Professional Dancers' Postgraduate Teaching Certificate (Berlin)

This programme is designed for professional dancers wishing to prepare for a new career in teaching or dancers who are already teaching but wish to gain an internationally renowned RAD teaching qualification. The Professional Dancers' Postgraduate Teaching Certificate (PDPTC) combines distance learning and an onsite, intensive study period (to be held in Berlin), providing a flexible programme of study which can accommodate performance and/or teaching commitments and provide a secure platform for a career in teaching. Click here for a visual presentation (PPT.)

Delivery

The Professional Dancers' Postgraduate Teaching Certificate is a modular programme which runs from January to November and is delivered by distance learning with onsite, taught components. All students complete four compulsory modules to the value of 60 credits at postgraduate level.

The programme begins with an Induction Seminar, followed by a period of distance learning. In the summer, students attend an Intensive Study Period for four weeks sometime between early July and mid August. Exact dates will be published nearer the start of the programme. The Intensive Study Period comprises practical sessions, lectures, seminars, discussion groups and tutorials. In the final module, students undertake a teaching placement in a dance school of their choice where they are supported by a Mentor and Practical Teaching Supervisor.

Assessment

Modules are assessed through a range of written tasks including reflective journals, lesson plans, reports and projects.

Module PDPTC704 is assessed through a Practical Teaching Examination followed by a short discussion on the class examined.

Award

Successful completion of the programme leads to the award of PDPTC and eligibility for registration as a teacher with the Royal Academy of Dance.

Programme Content

Programme Specification

PDPTC701: Dance Teaching in Context

This module provides you with a bridge between performance and pedagogy for professional dancers, locating your own experience of dance education and training in context and engaging you in a critical appraisal of the dance teaching profession. You will gain systematic knowledge of the wide range of environments in which dance teaching takes place, regionally, nationally and internationally. The module also covers the expectations and requirements of professional dance teachers, their roles and responsibilities, and current employment opportunities.

PDPTC702: Ballet and Contemporary Dance: Histories, Techniques and Training Systems

In this module, you will engage in a critical evaluation of theoretical discourses and studio-based practices in dance, with a focus on ballet and selected contemporary techniques. The module covers the historical development of dance performance and associated dance training systems as developed by key individuals and organisations. Through a combination of theoretical and practical study, you will investigate key differences in ballet vocabulary, technique and terminology and work towards developing your own personalised pedagogical approach rooted in critical evaluation.

PDPTC703: Learning and Teaching

The critical examination of different teaching and learning theories forms the core of this module and the basis for planning effective teaching. You will gain systematic knowledge and understanding of a range of teaching and learning strategies with a focus on inclusive practice, resource-based teaching and assessment for learning. Key differences between vocational training and broader educational perspectives are also investigated, enabling you to reflect critically on your own dance background and adapt your teaching to a specified context.

PDPTC704: Teaching Placement

This final module allows you to integrate learning from previous modules and undertake a supervised teaching placement in a dance school of your choice. Through the teaching placement, you will gain practical experience in planning effective classes, managing the learning environment and providing a positive dance experience for all learners. Involvement in additional administrative duties, parents’ days, school performances and other events is encouraged and you will keep a reflective journal to record your progress as trainee teachers. The placement involves appropriate support from a Mentor and Practical Teaching Supervisor who provide regular feedback, encouragement and support.

KEY FACTS

Start January 2014
Apply by 1st August 2013

Duration One year part-time

Location Distance learning and Berlin
Level 7

Credits 60

Fees 2014 fee to be confirmed, but as a guide the 2013 fee was €5,500

NOTE:

We are no longer accepting applications for the January 2013 start date. We are now taking applications for the PDPTC programme that will start in January 2014.

Further Study and Employment Prospects

Graduates from the Professional Dancers' Postgraduate Teaching Certificate are well placed to work in the private (vocational) dance sector and in a range of educational contexts internationally across Europe and/or to enrol for further study at postgraduate level. The programme includes study of the syllabi and examinations of the RAD so that graduates are eligible to become teaching members of the RAD and can enter students for RAD examinations should they wish to do so.

PDPTC graduates may also apply to transfer to the Master of Teaching (Dance), providing they meet the English language requirements and successfully complete an online postgraduate study skills course. PDPTC graduates who meet these requirements will be exempt from 60 credits of the Masters degree.

How to apply