How do you get the most out of your dance degree? Nina Levy advises.
As a dance student, getting into a tertiary dance course can feel like the key that will unlock your dance career. In reality, getting a place in a tertiary course is just the beginning of the journey… and it can be a tough one. Full-time tertiary dance training may bring with it numerous challenges.
For starters, there is likely to be a substantial increase in the number of hours of training. Back when I was a part-time dance student, training about 12-15 hours a week, I couldn’t wait to be full-time. The physical reality of dancing up to seven hours a day, five days a week, hit me hard, though. Within six weeks I had developed shin splints from the sudden extra load. In addition, for the first time in my life, I was dancing so much that I didn’t have any time to look forward to dancing. I felt the loss of that anticipation keenly. Becoming acclimatised to full-time training can be both a physical and an emotional adjustment.
Then there’s the challenge of fitting in part-time work, often a necessity for students who have moved away from home in order to attend university. Contact hours for tertiary dance courses tend to be similar to those of a full-time job - you can expect to be at university all day, Monday to Friday. Then there will be times when you need to be available evenings and weekends for rehearsals and performances.
University dance degrees have an academic component on top of the considerable practical load – there will be essays, assignments and journals to complete. Even without a part-time job in the equation, the pressures of a full-time dance course can be overwhelming. Looking back on my own time as a student, I can remember occasions when I felt I was just surviving my degree rather than maximising the benefits.
So how do you get the most out of your full-time tertiary training? How do you stay motivated when the pressure is mounting?. . .
This is an extract from an article in our 2016 Full Time Studies Guide, in the current issue of Dance Australia and you can read the full article if you buy Dance Australia from your favourite retail outlet, or use our free app to purchase and download your copy. Or make sure you receive every issue by subscribing here! .
As well as the rest of this article, the Full Time Studies Guide provides you with all the information you need to know if you are intending to take a full time course next year, with listings from over 80 dance schools!