10 Jul. 2009
Universidad Europea de Madrid offers Spain’s first university degree program in Dance Sciences
This new Bachelor’s Degree in Dance Sciences, which will be taught starting with the 2009-2010 academic year, meets a need to provide future professionals in the field of dance with global and holistic training which goes beyond technical aspects to include teaching and management skills.
“This new degree program puts Spain on a par with neighboring countries which have been offering university-level studies in this field for years,” said Agueda Benito, Rector of Universidad Europea de Madrid.
“Dance, just like any other art form, needs to be recognized at the university level, and in Spain it finally is,” affirmed renowned professional dancer Mikel Aristegui at the presentation of Universidad Europea de Madrid’s Bachelor’s Degree in Dance Sciences.
“Until now, many Spanish dancers such as me have gone abroad to study because you reach a point where you can't learn any more than you already know,” explained the renowned dancer Mikel Aristegui during the presentation of the first Bachelor’s Degree in Dance Sciences to be offered in Spain. This new degree program, to be taught at Universidad Europea de Madrid starting with the 2009-2010 academic year, “meets a need to provide future professionals in the field of dance with global and holistic training which goes beyond technical aspects to include teaching and management skills,” explained Agueda Benito, Rector of the academic institution.
Through this new degree program, “Spain takes a big step towards professionalizing its dancers and putting itself on a par with neighboring countries which have been offering university-level studies in this field for years,” said Agueda Benito. “Most European countries are ahead of Spain in terms of the certification and institutional recognition of dance,” according to Mikel Aristegui, who studied dance at the Folkwang Hochschule in Germany and has spent most of his professional career abroad. The fact that a degree in dance sciences has official status in some countries and not in others does not mean that professionalization cannot be recognized, and consequently degree recognition is still a real problem,” he added.
A milestone in Spain
The Bachelor’s Degree in Dance Sciences to be offered at Universidad Europea de Madrid has been granted accreditation following a positive report from the National Agency for Quality Evaluation and Accreditation (ANECA) and subsequent approval by the Ministry of Education's Universities Council. Agueda Benito says this milestone “is a very important one for our institution.”
The Universidad Europea de Madrid Rector went on to say that the European Space for Higher Education has created a new educational scenario in which universities are able to propose degree programs that had not previously existed. “In this context, Universidad Europea de Madrid has given voice to a need in our society by creating this Bachelor’s Degree in Dance Sciences. It was created to fill a void and promote the study of dance and creative movement from a scientific perspective.”
Dance, a “university art”
“Dance, just like any other art form, needs to be recognized at the university level, and in Spain it finally is, thanks to this initiative of Universidad Europea de Madrid,” affirmed Mikel Aristegui, adding that he is convinced that “the first graduating classes will show us that a big step has been taken towards the professionalization of this discipline.” This dance professional also believes that “the new university degree will help boost the prestige of the world of dance and will add value not only to academic study but also to the profession itself and the professionals who work in it.”
As Agueda Benito explains, “until now dance had been a discipline that lacked a sufficiently structured theoretical base” and that “the university will undoubtedly provide the best context in which to build such a base.” Hence, the new Bachelor’s Degree in Dance Sciences will include an important theoretical component related to the management, administration and distribution of dance productions. Students will also learn about some the technical aspects of staging and other areas such as coordination and theater. “These are all very important aspects that up until now have been learned out of necessity, not in a deliberate way,” said Mikel Aristegui. He went on to say that “the fact that students study such a comprehensive curriculum will greatly simplify the process of orientating themselves professionally.”Professional and international vision
Agueda Benito affirms that “professional opportunities are currently emerging” for people with holistic training in dance sciences. “Dance professors, entertainment entrepreneurs and even health care professionals who use therapeutic approaches that incorporate dance are some examples of this trend.” Other professional possibilities include those which are more technically oriented, including producer, administrator, manager, distributor, lighting technician, movement therapist and many others, according to Mikel Aristegui.
“The new Bachelor’s Degree in Dance Sciences also includes areas in which dance has not had such a predominant role but in which it could play a more significant role in the future,” explained the Rector of Universidad Europea de Madrid. Just as the rest of the degree programs at Universidad Europea de Madrid, the Bachelor's Degree in Dance Sciences has a practical focus that facilitates professional training and skills development. “Students do not only come to this university for knowledge, but also to develop skills that will help them be creative, work better as part of a team, resolve problems and speak a second language, in addition to other reasons,” Agueda Benito points out. She also emphasizes that this program “has a significant international focus, not only in terms of its approach to academics but also because of the opportunities for studying abroad while enrolled in the program.”Potential students
The Bachelor’s Degree in Dance Sciences is intended for: dance professionals currently working in schools and academies who require university studies which reinforce and complement their previous training; students who have taken the selectividad exam and finished high school and want to make dance their profession; students who have not studied in a dance conservatory because they lacked technical excellence; potential dancers residing in Spain who would like to have their studies recognized and accredited; competitive athletes such as rhythmic or artistic gymnasts, skaters and synchronized swimmers.