BCDA 2020 – 

Teacher's MA Course

The two year full or part time teacher training adds innovative pedagogical skills to high level experiences and routine obtained on the fields of contemporary dance and/or other movement based art forms.
Self subsidized course applications are welcome as soon as possible, and are accepted until 31st of May 2020 through BCDA's Institutional Application System.
Non-Hungarian citizens are entitled to all National, EU and International study grants, student loans by the Student Status Certification issued by BCDA due to it's State Licensed Higher Education legal status.
State subsidized – free of charge – formation is possible for Hungarian Citizens with full application to both the Hungarian Higher Education Central Application System FELVI and the BCDA's Institutional Application System before  the 15th of February 2020.
Entry Exams will be organized the on Monday 8th June 2020 in Budapest only.

Contemporary Dance  BA

A new course will be launched in September 2022. For more info please click here.

New Education Structure

Here you have the table of the planned course system supported by the Senat of the Academy. It's introduction will be the result of a 2-5 years, step by step process of the development of pedagogical content, personal and infrastructural resources, accrediation, etc. First results are expected as soon as the fall of 2021. 

Existing Courses	Existing Qualifications
Táncművész Alapképzési Szak / BA Hons Degree in Dance	Táncművész / Dancer
Tanári Mesterszak – Kortárstánc / Teacher MA degree – Contemporary Dance	Okleveles Tánctanár (kortárstánc tanár) / Dance Teacher (Contemporary Dance Teacher)
Kortárstánc Művész Mesterképzési Szak / MA Degree in Contemporary Dance	Okleveles Kortárstánc Művész / Contemporary Dance Artist
Planned BA Courses	Planned BA Qualifications
Cirkuszművész Alapképzési Szak / BA Hons Degree in Circus Arts	Cirkuszművész / Circus Artist
Előadóművészet, Tánc és Cirkusz Technológus Alapképzési Szak / BA Hons Degree in Technology of Performing Arts, Dance and Circus	Előadóművészet, Tánc és Cirkusz Technológus / Technologist in Performing Arts, Dance and Circus
Planned MA Courses	Planned MA Qualifications
Tanári mesterszak – Cirkuszművészet / Teacher MA Degree – Circus Art	Okleveles Cirkuszművészet Tanár / Circus Art Teacher
Előadóművészet, Tánc és Cirkusz Kreatív Producer Mesterképzési Szak/ MA Degree in Performing Arts, Dance and Circus Creative Producing	Okleveles Előadóművészet, Tánc és Cirkusz Kreatív Producer / Performing Arts, Dance and Circus Creative Producing
Előadóművészet, Tánc és Cirkusz Kutató Mesterképzési Szak / MA Degree in Dance and Circus, Performing Arts Research	Okleveles Előadóművészet, Tánc és Cirkusz Kutató / Dance and Circus, Performing Arts Researcher
Előadóművészet, Tánc és Cirkusz Esélyegyenlőség Mesterképzési Szak / MA Degree of Equal Opportunities in Performing Arts, Dance and Circus	Okleveles Előadóművészet, Tánc és Cirkusz Esélyegyenlőségi Szakember / Master of Equal Opportunities in Performing Arts, Dance and Circus
Cirkuszművész Mesterképzési Szak / MA Degree in Circus Arts	Cirkuszművész Mester / Master of Circus Arts

BCDA 2004 – 2019

BCDA BA IN CONTEMPORARY DANCE and MA IN DANCE TEACHING – 2019

BCDA – IN SHORT | BCDA IN Q&A | BCDA OFFICIAL | GET INSPIRED
see also First 4 steps!
and How international students, partners, teachers see the school

Aims

The main aim of the school is to help motivated and talented people to become artists.
Prepared, trained, autonomous, sensible, responsible, strong, healthy, balanced, cultured, innovative dance-artists.
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Values

1.
Nil nocere! = Do not harm! = Ne árts!
Do not harm yourself, your partners, your environment!

2.
γνώθι σαυτόν! = Gnothi seauton! = Know thyself! = Ismerd meg önmagad!
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Preparatory Courses

Dance Intensive Course

Join in September or January. Come to the next audition to test your motivation, level and find the appropriate group.

Come
three times a week, take Contemporary/Modern, Contact/Improvisation and Ballet classes.
or
two days a week take Contemporary Technique /Creativity classes
or
five days a week and combine the two above described possibilities

MORE

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Budapest Pre-audition, Final Auditions

Applications are open to BA and MA courses by submitting the official application form of the Budapest Contemporary Dance Academy

Pre-Audition Application deadline: 12th April 2019.
Invitation to Pre-Audition deadline: 15th April 2019.
Pre-Auditon upon invitation: 23-24. April 2019.

Final Audition Application deadline: 24th May 2019.
Invitation to Final Audition deadline: 27th May 2019.
Pre-Auditon upon invitation: 3-4. June 2019.

Send your Application earlier and get an invitation earlier!

Hungarian MA applicants who wish to get Hungarian State Study Grants must apply through FELVI + submit this query before the 15th February 2019. We have 15(!) state sponsored places for Teachers MA/2019-21 for Hungarian citizens! Live with this extraordinary opportunity!

Program of Auditions

First Day
  9.30 – Arrival/Registration/Individual warm up
10.00 – Introduction
10.30 – Dance Classes (Contemporary, Folk, Ballet)
12.00 – 13.00 Lunch break, relaxation and conversations
13.00 – cca. 16.00 Dance Classes (Contemporary, Repertory, Improvisation, Showing of short choreographies)
Conversations

Second Day
  8.30 – Arrival/Individual warm up, conversations
  9.00 – Dance Class (Contemporary, Folkdance, Ballet)
12.00 -13.00 Lunch break, relaxation and conversations
13.00 – cca. 16.00 Dance Class (Contemporary, Composition, Improvisation, Showing of short choreographies)
Conversations

Program subject to changes

Dance classes will include: contemporary technique, contact, improvisation, folk dance, ballet, …
Please prepare to dance barefoot except: ballet shoes at ballet classes, and folk- or sport shoes at the folk class.
After the pre-audition everybody will get a personal feed back.
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Study Plan

Studies are organized in three major study-fields:
1. Integrated experiential dance practice and theory
2. Creativity – skills of individual use of the traditional and innovative knowledge
3. Social skills

See study plan

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Time

BA Study Period

As declared in it's Communique the direction of BCDA has decided to finish BA and MA courses in June 2021. In consequence new students will be enrolled to

BA – 2 years, depending on previous studies, learning strategies, age, speed of personal development + possible Erasmus studies abroad.
MA – 2 years + possible Erasmus studies abroad

School Years

BA – 36 weeks from the beginning of September to the Middle of June.
1-2 week holidays 4 times a year.
One week summer Creative Week.

MA – Individual program

Periods

5 periods of 5-8 weeks each

Weeks

5 days of the week, optional weekend rehearsals.

Days

8.15                   individual warm up in the studios
8.45 –10.15       dance classes
10.30–12.00      dance classes
12.00–13.00      lunch and time to relax/sleep
13.00 –               individual training program, group training program, rehearsals, theory classes, instrumental music
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Space

The school works in a former textile factory building. We rent 900 m² of studio space and lecture rooms, additional infrastructure. ________________________________________________________________________________

Obligations to get your diploma

Participation in classes of the curriculum
Creative research and performance experience
Written essays, verbal exams, writing and defending your thesis
Portfolio, lifeplans

After successfully fulfilling all of the above, the student gets her/his diploma that will be automatically accepted in the EU and examined and accepted individually everywhere else. 

What is BCDA?

BCDA is the short name of Budapest Contemporary Dance Academy. It is a Budapest/Hungary based international school for young people who want to become a professional contemporary dancer or teacher.

What shall I learn at BCDA?

You will learn
– a lot about yourself,
– about the society and culture around you,
– how to accept and how to change.

Practice and Theory:
Creativity, Dance and movement techniques, Learning strategies, Life strategies, Health care, Dance marketing, Instrumental music, …see details at Study Plan Chapter above.

How shall I learn?

At BCDA the student is responsible for her/his success.
BCDA and teachers will give everything to achieve your goals.

What can I do with my BCDA diploma?

Your knowledge will be accepted everywhere.
Your diploma will be valid in the EU. It will be examined everywhere else, and will be accepted almost everywhere else.

Who will teach me?

First of all you will teach yourself.
You will learn a lot from your mates too.
The founder/director – Dr. Angelus Iván – started to teach dance in 1982.
Many of the teachers are his former students who give classes parallel to their dancer’s career 
Ballet, Folk and other non directly contemporary disciplines are taught by the best teachers of each style.

See the detailed list.

Where do BCDA actual students come from?

Most students have previous training or take a year of intensive preliminary course provided by the school. The proportions are changing, year by year: nowadays students speak 15 different languages. The increasing cultural diversity is becoming an important factor of the cultural impact of the school.

What do former BCDA students do after finishing school?

Most students become a professional dancer. Dancing and creating, and sometimes teaching comes together in their artistic practice. They often create in their own projects or establish their own companies. Others become members of international or Hungarian companies. Many of them start to teach children or amateurs. Others continue their studies in other international schools or through Erasmus projects. Freelancing internationally with mixed activities is very typical.

After having had a professional dance experience they often have an interest in movement related healthcare activities such as yoga, Alexander Technique, massage, … Those who find more distant professions can also transfer the school’s experience to their work and life.

See the detailed list of our former students and our alumni site under construction .

What is the opinion of guests, teachers, actual and former students?

Most partners highlight the personal treatment, the enthusiastic community, the innovative harmony of the continuously changing curriculum, the autonomous, creative orientation of the teaching. Visitors see and appreciate the balance of discipline and liberty. See testaments in a prezi or on youtube videos .

How can I become sure that this is my school?

Believe nobody else except yourself!

See performances.
See videos.
See classes upon a personal appointment.
Participate in the preparatory course.
Take workshops with our teachers.
Send video links and ask for feedback from our teachers.

Check if you like creating, rehearsing, performing.
Check if your body and personality wishes this career.
Check if you have talent, health, strength, money, support to learn dance.
Try to imagine yourself in the school's atmosphere, style, daily practice.

If you can say a sincere yes to all questions, we might agree with you.

How can I prepare for the audition and school years?

Clarify your motivation.
Dance a lot.

Am I too young?

BCDA is a Higher Education Institute. Students come after finishing their secondary school studies. Typically not before 18. Hungarian law allows dance higher education institutions to enroll students who paralelly finish secondary school studies. In exceptional cases the Rector may decide to allow starting studies earlyer than the age of 18. 

Am I too old?

There is no administrative age limit. Age is one of the aspects to decide about during the audition process. If the applicant is able to fulfill all requirements age itself will not exclude nobody. We had and we have succesful students around 30.

How to apply?

Fill this form, please!

Is a secondary school final exam indispensable condition of applying?

Under the actual law on higher education in Hungary anybody can start BA dance studies over 16 years without a secondary school final exam certificate as well, however that will be a condition of his/her diploma.

What happens at a pre-audition?

Pre-auditions are like a workshop. Applicants/interested students take classes, improvise, present their own solo dances.
After dancing together we answer questions and give a personal feedback to those who ask for.

Do I have to pay for a pre-audition workshop, or the final audition?

No!

What happens at the final audition?

Final audition is also a workshop situation. Applicants dance together, improvise, take dance classes: contemporary, contact, ballet, hungarian folk dance, make compositions, learn set sequences, present solo dances. Applicants talk to the members of the committee about their motivation, background, the 15 topics they have sent. Applicants or committee members may ask for the opinion of the school's physicist if necessary. At the end of the second we give  a personal feedback and decide and share the decision: YES or NO, or offer other special solutions.

How will my day, my week, my school year, my study years look like?

As a consequence of the situation described in the Communique issued in November 2018 next study period will be 2 years.
36 weeks a year + 1 week in the summer, 5 days a week, 6-9 hours a day you will be in and around the school.
The program will demand all of your focus and ask you to be fully present with your time and energy.
You will work individually, in groups, led by your teachers and by your school mates.
You will dance in the studio, in the theatre, on the streets, …

What shall I have to realize to get my diploma?

Participate in classes
Work on individual and group tasks
Create and participate in performances
Write essays
Succed in exams
Write and defend your thesis
Prepare your portfolio and life-plans

How much do I have to pay?

Registration fee, non-refundable: 500 €
Tuition/semester: 2000 €
Or HUF equivalent upon request especially for Hugarian citizens, based on the daily middle rate published by MNB* 
* https://www.mnb.hu/arfolyamok

Can I get financial aid?

Ask for student loans in your own country.
Ask for school grants after a successful first semester. Part tuition grants are possible but possibilities are very limited.
Ask for grants from your municipality, state, region. Work to find helpers, sponsors, mecenas. You will need them after school too.

What other costs shall I have*?

Accomodation:    60 000
Food:                   70 000
Communication:  20 000
Dresses, shoes:  10 000
Insurance:             5 000
Culture:               10 000
Sum:           cca. 160 000 HUF – cca 500 €

*  Very Minimal budget in 2018.

Rates in December 2018 subject to changes.
1€ = 320 HUF
1 $ = 283 HUF

What is the legal status of BCDA?

Budapest Contemporary Dance Academy is a state acknowledged Hungarian Higher Education Institution operated under the Hungarian Laws of Higher Education (http://net.jogtar.hu/jr/gen/hjegy_doc.cgi?docid=A1100204.TV) since 2004 .

What do we think about our school?

Students, teachers, colleagues, partners are more enthusiastic, while teachers and staff are proud but more critical.
Read and listen to opinions of guest teachers and students and read the mission statement, self evaluation, and development strategy under construction for the next accreditation process coming soon.

How can I help the school?

Money: Sponsor students, performances, teachers, staff members, special expenses, … Become the school's Maecenas!
Spread your opinion about BCDA!
Be a voluntary partner!
Have other ideas!

See also:
BCDA in 4 steps