Year 1

The first year (propaedeutic) is a basic introductory year. The focus is on your development as a dancer.

• You follow an intense programme in dance techniques.
• You explore how to ‘communicate’ dance to different target groups.
• Together with fellow students you create an ensemble piece.
• You take part in the graduation performance of Dance in Education at Theater Zuidplein.
• In both the first and second semester you do an ‘observering’ internship, for instance in amateur or regular education. Or you participate in a community arts project. The goal is to test your theoretical knowledge in practice.
• An important subject this year is: healthy teaching (food, anatomy, physiology, combined with fitness and pilates).

Year 2

Your independence as a dancer, teacher, maker and entrepreneur is becoming increasingly important.

• Together with two or three fellow students you create a series of lessons, which you pitch in practice. The goal is to implement your innovative plan at an organisation of your own choice. For instance: a series of lessons for patients in a rehabilitation centre.
• Together with fellow students you engage in a community arts project to produce an artistic final product. One previous example: a project that was aimed at physically challenged dancers and amateur dancers. They performed together at the Holland Dance Festival. You also get a chance to perform at The International Community Arts Festival (ICAF).
• You take educational classes that focus on subjects such as modern dance, ballet, community arts and young children

Year 3

In this year you start teaching independently. You discover on which target groups you wish to focus.

• You teach every Tuesday. During the first semester in primary education and during the second semester in secondary education.
• Together with fellow students you make a production and accompanying for children or youngsters. You sell you work to schools after which you perform and present it yourself.
• You have the opportunity of gaining work experience abroad. In previous years, third‑year students went to underdeveloped areas in Poland and South Africa and worked with groups of children to create presentations.

Year 4

By the end of your studies you have become a professional dancer, teacher, dance maker, entrepreneur and researcher.

• Your graduation programme consists of several elements: organising the annual final performance, doing an internship to deepen your skills and knowledge, doing graduation research and making a creative product.
• The creative product consists of a choreography for amateur dancers or a documentary. For instance: your graduation research is about dance classes in education for children with special needs. During your internship (in the same educational setting) you record activities, which you then use to produce a documentary.

After graduation

Over the course of four years, you develop yourself in the broadest possible sense: you become a dancer, teacher, choreographer, entrepreneur and researcher. You are employable in numerous ways.

Codarts alumni have found work at SKVR, VAK Delft, at their own dance schools in both the Netherlands and Belgium, they have worked for musicals or as choreographers/dancers with dance companies. Some have developed educational programmes both here and abroad.

 Diede Bolsius (graduated 2013), dancer, choreographer and entrepreneur:
‘In my graduation year I started my own company: DieDans. I teach jazz dance, ballet and modern dance, among other things. Codarts has been a source of inspiration to me. I am glad to have gained a lot of knowledge from which I now benefit.’