 18: Freelance choreographer, researcher and Associate Artist at The Place.
Entry is through a successful application and interview.
This course is open to graduates of two or three-year dance training programmes at Higher Education level, or dance artists with professional experience and equivalent vocational performing arts training.
Students with English as a second language will need a 6.0 ESOL level (with a minimum of 6.0 in reading and 5.5 in speaking and listening) or equivalent.
Any questions about any of the above can be directed to/further details can be obtained from admissions@nscd.ac.uk
Firstly, you will need to submit an application via our online application portal.
The application will include:
Following your application you will need to complete an audition, this can be in person or via video submission.
For more information, visit the How to Apply page.
To qualify for admission to this course, candidates are also required to pass an audition.
The audition can be held at NSCD or other partner locations where you will experience a range of physical activities, such as ballet, contemporary, improvisation, devising and creating, and learning VERVE repertoire.
For more information, visit the How to Apply page.
Applicants will be sent a video with a range of content to learn, record and send back to the panel. Applicants are only required to submit a video audition if they are shortlisted from Step 1.
Video auditions will include:
For more information, visit the How to Apply page.
Candidates that are successful at audition will be invited to an online interview with the Programme Lead.
For more information, visit the How to Apply page.
A strong sense of physicality underpinned by refined dance skills and bespoke knowledge from a variety of practitioners and dance methods.
Daily commitment to themselves and the company in contributing towards the making of the show and touring it in a professional manner.
Ability to work together to bring a shared vision to life and a desire to exchange creative ideas to build a collective expression.
Eager to gain exposure to different creative encounters and open to working with professional guest artists and adopting their processes.
At NSCD, we understand that the dance industry is demanding, that’s why 100% of students requesting wellbeing support are seen within a week, demonstrating our commitment to student resilience. Student support is important because it directly affects academic success, wellbeing, and long-term development.
Learn more about how NSCD’s Student Services can assist you with academic, wellbeing, disability, and injury support: www.nscd.ac.uk/study/student-life/student-services
Student SupportAs part of your decision-making process, we appreciate you will want to research potential programmes of study ahead of application deadlines. To enable you to do this, we work hard to ensure that our website is as up to date as possible.
Although we try to ensure that this is as current as possible, there are always changes we make to ensure that the course is as vibrant and up to date with sector requirement as possible. Dance is a dynamic, fast-moving sector and our courses evolve to ensure they reflect and respond to the industry’s needs.
Sometimes it may be necessary to change course content, delivery and entry requirements, if we believe it will enable us to improve the high-quality experience we offer. Changes sometimes comes because of student feedback/consultations, external examiner feedback and consultation with industry partners.
All reasonable care has been taken to ensure course information is accurate, however NSCD cannot guarantee all courses will be available in exactly the form and detail described here. We encourage you to regularly check the pages of the course(s) you are interested in. At Open Days, Auditions, and Interview Days we will take the opportunity to inform you about any proposed changes and will also notify you if any changes are made after you have accepted an offer.
Our courses are made up of a series of modules. Some are compulsory and some optional, however, we may not be able to offer the full list of modules every year. Option availability will depend on how many students choose a particular option. For an option to run we usually stipulate that 13 students have chosen to take the option. When you accept your offer, please bear in mind that on rare occasions, we may not be able to offer all of the optional modules. Before each year’s teaching starts you will discuss your preferred options with the Head of Faculty and Curriculum Leads who will try to ensure you are able to take them but cannot guarantee it.
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