The Specialization Course in Dance Contemporary Studies brings together instruments capable of providing a critical updating of contemporary issues produced in the dance environment, with the aim of promoting the qualification of professionals for action and reflection in this area. The target audience are choreographers, dancers, dance teachers, art critics, communication professionals and other related areas, who already have a graduation degree.

The specialization contributes to the preparation of professionals to perform in formal and non-formal artistic and educational practices as well as in cultural institutions and projects, by means of research on methods, contents and procedures in the field of dance. It wishes to offer subsidies to help advance the state of the art of dance studies and the consolidation of its research and teaching, enabling reflective practice of work in the field.

As a permanent course in the Dance Postgraduate Programme - (PPGDança-UFBA), it performs an important function of disseminating knowledge and reflections of contemporary thought on the arts, broadening pedagogical, artistic and cultural horizons in the most diverse contexts of performance.

The Course is assigned to a Programme that by pioneering the Master's and Doctorate Degrees in Dance in Brazilian public higher education, has stood out for its precursor performance. This factor adds to the structure of the specialization a highly qualified teaching staff and a constant dialogue with the themes, paradigms and approaches developed in the Programme. This institutional context also counts with the collaboration of the teachers of the Dance School and of the Professional Masters Degree in Dance (PRODAN).

The objectives of the course are: to specialize the dance professional, performer or teacher, providing access to advances in the state-of-the-art of the area; to inform and develop the sense of transdisciplinarity in professionals in areas related to dance; to contribute to the academic development of the field; to consolidate the intrinsic link between teaching, research and extension; to approach the most up-to-date theoretical issues and references with regards to the body and the dance; to encourage the exchange of students coming from various localities and regions of the country as well as foreign students; and to provide a welcoming and fruitful environment for exchanges and diversified learning.

The course is one year long, with the subjects being divided into two stages, one at the beginning and the other in the middle of the year, with its schedule having been confirmed each year through the public notice published the previous year. Its curricular plan comprises of nine subjects plus two activities developed by the student: an article on the subject of their interest, and the tutoring of a Teacher of the Programme and/or the course concerning the conclusion work.

The disciplines have significant and up-to-date theoretical input as well as diverse practices in dance modes, its approaches and procedures. The final assignments may deal with dance pedagogy, creative processes, dance economics, social, historical and anthropological aspects, investigations on somatic education, kinesiology, etc. Among the numerous articulations that are possible between knowledges. Thus, the methodological procedures are experimental and bibliographical.

As for the excellence of the Course, it is possible to denote the diversity and comprehensiveness of the themes of study in the articles of conclusion of its students and congresses. The programme contents of the subjects taught bring specific epistemologies and present advances in the state-of-the-art of dance.

For conclusion of the course, the student must satisfactorily fulfill all activities with assiduity, approval in each of the disciplines and preparation of a final article according to the standards of the Brazilian Association of Standards and Techniques-ABNT - will receive Post-Graduation Certificate Lato Sensu, at the Specialization level of the Dance Contemporary Studies Course issued by the Federal University of Bahia - UFBA.

For more information, visit the Dance Postgraduate Programme page.