The Latest Trends in Dance and Performing Arts

Dance can come in so many different forms. Are you a fan of the professional dance group, Diversity? The talented group of individuals took the nation by storm back in 2009 when they were announced the winners of Britain’s Got Talent, and they are still huge in the entertainment world today. Alternatively, if you are a regular TikTok user, you’ll be aware of the latest dance trends that are going viral.  

A key factor in the dance world is that it’s a form of entertainment that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. If you’re a performing arts or theatre graduate looking to further develop your talents, it’s important to stay tuned with the latest trends. We explore some of the biggest ones in this blog. 

Innovation in Choreography 

Choreography is what makes a great dance routine, and its innovation is making waves in the modern dance world. Recent years have seen an increase in popularity for experimental choreography that breaks away from traditional structures and expectations. This could be anything from incorporating other art forms, such as circus skills and acrobatics into dance routines. Alternatively, it could involve innovations in the lighting and set designs to make a more immersive and exciting experience for the audience. If you’re a creative and talented individual with a great ability for thinking outside the box, then becoming a choreographer could be an ideal path to make the most of your talents. 

Physical Theatre  

This is another trend that is becoming increasingly popular with audiences in today’s dance world. The idea of physical theatre is to use the performer’s body as a key element of the performance and tell the story through physical movement rather than dialogue. It can be an excellent way of connecting with the audience on an emotional level, without relying on words. If you’re a graduate aspiring to become a dancer or actor, then this is an important trend to be aware of.  

Additionally, there are three characteristics of physical theatre to be aware of:  

- Audience participation – This is where companies or choreographers decide to break down the separation element between the performers and the audience by encouraging the viewers to get involved  

- Devised performance – some physical theatre practitioners find inspiration from play elements rather than spoken word performances; involving improvisation and collaboration  

- Interdisciplinary elements – Physical movement is known as the heart of physical theatre, but this art form also adopts elements from other contemporary theatre disciplines  

Immersive Experiences  

Today’s audiences are also craving more immersive experiences from performers. Essentially, this could involve anything from being able to move around a performance space to being fully immersed in a virtual reality production. The aim of this is to make audiences feel like they are part of the production, rather than just passively watching it unfold before them.  

These are just some of the latest trends sweeping the stage when it comes to dance and performing arts. If this strengthens your ambitions for wanting to pursue a career in this industry, then check out how an MA Professional and Commercial Dance degree can help enhance your skills to become the next talented industry specialist. 

MA Professional and Commercial Dance... Course Highlights  

In collaboration with the University of Bolton, Shockout Arts have developed a one-year MA in Professional and Commercial Dance. If you’re wondering who Shockout Arts are, they are the first professional dance organisation nationwide to provide higher-level and postgraduate professional and commercial dance certifications. This degree will enable you will be able to establish and build a new graduate dance group within the context of professional and commercial dance.  
 
Let’s now see some core highlights: 

- Creating and forming an emerging graduate dance company within the arena of professional and commercial dance  

- Opportunity to advance and refine your technical, creative, and performance practices through a range of projects, performance opportunities, and traditional taught modules 

- The chance to interact, learn and work alongside professional artists from the dance industry; including choreographers, professional dancers, directors, and producers  

Interested in finding out more? Learn more by looking at the full course details and see how the MA Professional and Commercial Dance course can give you the support you need to enhance your career prospects in a creative and talented field. 
 
Contact us at enquiries@bolton.ac.uk or call on 01204 903807 to speak to a member of our team.