CertHE - Foundations of Dance

The course is suitable for a variety of different applicants, including:  

• gap-year students preparing for entry to a conservatoire or university dance faculty.
• those seeking to further develop their dance skills before auditions.
• those wishing to consolidate their interest in dance prior to university interviews.
• those seeking to develop their artistic identity whilst enjoying London’s vibrant cultural scene.
• those seeking to establish a more secure technique making decisions about further study.

 For further details, see our Programme Specification. 

Teaching and Learning 

Learning takes place through a blend of formal tuition, experiential learning, and personal study.  

• Individual one-to-one lessons, intensive group tuition, and performance workshops.
• Develop and contextualise individual learning within rehearsal and performance settings during the Preparing to Perform module.
• Refine audition technique during the Preparing to Audition module.
• Cross-disciplinary work through participation in Trinity Laban’s annual CoLab festival.
• Self-study and access to the conservatoire’s many learning resources.
• Development of independent learning strategies including formulating personal programmes of study and targets for learning.
• Collaborative learning with students from other courses at different levels (e.g. creating work with other musicians, dancers and / or other artists).

Termly breakdown of activity 

Terms 1 & 2

The first two terms have been designed to support the development, application and consolidation of your dance skills and techniques. These lessons have been designed to support the development of a broad toolkit of dance related skills that will support transition into  a range of  dance focused full-time degree level training options. 

Skills and Techniques development is focused into three separate toolkits: Technical, Creative and Portfolio: 

The Technical toolkit focuses on the development of strong technical foundations in dance. Recognizing the modern context in which the Cert HE Foundations of Dance exists, styles include: Ballet, Contemporary, Jazz, Hip Hop, Latin and Tap.  

The Creative toolkit focuses on the development of skills that will support and complement a range of dance pathways: Areas of focus will include Acting through Dance, Voice/Singing, Improvisation, Storytelling, Choreography. 

The Portfolio toolkit, focuses on exposing students to a wide breadth and experiences: Masterclasses, workshop and lectures in performance techniques not covered elsewhere on the programme such as aerial, circus, outreach and engagement, and preparing for auditions. 

In addition, students will develop audition techniques with a module designed to equip you with the planning skills and key research and techniques necessary to select and prepare effectively for dance auditions. Students will also learn how to identify and apply for courses at those institutions which suit their particular skillset and needs.  

Term 3 

You will undertake a five-week performance project which culminates in three performances. 

In the final term students will engage in the Preparing to Perform module, providing a performance platform that will facilitate the application and adaption of the developing technical skills to meet the needs of a variety of dance/theatre repertoire and outputs. Work will include a multitude of different danced based outputs including different ways of choreographing and creating dance-based work that supports a range of performance outputs.

Assessment 

• Practical tasks
• Assessed classes
• Rehearsal and Performance
• Skills & Techniques portfolio
• Working Journals
• Research activities
• Development of audition repertoire
• Self-critical analysis

You will receive regular formative feedback in class from teachers, and written feedback (including an indicative grading) following each formal assessment point. 

Trinity Laban places greater emphasis on its own audition and tests than on formal qualifications. As a guide, please note that the course is aimed at students considering entry to undergraduate study at conservatoire or university. Places are offered to applicants who demonstrate the potential to reach that level within the year. 

Auditions 

Entry to the programme is through successful application and audition. Applicants must also be able to demonstrate the following educational and English language conditions.

The programme is designed for less experienced students and those who wish to develop their skills before pursuing additional vocational training. A wide variety of applicants may find this programme to be suitable, for example: gap-year students preparing for entry to a conservatoire or university; those seeking to further develop their musical theatre skills before auditions; those wishing to consolidate their interest in musical theatre prior to university interviews; those seeking to develop their artistic identity whilst enjoying London’s cultural scene; or those seeking to establish a more secure technique or understanding of the industry before making decisions about further study.

Applicants that audition for the BA (Hons) Contemporary Dance and BA (Hons) Musical Theatre programmes may also be offered a place on the CertHE Foundations of Dance programme if this is considered a more suitable programme offer.

The Audition Day

We want applicants to feel as relaxed and welcome as possible so that they can showcase their skills at their best. The audition panel will typically consist of the Programme Leader as well as dance specialists from the teaching team. Applicants will participate in a workshop session designed to assess skills in dance. 

Dance sessions  

• Participants will participate and be assessed during two 60-minute dance workshops
• Dance session 1 – will be a technical session focusing on placement, alignment, strength and control, and will include movement work that aligns with Ballet, Contemporary and Modern Jazz work.
• Dance session 2 – will include dance work that focuses on dynamics, musicality, rhythm, confidence and personal identity and will include movement work that aligns with Hip-hop and Commercial styles
• There will be student helpers in the room to help guide applicants through the session.

The Creative Session Workshop  

• The workshop will be 1 hour in length and will focus on creativity and collaboration
• This session has been designed to observe how applicants work in a group-based session
• Current students will be on hand throughout the day to support applicants and answer any questions about their programmes, and what it is like to train at Trinity Laban. They will also have been briefed on the Cert HE Foundations of Dance programme to provide information, advice, and guidance to prospective students.

Throughout the audition day, the panel will invite applicants to engage in dialogue and conversation, in order to assess their knowledge and understanding, alongside their suitability for the programme. 

Online Audition Option

Applicants unable to access our in-person auditions are invited to submit a recorded audition on Embark. The facilitation of online auditions has supported increased application from international markets and the positive impact can be seen in application and recruitment statistics. Applicants choosing the online route are required to submit: 

A short pre-prepared dance solo  

• The dance solo should be a maximum of 90 seconds in length and can include any dance style except tap.

Recordings of the two technical dance pieces 

• Applicants should record each of the dance pieces found of the website

Introduction  

• A short introduction where the applicant tells the panel why they should be considered for the programme 

Overseas applications

• The offer of a place is authorised by the final Admissions Panel on the basis of all the reports received and in relation to the overall standard of competing applications.
• In some cases, the final Admissions Panel may make a conditional offer, subject to the applicant gaining the required level in English language in order to reach a satisfactory standard prior to the commencement of their programme.
• Trinity Laban takes pride that its entrance procedures are not only rigorous and demanding, but also sensitive to the needs of the candidates and to the pressures exerted on them on the day.
• It is the applicant’s responsibility to make sure that all the information you give us is accurate and true. This includes accuracy of personal details since errors in students’ names during the admissions and enrolment processes will result in incorrect degree transcripts.
• The decision Trinity Laban takes about an application is made on the basis of the information that you have provided on your application form. If it is found that a false statement has been made, or significant information has been left out, we reserve the right either to withdraw or amend our offer.

Progression within Trinity Laban

Students who wish to progress to an undergraduate degree at Trinity Laban will need to apply to that programme in the standard way and meet the auditions and entry requirements of the relevant programme. Students from the CertHE Foundations of Dance will not automatically progress to an undergraduate degree at Trinity Laban. 

Loan eligibility 

This programme is eligible for Student Loans. 

English Language Requirements 

For students whose first language is not English, an English language assessment will be undertaken on application / audition, from which recommendation for further study may be made. 

The minimum standard for entry to the programmes is IELTS 5.5 in all four areas or equivalent. This is also the minimum requirement for Student visas. 

For more information, visit this page.

Under 18 students 

Please note that students registering at Trinity Laban on a Higher Education course should normally be at least 17 by the date of registration.