Dance – Dance Arts in Context
- 4 year(s)
- English
- Bachelor
- Full-time
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Are you curious, driven, creative, and entrepreneurial?
Would you like to develop your own signature as a dancer or choreographer? Are you looking for depth, experimentation, and physical challenge in your development as a dance artist? Study in the inclusive learning environment of the internationally oriented Fontys Dance Arts in Context programme. It offers you all the space you need to grow individually!
About Fontys Dance Arts in Context
We teach you to create, think, and produce together with your fellow students, and to place dance in different contexts. You are encouraged to develop your personal artistic profile, both as a creator and dancer. You are the owner of your own career. You become an artistic entrepreneur and will receive every opportunity to build up your (international) professional network.
Why this study in the Netherlands?
- A warm and vibrant inclusive learning environment with plenty of room for individual growth
- Three different profiles: Contemporary, Contemporary Urban, Choreography
- A broad and challenging education on an artistic, physical and theoretical level
- 15 art (teacher) courses under one roof with interdisciplinary projects
What are you going to learn?
We place our students at the centre of a fantastic team of teachers and choreographers, in exceptional training facilities, alongside 14 other art schools ranging from Circus and Architecture to Visual Arts and Music. Authentic, curious, and distinctive dance artists work in an inclusive learning environment, where individual growth and co-operative exploration are equally prized. Practical work is underpinned by an extensive and rigorous training and research programme that includes a wide range of performance and movement practices. We educate our students to create, think, and produce collaboratively. They become dance makers and dance leaders who have their own voice, who take ownership of their own careers, and who go on to take up meaningful positions in both the performing arts field and wider society.
- You’ll become a dance maker and leader with your own signature
- Practice is supported by training and research
- The programme thoroughly prepares you for taking up meaningful positions in arts and society
Izah Hankammer, alumnus
'I was trying to find a place where I could explore myself as an artist. Not only as a dancer but also define my individuality and my artistic capabilities. I found that place at Fontys'
Emma Hanekroot, student'I get to redesign everyday what it means to be a dancer'
Courses
Our courses are designed specifically to foster both individual creativity and personal excellence to enable our students to have reach, ambition and impact in the world of today. This course hones, identifies, and develops the transferrable skills needed to take up significant positions throughout the performing arts field and the wider society.
Inclusive Dance and Movement Practice: the transferrable skills of the dance artist, an international Erasmus+ Project, will support this further with a co-created online platform for dance professionals.
At the heart of everything we do and believe is a profound commitment to collaboration, which is why the graduates of the Contemporary, Contemporary Urban, and Bachelor in Choreography profiles are expected to collaborate with other arts disciplines in different locations, both inside and outside of traditional theatre spaces. The creative conversation that takes place between these disciplines, and between the artists and their audiences, is what Fontys Dance Arts in Context is all about.
An academic year consists of two terms of 15 weeks each, and a third one of 9 weeks. This means that you are actively involved in your studies for a period of some 40 weeks each year.
Your curriculum is scheduled between 9.00 am and 9.00 pm. You attend classes and carry out assignments, individually and in a team. Examinations are scheduled at the end of each term.
Your average weekly workload is 40 hours, including 30 contact hours. The number of weekly 90 minutes practical classes amounts to 15, on top of 4 theory classes. All these activities are located both inside and outside the school. Attending performances is part of the curriculum.
Contemporary and Contemporary Urban are two branches of training which share the same basic programme, although they differ in elaboration and specialisation.
Basic Programme: Weekly classes: Ballet, Contemporary, Modern, Improvisation, Performance Studies, Creation, Movement research, Yoga, Pilates, Choreography, History, Dramaturgy, Communication, Anatomy.
Basic Programme: Projects; Students working with guest choreographers, projects where students are guided in developing their own work, interdisciplinary projects, projects in public space, and other spaces/contexts.
Specific to Contemporary: extra classes in Contemporary, improvisation, and Butoh.
Specific to Contemporary Urban: Weekly classes in Urban dance as created in the 1980s in the American urban subculture. This includes Hiphop (popping, locking, B-boying, and house) and Authentic Jazz.
In addition, the course offers non-European urban styles such as Contemporary African dance and fusion techniques such as Physical Dynamics.
In Year 3, you will work (in addition to training in your choice of ballet, urban, contemporary or embodied based practices) on projects with the field, which you choose yourself from the extensive range of courses. You choose which project you want to do when, so that you also have time and space to do your Free Choice activities and you can plan any activities abroad.
After completing your second year, you can choose the graduate profile Choreography, with the emphasis on creative dance artist, the art of choreography, and giving shape to dance. A broad view of dance and creating in dance is central here. The programme aims at students with an individual and artistic vision who have the intrinsic urge to make their ‘own’ and ‘innovative’ work. This is also determined by the personal affinity with the art of dance. During your third year, you create five choreographies as a preparation for the professional practice.
After completing your second year, you can choose the graduate profile Choreography, with the emphasis on creative dance artist, the art of choreography, and giving shape to dance. A broad view of dance and creating in dance is central here. The programme aims at students with an individual and artistic vision who have the intrinsic urge to make their ‘own’ and ‘innovative’ work. This is also determined by the personal affinity with the art of dance. During your third year, you create five choreographies as a preparation for the professional practice.
Dance Arts in Context
Graduating in Dance Arts in Context requires a six months’ internship during the fourth academic year. In order to do so, you become a member of one or several companies, or you join small-scale productions, at home or abroad. You can also do your internship at an educational institution abroad.
Choreography
As a graduate in Choreography, you create five choreographies. To create your graduation choreography during your fourth year, you work together with professional dancers in a professional setting outside the Fontys Academy of the Arts. In addition, you do elaborate field research into a dance company or a choreographer of your own choice.
English language proficiency
FAA English language proficiency
Diploma requirements
As a prospective Bachelor's student you must have a diploma of higher secondary education that is equivalent to Dutch standards.
For Dutch students: VWO-, HAVO- or MBO 4-diploma (your diploma will be verified via Studielink)
Non-Dutch students: once admitted after the audition you will be asked to send a certified copy of your original diploma and grades list of your high school diploma, so Fontys can evaluate these. Minimum level of foreign diploma’s:
* Belgium: Diploma van Secundair Onderwijs with a transcript (after 7 years BSO or after 6 years ASO/TSO/KSO).
* Germany: Fachhochschulreife or Zeugnis der Allgemeinen Hochschulreife.
* France: Baccalaureat
* Other nationalities: check if your diploma will be sufficient through this Nuffic website.
NOTE: you do not need to apply for a diploma evaluation with Nuffic yourself. Fontys will arrange this and you will be informed about it.
The diploma evaluation may take 2 weeks.
English language proficiency
FAA English language proficiency
Visa
As a non-EU/EEA student, the Netherlands will require an Entry Visa* (MVV) and a Residence Permit. Fontys will apply on behalf of its students for these documents. We recommend you start the process early, i.e. approximately three months before you plan to enter the Netherlands.
*except nationals from Australia, Canada, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, South Korea, the USA and Vatican City State.
Diploma requirements
As a prospective Bachelor's student you must have a diploma of higher secondary education that is equivalent to Dutch standards.
For Dutch students: VWO-, HAVO- or MBO 4-diploma (your diploma will be verified via Studielink)
Non-Dutch students: once admitted after the audition you will be asked to send a certified copy of your original diploma and grades list of your high school diploma, so Fontys can evaluate these. Minimum level of foreign diploma’s:
* Belgium: Diploma van Secundair Onderwijs with a transcript (after 7 years BSO or after 6 years ASO/TSO/KSO).
* Germany: Fachhochschulreife or Zeugnis der Allgemeinen Hochschulreife.
* France: Baccalaureat
* Other nationalities: check if your diploma will be sufficient through this Nuffic website.
NOTE: you do not need to apply for a diploma evaluation with Nuffic yourself. Fontys will arrange this and you will be informed about it.
The diploma evaluation may take 2 weeks.
Language requirements for Dutch students
For the English taught programmes, the minimum English language proficiency required. As an applicant with a Dutch MBO-4, HAVO- or VWO-diploma you can be exempted from submitting the language proficiency test.
Diploma requirements
As a prospective Bachelor's student you must have a diploma of higher secondary education that is equivalent to Dutch standards.
For Dutch students: VWO-, HAVO- or MBO 4-diploma (your diploma will be verified via Studielink)
Non-Dutch students: once admitted after the audition you will be asked to send a certified copy of your original diploma and grades list of your high school diploma, so Fontys can evaluate these. Minimum level of foreign diplomas:
* Belgium: Diploma van Secundair Onderwijs with a transcript (after 7 years BSO or after 6 years ASO/TSO/KSO).
* Germany: Fachhochschulreife or Zeugnis der Allgemeinen Hochschulreife.
* France: Baccalaureat
* Other nationalities: check if your diploma will be sufficient through this Nuffic website.
NOTE: you do not need to apply for a diploma evaluation with Nuffic yourself. Fontys will arrange this and you will be informed about it.
The diploma evaluation may take 2 weeks.
Costs
The tuition fees indicator helps you to determine the tuition rate for your situation. The information and tuition rates from this indicator are without engagement.
go to tuition fees indicator 2025-2026Statutory tuition fees and institutional tuition fees
A distinction is made between statutory tuition fees and institutional tuition fees. Only if you satisfy all statutory requirements regarding your nationality and if you have not yet been awarded a degree, will you be eligible for statutory tuition fees. Via the tuition fees indicator, you can secure an indication of the type of tuition fees that will be applicable in your situation. To do so, please make use of the indicator above.
Distinctions are made between the following types of Institutional Tuition Fees:
- Low institutional tuition fees
- High institutional tuition fees
Different types of tuition fees and Exemption Regulations
These different types of tuition fees and the Exemption Regulations are fully detailed in the:
The amount to be paid may vary in accordance with the following situations:
- If you have enrolled in more than one course programme (at Fontys and/or elsewhere), it is possible that you may only be obliged to pay one set of statutory tuition fees.
- If you believe that you may be eligible to pay only the statutory tuition fees on the basis of information that may be unknown to us, please report this to your Course Department.
- If it later transpires that you do not meet the requirements for statutory tuition fees, you will be obliged to pay the (higher) institutional tuition fees and if this is the case, you will be notified accordingly.
Paying in instalments
Collection will occur in a maximum of ten equal instalments on or around the 26th of the month. Depending upon the processing time required after your enrolment, the direct debit may need to be moved to the following month. If so, the amount outstanding will then be divided and added to the remaining instalments to be executed until and including the June instalment.
If paying the full sum in a single payment
If you commence your studies on 1 September, the direct debit pertaining to your Tuition Fees will be executed on or around 25 September. If you commence your studies after 1 September, the direct debit will be executed on or around the 26th of the month in which you commence your studies.
Non-EU students
Incoming non-EU students will receive a payment letter from their study department, which must be paid before the deadline. In the following academic years, payment can be made by direct debit.
Non-SEPA
If you have a Bank account number of which the bank is not situated in one of the SEPA countries, and you are a national of a country outside the EEA without an address in The Netherlands, then you will receive a payment letter from Fontys via your course department.
Some Fontys programmes, including Dance Arts in Context, offer the NL scholarship. This scholarship is for NON-EU candidates only! You can find more information about this scholarship via the link below. There is a very limited amount of scholarships, so application is not a guarantee to be rewarded with one.
Information about NL scholarshipAre you eligible for the NL scholarship? Then you can apply for the scholarship via the link below.
Apply for the NL scholarshipThe Dutch currency unit is the Euro (i.e. abbreviated to ‘EUR’ or ‘€’).
The average living expenses per month for a foreign student living and studying in Holland are between EUR 1,100 and EUR 1,500 per month. These living expenses cover rent, insurance, food, public transportation, books, clothing and other general costs.
Dutch Immigration Service (IND) requires non-EEA students to proof they have access to € 13,140 per year (€ 6,570 per semester)
Costs within the first months upon arrival will be higher than all other months due to a housing deposit, intro week and books. Study books are usually bought at the start of the semester and therefore it is wise to reserve and have direct access to an amount at the start of the semester which can cover the price of all study books and the living expenses for the first two months.
Before starting your study at Fontys, you must find suitable housing. Unfortunately, it is not easy for international students to find accommodation in the Netherlands due to the housing crisis. Start your accommodation search early. Please be aware that finding a place to live is your own responsibility. However, we are happy to assist in any way we can.
More information about accommodationCareer opportunities
We educate our students to create, think and produce collaboratively. They become dance makers and dance leaders who have their own voice, who take ownership of their own careers, and who go on to take up meaningful positions throughout both the performing arts field and wider society. Take a look at our Digital Stage graduates and at our alumnni network page.
- Professional dancer
- Choreographer
- Creative producer
How to apply
All applications for our programmes have to be conducted via www.studielink.nl. Studielink is an online portal that allows applicants to apply and maintain their registration whenever they want to.
The application process may differ for EU and Non-EU students, please read below what applies for you.
How to applyAudition 2025-2026
- To take part in the audition you first have to apply (see the link above what the 2 steps are for admission!).
You can apply from the 1st of November 2024 until the deadline for application on the 16th of February 2025.
- The preselection of the audition will take place online.
After completing the 2 steps to apply for admission you will receive a link to your personal file where you will find the audition assignment and where you can upload your material. It will take a couple of days to proceed through all the steps, so make sure you start in time.
The deadline to upload your material is the 9th of March 2025.
- After the preselection only selected candidates will advance to the live audition, which will be held in 3 rounds:
- 22nd of April first round Group A
- 23rd of April first round Group B (you will either be invited for group A or group B)
- 24th of April second round group A and B
- 25th of April third round group A and B
- Please make sure you are available these dates, it is not possible to audition on another date nor is it possible to do this audition online!
- It is not possible to audition for both profiles, contemporary and contemporary urban, so please make a choice before applying (more information about the profiles: see Courses)
- A medical test is also part of the audition process.
When registering for an audition, it is compulsory to upload your passport photo. This photo will be used by the audition committee to recognise and assess you during the live audition.
Preliminary trajects
Fontys Dance Arts in Context also provides preliminary trajects. You can find more information on our website (Dutch only).
More information about Preliminary TrajectsSign up for one of our events. There's no better way to find out if this study programme is right for you! Visit a webinar from the comfort of your home or meet us live on campus. Whichever you choose, we hope to meet you soon.
Open Day
October 25, 2025
Programme
Open Day
October 25, 2025
Programme
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