The MA Dance & Creative Enterprise (DaCE) course at NSCD focuses on developing your artistic identity as both a maker and producer of dance. Throughout the programme, students work individually and collaboratively on projects, developing their entrepreneurial skillset.
As part of the course, students have the opportunity to create a portfolio of work, performing at the Riley Theatre and at arts venues across the city of Leeds such as Seven Arts, Assembly House and Yorkshire Sculpture Park.
To give you more of an insight into the course, we caught up with Yuqing Huang, who is graduating from DaCE this year, to talk more about her experiences and top places to perform whilst studying with us.
The deadlines to apply for a place on the MA Dance & Creative Enterprise starting this September are: 9 July (Overseas applicants) and 31 July (Home/UK and EUSS applicants).
I started learning Chinese dance as a hobby at the age of six and went on to study ballet at a professional dance school from the age of 12.
When I was about 16, a teacher from the USA came to the school where I trained, and that was my first exposure to contemporary dance. I felt a great sense of achievement after completing my first contemporary group dance piece with my teacher. That experience played a huge part in me applying for a place at NSCD and wanting to learn more about contemporary dance.
NSCD has provided us with many opportunities and a platform to work with other artists during this postgraduate year. During my time at NSCD, we have had many opportunities to create work and perform in front of an audience, and these experiences have enhanced my creativity and expressiveness as a student and also as an artist. In addition to this, the technical classes have improved our dance skills and provided a good foundation for our work.
Earlier this year, I created a piece for Testing Testing, a programme of work created by current students and graduates from the MA Dance & Creative Enterprise course. I created the work Light the Way, a piece where I integrated sound, light, props and movement to explore the concept of following a trail of light and finding your way.
It would have to be the Yorkshire Sculpture Park as part of Phil Sanger’s project, Off-Centre, where we performed in the company of trees, birdsong and sunshine. The audience sat on the lawn to watch our performance. That was a very special and wonderful experience.
Phil Sanger, Lecturer in Dance at NSCD, commented:
“Yuqing was very responsive and open to the ideas embedded within this piece. As a site-specific performance, the dancers had to engage the audience and interact with their surroundings, and Yuqing did this with confidence, using her improvisational skills to interpret existing choreography.”
You can find out more about the MA Dance & Creative Enterprise course and how to apply here.
The deadlines for 2023 entry are: 9 July (Overseas students) and 31 July (Home/UK and EUSS students).
