Northern School of Contemporary Dance

Northern School of Contemporary Dance is a unique dance training institution offering a select group of students the opportunity to develop and excel as dance artists in a conservatoire environment.

Based in Chapeltown, Leeds, Northern School of Contemporary Dance (NSCD) is a leading centre for contemporary dance in the UK, and one of six world-leading schools forming the Conservatoire for Dance & Drama (CDD). NSCD is currently the only institution to offer conservatoire-level professional dance training in the North of England.

The School’s programmes at Undergraduate and Postgraduate levels nurture versatile and independent dance artists with highly tuned technical, creative and performance skills, ready for entry into the profession.

NSCD is committed to widening access and recruits the most talented students, regardless of personal circumstance; the School’s mission is to provide inspirational learning, enabling aspiring dance artists of all backgrounds to shape the future of dance.

Founded in 1985 by pioneering dance educationist Nadine Senior MBE (1939-2016), the school has since gone on to produce some of the leading names in the world of contemporary dance today. Alumni include the internationally-celebrated choreographer Akram Khan MBE (1998), Artistic Director of Akram Khan Company, Gary Clarke (2001), independent choreographer, and Tamsin Fitzgerald (1998), Founder & Artistic Director of 2Faced Dance Company.