Master of Dance (Performance)

This subject is not offered in 2009.

Applicants are required to have a three year degree in the study of dance plus an Honours year or postgraduate diploma or euqivalent further study in dance. The Selection Committee may conduct interviews for each short-listed applicant and may call for referee reports and employer references to elucidate any of the matters referred to above.

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Student Support and Engagement Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and Student Equity and Disability Support: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

Dance Performance is the major focus of the undergraduate program in the VCA School of Dance. A logical extension of the undergraduate program is the provision of opportunities for research in dance performance at the postgraduate level. Research in Dance will:

• enhance knowledge of dance as a performing art and establish foundations for future research and advancement of the discipline;
• provide opportunities for dancers to re-enter the academy at an appropriate level after considerable experience as professional performers;
• encourage elite performers to undertake research in collaboration with experienced choreographers in the systematic investigation of choreography and dance;
• provide a foundation for mature dancers to undertake leadership roles in future dance education and training.

The assessment of the Master of Dance will comprise: Performance work(s) studied (60%); Research paper of 15,000 or equivalent as approved by the course assessment committee (40%).

Students must submit three (3) copies of the research paper plus three (3) videotape copies of the performance work(s) for examination in accordance with Statute 12.5.1, within the period of candidature. The initial submission for examination should be in unbound form; once examination is complete and corrections have been made, two copies of the research paper and all accompanying documentation (eg. Video tapes, CD ROM) must be submitted before the result is finalised. The copies are for the Library.

Assessment will be by two (2) examiners, at least one of whom will be external. One of the assessors will have academic experience. The Chairman of Examiners can request a candidate attend for a Viva Voce before the Assessment Committee. The research paper must be submitted within 8 weeks of completion of the performance folio.

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

At the completion of the course, students should be able to:

• initiate dance research projects and to formulate viable research questions;
• demonstrate an ability to design, conduct, report and make presentations of independent and original research on a closely defined project;
• demonstrate an ability to manage time so as to maximize the quality of research;
• exhibit an understanding of the major contours of international research in the research area, and the capacity for critical evaluation of relevant scholarly literature;
• develop appropriate strategies for problem solving and demonstrate an effective and flexible approach;
• cooperate with other researchers;
• manage information effectively including the application of computer systems and software where appropriate to the field of study;
• exhibit a profound respect for truth and intellectual integrity and for the ethics of professional creative practice.

The degree of Master of Dance has as its central focus the training of highly skilled performers as researchers and potential contributors to advancement of the field. While the principal study and other performance related subjects make up the largest component of the overall program, the documentation and analysis of the ongoing research is regarded as equally important and students will be encouraged to explore a range of possibilities.