Master of Dance (Performance)

Course 165AA (2010)

Note: This is an archived Handbook entry from 2010.

Year and Campus: 2010 - Southbank
Fees Information: Subject EFTSL, Level, Discipline & Census Date
Level: Research Higher Degree
Duration & Credit Points: Students are expected to complete this research in 1.50 years full time, or equivalent part time.

Coordinator

H Herbertson

Contact

Student and Academic Services, Faculty of the Victorian College of the Arts, 234 St Kilda Road, Southbank, 3006 Tel: 03 9685 9419
Course Overview: Dance performance is the major focus of the undergraduate program in VCA Dance. The Master of Dance (Performance) provides opportunities for candidates to extend their knowledge, competence and understanding in the theory and practice of dance as an art form. Through their research candidates initiate dance research projects and formulate viable research questions. They develop skills in dance literacy for the documentation, description and analysis of dance performance. Through study of a body of performance work candidates focus on training as highly skilled performers and as researchers and potential contributors to advancement of the field.
Objectives:

The objectives of this course are:

  • to provide opportunities for candidates to extend their knowledge, competence and understanding in the theory and practice of dance as an art form;
  • to promote research into the relationship in contemporary dance forms between the dancer (as interpreter) and the choreographer (as composer);
  • to assist in the development of appropriate skills in alternative modes of representation, documentation and analysis, especially in the use of new technologies and new forms of publication;
  • to cultivate independent thinking in respect to the relationship between the candidates professional expertise and contemporary life and culture.
Course Structure & Available Subjects: The maximum time permitted to complete the course is four semesters full-time
Subject Options:
Subject
Study Period Commencement:
Credit Points:
Not offered in 2010
100.00
Entry Requirements: Candidates are expected to have a degree in Dance with Honours.
Core Participation Requirements: For the purposes of considering requests for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirments for this subject are articulated in the Subject Description, Subject Objectives, Generic Skills and Assessment Requirements of this entry.
The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the disability support scheme can be found at the Disability Liaison Unit website: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/
Graduate Attributes:

University graduate attributes are detailed at http://www.unimelb.edu.au/about/attributes.html

Generic Skills:

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.

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