ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø

Skip page header and navigation

Commercial Dance (Full-time) (BA Hons)

Cardiff
3 Years Full-Time
120 UCAS Points

Are you an aspiring dance artist looking to start your career in the commercial dance and performing arts sector? Our Commercial Dance Degree offers a comprehensive platform to help you achieve your goals. This course is designed to equip you with the necessary skills and understanding of the industry, ensuring you can work professionally and meet the growing demand for skilled, versatile, and reliable performers. 

This intensive programme focuses on vocational training in dance, providing a practical, studio-based learning environment where you can develop your technical and artistic skills. Through professional training, you’ll have the opportunity to hone your technique and enhance your performance skills under the guidance of experienced industry professionals. 

Led by staff with extensive professional backgrounds, you will work alongside an interdisciplinary campus, engaging in a variety of dance projects. This approach not only improves your dance skills but also prepares you for a professional dance career. The course aims to help you create work opportunities and secure positions within the creative industries. 

A significant advantage of this degree is the access to a wide range of tutors from various creative industries. These experts will work closely with you, providing support and assistance throughout your studies. Their insights and guidance will be invaluable as you navigate your career path. 

The course includes several shared modules with other WAVDA  performance programmes, promoting collaboration and exposing you to multidisciplined projects. This experience broadens your horizons and enhances your vocational possibilities. Working on these projects allows you to apply what you’ve learned in a real-world context, fostering a deeper understanding of the dance industry. 

Our Commercial Dance Degree is ideal for those who want to turn their passion for dance into a professional dance career. By focusing on practical studio-based learning and offering opportunities to develop your technical dance skills, this course provides a solid foundation for your future in the dance industry, preparing you for a successful career in the dynamic field of commercial dance.  

Course details

Start date:
Study modes:
  • On-campus
  • Full-time
Language:
  • English
  • Welsh
Institution code:
T80
UCAS code:
COD1
Course length:
3 Years Full-Time
Entry requirements:
120 UCAS Points

Tuition Fees 24/25
Home (Full-time): £9,000 per year
Overseas (Full-time): £13,500 per year

Why choose this course?

01
This course prepares you for a career within the commercial dance industry, no matter what your background or dance experience is.
02
The course provides opportunities to work with current practitioners and choreographers working within the industry to develop projects and performances.
03
Throughout the three years you will gain relevant insight into the industry, preparing you for employment after graduating.

What you will learn

Our Philosophy 

Our philosophy centres on providing practical learning experiences. We believe in nurturing each student’s unique talents through rigorous vocational training in dance, ensuring you develop both technical and artistic skills. We will help you become your own unique dance artist with an excellent understanding of the current dance industry and the skills to sustain your own creative career. Our interdisciplinary approach encourages collaboration, preparing you for a professional dance career. 

This year will focus on your understanding and development of a diverse range of technical dance skills required for the commercial dance industry. You will build upon your skills, whilst learning about all important fitness, nutrition and injury prevention to withstand the demands of the industry. You will also engage in introductory modules on dance history and industry contexts, helping you understand the broader landscape of the creative industries. This year will culminate in a performance project that will be led by a guest choreographer.

Learning in the Digital Era

(20 credits)

Acting Class

(10 credits)

Commercial Dance 1

(30 credits)

Contemporary Dance 1

(20 credits)

Performance Project

(20 credits)

Dance Training 1

(20 credits)

Your second year focuses on advancing your dance skills and enhancing your performance abilities. You will participate in more complex dance projects, receive professional training from industry experts, and begin to specialise in your chosen dance styles. Focusing on audition techniques and collaboration with peers on interdisciplinary projects will broaden your vocational possibilities.  

Changemakers: Building your Personal Brand for Sustainable Employment

(20 credits)

Dance Training 2

(20 credits)

Collaborative Project

(20 credits)

Audition Technique

(10 credits)

Commercial Dance 2

(30 credits)

Dance Laboratory

(20 Credits)

In the final year, you will refine your technique and prepare for your transition into the professional dance world. This includes advanced performance projects, readying you for a successful career in the commercial dance industry. 

Independent Project

(40 credits)

Creative Industries

(20 credits)

Final Production

(30 credits)

Professional Practice for Performance

(30 Credits)

Disclaimer

  • We listen to student feedback and insights from industry and from professionals to ensure that course content is high-quality and up-to-date, and that it offers the best possible preparation for your future career or study goals. 

    For this reason, there might be modifications to the content of your course over time, to keep up to date with changes in the subject area or in the sector. If a module is no longer running, we’ll make sure to keep you informed, and work with you to choose a different suitable module.

testimonial

Staff

Our People

You will be taught and supported by a wide range of professional staff and teams here to help you get the university experience you are looking for. Our teaching staff were ranked 2nd in Wales for Teaching, Assessment and Feedback and Academic Support (NSS 2024) meaning that the support and feedback you get will help you learn and develop strong academic skills. Our students have placed us 1st in Wales for Learning Opportunities and Student Voice (NSS 2024) meaning that there are a wide range of opportunities available to enhance your studies and that students play an active role in shaping their learning experiences. Our commitment to your learning has seen our students place us as 1st in Wales and joint 3rd in the UK for student satisfaction (Times Higher Education, 2024, ‘Overall Positivity’ measure). Find out more about our academic staff who teach across our courses. 

FACILITIES

Three students practise dance moves: a swaggering step to the right with finger snaps.

Performance, Dance and Musical Theatre Facilities Cardiff

Based in Haywood house our students studying in Cardiff have access to several rehearsal studios, including a dance studio with Harlequin dance floor, portable mirrors and Ballet Barres along with a Yamaha PA system and stage piano, a recital room and a computer lab all within walking distance of the city centre.

Further information

  • 120 UCAS Points.

  • Assessment on this programme is by a range of methods offering opportunities to present learning in a variety of different ways throughout the course. A number of the methods include performances, portfolios, mock auditions, classroom assessments, podcasting, essay writing and presentations.

  • Additional costs would include purchasing the following:

    • Ballet shoes
    • Jazz shoes
    • Tap shoes
    • Leotard
    • Ladies ballet tights
    • Unisex black leggings
    • Men’s dance top
    • Women’s character shoes
  • You may be eligible for funding to help support your study. To find out about scholarships, bursaries and other funding opportunities that are available, please visit our Bursaries and Scholarships section.

  • This course is designed to equip you with the necessary skills to be a successful dance artist. As a BA Commercial Dance graduate, you will be prepared to undertake roles such as:

    • Performer
    • Choreographer
    • Touring
    • Digital Dance

    This degree also opens up an array of other opportunities in other fields by developing key transferable skills throughout the three years.