Our application form is available on this page until the closing date.

In-person audition places are limited so we recommend early submission of your application to guarantee your preferred audition date/time. We are unable to guarantee an in-person audition if places become full before the closing dates.

Our application form asks for:

1. Personal details
2. Place of academic education
3. Qualifications
4. Place of dance education
5. Headshot photo
6. Personal statement (250 – 500 words)
7. Equality & Diversity information

Please read our application guidance below for more detailed information:

> READ APPLICATION GUIDANCE

Once you submit your application you will be redirected to NSCD Box Office either to:

a) book your audition, subject to availability (if auditioning in person) and pay the application fee

b) pay the application fee (if auditioning by video)

Applications without payment will not be processed.

You will also receive an email confirmation from admissions@nscd.ac.uk. Please check and save this email. We recommend you add this email address to your contacts to avoid emails going into your junk/spam folder.

The application fee is a one-off payment of £20 when you book your audition. No further fee is required as part of the audition process.

Fee waiver scheme

NSCD is currently an affiliate of the Conservatoire for Dance & Drama (CDD), who offer a number of fee waivers to UK undergraduate applicants with low household income. Fee waiver applications are made direct to CDD below:

> APPLY FOR A FEE WAIVER

IMPORTANT: This scheme is oversubscribed, so we advise applying as soon as possible. On receipt of a fee waiver, please ensure you make your NSCD application within 4 weeks, otherwise your fee waiver may be reallocated to another applicant.

If awarded a fee waiver, CDD will inform us. We will then contact you either to confirm a fee refund (if you have already booked your audition and paid) or to provide a discount code for you to use at checkout (if you haven’t already booked your audition).

• Wednesday 15 December 2021 |  13:30pm – 17:00
• Thursday 16 December 2021 |  13:30pm – 17:00

(Applicants wishing to audition on the dates above must submit their application and book their audition by 6 December 2021 at the latest.)

• Monday 21 February 2022 | 09:00 – 12:30
• Monday 21 February 2022 | 13:30pm – 17:00
• Tuesday 22 February 2022 | 09:00 – 12:30
• Tuesday 22 February 2022 | 13:30pm – 17:00
• Thursday 24 February 2022 | 09:00 – 12:30
• Thursday 24 February 2022 | 13:30pm – 17:00

All in-person auditions take place at NSCD, 98 Chapeltown Road, Leeds LS7 4BH 

NSCD auditions are designed to give you a taste of what we offer in our training.  The audition includes technical and creative sessions, led by NSCD staff and supported by student demonstrators.

1. Ice-breaker/Improvisation session

Games & short tasks to help you relax, feel at ease and get to know the group. This is also an opportunity for you to show your individuality in response to specific improvisation tasks that focus on exploring quality/texture of movement. 

2. Technical Practices session

A combination of pre-learnt and unseen exercises/phrases. You will need to learn these two movement phrases ahead of your audition. These will be repeated in this session, along with additional phrases taught on the day. All phrases incorporate a mix of styles, drawing on release-based contemporary, ballet, floor work and Cunningham. A video teaching the phrases you need to learn in advance of your audition can be viewed here. 

3. Creative/Choreography group task

Using material from the previous Technical Practices session, and the earlier Improvisation session, you will work in small groups to create a short piece of choreography.

4. Group discussion

We’ll ask you to reflect on the Creative/Choreography group task and discuss your ambitions and reasons for applying to NSCD. 

Watch our YOUTUBE SERIES for what to expect

Video auditions should be provided as a single YouTube or Vimeo link as part of your application. Please include the following in your video:

• Creative/ Improvisation task (2 minutes) – record yourself doing the creative task detailed in the guidance below
• Technical Practices task (max 2 minutes) – record yourself doing these two set movement phrases PLUS one additional movement phrase of your choice – this can be in any style to demonstrate your individuality and ability. Further guidance included below
• Verbal discussion (max 4 mins) record your response to the previous tasks and your reasons for wanting to train at NSCD

> READ VIDEO AUDITION GUIDANCE

Places are awarded to candidates who demonstrate the greatest potential to benefit from the course, regardless of previous dance experience. The audition panel assesses your physical potential, performance ability and creativity, as well as critical thinking and reflective engagement.

See What is NSCD looking for in potential students? for more information

Visit the course page for entry requirements.

We aim to let successful candidates know the outcome of their audition within 2-3 weeks.

Some candidates who are not successful for our BA (Hons) Dance (Contemporary) may be offered a place on our Certificate of Higher Education (CertHE) in Contemporary Dance if we feel this would be a more suitable course for you at this time. All applicants receive one of the following:

• An offer (usually with 3 weeks in which to accept)
• A place on the reserve list (with potential further offers being made after all auditions have taken place)
• No offer

Feedback can be requested and will be provided once the audition and offer process is complete. Please note: Due to high applicant numbers we are unable to provide detailed feedback but we do provide a standard feedback format which is designed to give applicants an indication of how the panel scored their audition.