Get ready to start your BA (Hons) Dance degree!
It's almost time - we are looking forward to welcoming you on to campus in September.
To help you prepare for your dance degree, we have put together this kit list, along with some suggested items and tasks that will get you ready to go!
Study
- Notebooks, folders, pens, pencils
- Laptop* - you will need access to a computer to fully engage with your course work.
*Don't panic if you don't have your own laptop, they can easily be booked out and borrowed from the library.
Practical classes - clothing
- Technique classes: close-fitting dance clothes (sports/yoga vest, long sleeve tight top, leggings, unitard) in any colour. This best enables the detail of your movement to be seen and defined.
- Practice wear: looser fitting tops, leggings or tracksuit, in any colour.
- Appropriate, supportive underwear.
Footwear
- Contemporary dance class: usually taught in bare feet
- Trainers: a pair suitable for outdoor fitness/performance work, and a pair suitable for indoor classes such as hip-hop and fitness training. These can be the same pair as long as you can fully clean the soles before indoor classes.
Not essential but useful:
- Ballet shoes, soft/thin soled - alternatively, sports socks can be worn for ballet class
- Jazz shoes - alternatively, jazz classes can be done in bare feet
If you already have them, you might choose to bring:
- Pointe shoes, tap shoes - if you want to continue your own practice in extra-curricular classes
- Knee pads
- Yoga kit - we have plenty of mats available, but you are welcome to bring your own along with any massage rollers or stretch bands you want to use in personal warm-up time
Staying safe and well
To prepare for practical work:
- Keep long hair tied back - carry hair bands/ties/bobbles/grips
- Remove jewellry
- Keep fingernails short
Hydration and nutrition - not essential but very useful!
- A good water bottle - there are fountains throughout the building
- Light snacks, fruit - for short breaks between sessions
First Aid
First aid kits are accessible in all studio spaces, but it is always handy to carry a few of your own supplies too.
If applicable, it is vital that you bring all essential prescribed medication, or medical devices (such as asthma inhalers or insulin pumps) with you at all times.
If you can safely take or use the following items, a useful kit might include:
- Plasters (hypoallergenic if applicable).
- Antiseptic creams.
- Minor medications such paracetamol or ibuprofen - for your own personal use.
- Muscle rubs - you might find it useful to have any heat or cooling muscle rubs that you know work for you.
Throughout your degree course, you will develop an extensive range of insight into the dance world through practical and theoretical study.
Things you can do to get yourself ready for this:
- Take part in regular dance and fitness classes. If available, the following sessions would be useful: contemporary, ballet, improvisation, jazz techniques and/or yoga, pilates, fitness classes.
- Try to get out and see as many different varieties of live performance as you can – or watch online.
In addition, take some time to explore your own dance and movement range.
- Experiment with some choreography.
- Look a bit deeper into your favourite styles of dance and choreography and find out more about the history and culture behind it.
- Aim to find out about a variety of styles, histories and approaches applied by different creative artists and companies. Keep notes on what you discover.
- Explore the work of artists and companies that are completely new to you.
- Do some online or library searches to explore a wide range of dance that happens locally, nationally and globally.
To start you off, we have included some links below.
HIT THE GROUND RUNNING WHEN YOU START YOUR DEGREE. LET’S SEE WHAT YOU CAN FIND.
WE CAN’T WAIT TO HAVE YOU WITH US!
