Explore, test and make with others.
NEXT Choreography is a 6-month course for people aged 18–25 who want to experiment with dance and choreography.
Formal dance training isn’t required to take part, but an interest in exploring movement, dance and choreographic practice is key.
Applications for 2025/26 are now closed.
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About the course
When and where
Who can take part
Access
Fees and bursaries
How to apply
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NEXT Choreography is supported by The D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust.
About the course
NEXT Choreography is a space to cultivate and question dance and choreographic practice outside of formal education. The course runs for 6 months, and around 20-25 participants will make up the cohort who will meet once a week in our beautiful Roof Studio. The course ends with a 2-day festival open to the public where the NEXT artists take over the building to present their work.
In the first term, established dance artists working across different disciplines will support participants to explore and expand their ideas. All studio sessions will involve movement and movement making – whether through improvisation, open research, collaboration, watching, writing or talking. We will also travel together to see performances and exhibitions around London.
The second term focuses on making alone and collaboratively as we work towards the festival. Sessions include self-directed time for making/rehearsing, work in progress sharings, space for feedback with course leaders and peers, and support in how to talk about your work. To get a sense of what to expect, you can read dance art journal’s coverage of NEXT 2024 and NEXT 2025 via our blog.
NEXT Choreography will be co-held by SDS’ Artistic Directors Annie Pui Ling Lok and Kat Bridge, with producers Nancy May Roberts and Sophie Brassard. Previous courses have included facilitation from: SERAFINE1369, Liz Aggiss, Orrow Bell, Seke Chimutengwende, Jules Cunningham, Anna Seymour, Sasha Shadid, Maiya Leeke, Angela Andrew, Sara Sassenelli and Freestylers amongst others.
NEXT is a space to cultivate dance and choreographic practice. It is a 6-month course for up to 25 people. Sessions will take place once a week in our Roof Studio. It ends with a 2-day festival.
In the first term participants will be introduced to different practices through workshops with guest artists. The group will also travel together to see performances and exhibitions around London. The second term will focus on making performance and putting on a festival.
The course will be co-held by Annie Pui Ling Lok and Kat Bridge, Co-Artistic Directors at SDS, with producers Nancy May Roberts and Sophie Brassard.
“The most incredible example of how to hold a creative space in a way that is safe but also invites and encourages you to push yourself, fulfil and find your voice.”
When and Where
NEXT Choreography will take place between September 2025 – March 2026. Term 1 runs from 23 September – 9 December 2025 and term 2 from 6 January – 24 March 2026.
Weekly sessions will take place on Tuesdays, 6.30pm – 9pm at Siobhan Davies Studios. Find out about our building here.
Additional Dates:
- London Visits: The group will be given free tickets to events in Autumn 2025 (dates TBC).
- Workshop Weekend: 29/30 November (12 – 5pm TBC)
- Public Performances: 20 March (Tech Day) + 21/22 March. Participants should be available from 10am – 10pm on these 3 days
Who can take part
This course is designed for people aged 18-25, but this is an approximate age bracket.
Whilst it is important that you have an interest in choreography – formal training is not a requirement.
The course focuses on contemporary choreographic processes, but we encourage people with interests in different dance forms and artistic disciplines to take part.
When selecting participants, we will consider your enthusiasm, artistic interests and commitment to developing your own practice, as well as your approach to collaboration.
Priority will be given to applicants who:
- do not have access to other spaces to explore their creative process
- are underrepresented in contemporary dance
- are residents of Elephant and Castle or the Borough of Southwark
“I didn’t know anything about choreography before joining … This course gave me the verbal and physical language to create something I otherwise wouldn’t have. ”
Access
We understand that access needs are in flux and can change, so accessibility will be an open conversation throughout the course. There is specific access support for people of the global majority that will be allocated on a case-by-case basis.
Fees / Bursaries
Course fees for the two terms are £300. Fee are normally due in full before the start of the course.
Full and part bursary places are available. Please tell us in your application if you require a bursary. Bursary places can be provided for many reasons (e.g. low income, caring responsibilities, other financial pressures).
“I gained new friends and new collaborators who will be in my life for a long time because of NEXT.”