Dance Academy Curriculum

Athlete Component 

Aim: To develop students as elite and versatile performers. 

Providing performance opportunities including: 

  • 2x annual performances:  
  • In-house: Barking Abbey Spring Dance Showcase 
  • Barking Abbey End of Year Summer Showcase – Our usual Theatre venue for this has closed down, new Theatre pending 
  • Studio shows with Boy Blue 
  • Bi-annual A Night with Boy Blue show at the Barbican Centre 
  • The Barbican Associate Schools  
  • Dance Competitions 


Develop students’ physical, technical and expressive skills through small self-managed group/individual sessions and within Monday/Wednesday sessions. 

Bespoke self-managed strength and conditioning programme, that may include sessions led by a qualified staff or Strength and Conditioning coaches. 

Access to physiotherapist for assessment and treatments. 

Audition technique and preparation; in house, invited guest artists; for professional jobs. 

Audition opportunities for Boy Blue Youth, Centre for Advanced Training Schemes at Trinity Laban; Homenation; HydroGen UK, Lit Youth and Konverse Dance Crew. 

Concept videos. 

Professional work opportunities. 

One to one mentoring and target setting. 
  
Artist Component 

Aim: To nurture students' individual artistry and enable creative outlets to support wellbeing. 

Modules will explore: 

  • Choreography- standard and conceptual 
  • Creative processes- for stage, for camera/film, site specific, for a brief, etc 
  • Notation and archiving choreography 
  • Creative exploration  
  • Philosophy 
  • Wellbeing will underpin one to one mentoring and target setting to support creative development 
      

Entrepreneur Component 

Aim: To develop knowledge and skills in a breadth of Dance areas to develop character and transferable skills to sustain a successful career within any field.  

Modules will explore the below foci by providing workshops with professional experts within each area and projects within professional settings (theatres/sets/companies) for students to undertake these roles:

  • Movement direction  
  • Stage Management 
  • Technical staff- Lighting, sound  

Students will also have opportunities to develop knowledge and skills in the below Dance fields: 

  • Dance journalism  
  • Physiotherapy 
  • Education teams- teaching, outreach, etc 
  • Instructor qualifications- exercise to music/fitness  
  • Students will be supported in developing knowledge and application in the below areas: 
  • Social media and content creation- how to be safe online weaved through creating a Dance Portfolio 
  • Networking  
  • Branding  
  • CV writing and portfolio development  

Students will receive one to one mentoring on Post 18 pathways, target setting and career development.