RAD Higher Education Programmes
3b - Diploma for Professional Benesh Movement Notators

The Diploma for Professional Benesh Movement Notators (DPBMN) is designed to equip students with the skills necessary to find employment as professional dance company notators, or freelance notators, or to equip those pursuing allied careers (ballet master/mistress, repetiteur, dance researcher, teacher), with professional level BMN skills.

The Diploma programme, which focuses on the practical application of BMN, comprises three 20 credit modules: Recording Skills, Reconstruction: Principles and Practice, and a Work Placement with a dance company, or other appropriate dance organisation.

In the Recording Skills module you will explore the use of the BMN system to record a wide range of dance movement, refine your observational skills, learn to work quickly, understand the processes of ‘note taking’ and ‘writing up’, and discuss the role and qualities expected of the notator during the choreographic process.

The Reconstruction: Principles and Practice module is essentially practical in nature. Following an exploration of the principles of effective reconstruction, you will reconstruct extracts from notated works, explore various strategies for learning notated movement, the effective communication of movement material, rehearsal organisation, different approaches to reconstruction depending on context, and the use of alternative sources of information for the reconstruction of choreographed material.

The Work Placement module enables you to gain a ‘snapshot’ of the life of a professional notator. Working with a ‘mentor’ from the host organisation, this valuable module gives you the opportunity to observe the rehearsal/reconstruction process, investigate the administrative processes of rehearsal scheduling and work on various recording tasks, which may be working in the studio, from existing scores and/or from video. You will be expected to present a proportion of your recordings using the Benesh Notation Editor computer software.

The programme is delivered full-time over 15 weeks at RAD headquarters, beginning in January (600 hours of study). Work placements are subject to the schedules of the organisations involved, so you may have to visit more than one organisation, or travel out of London.

Places on DPBMN are limited to ensure individual attention from specialist tutors who are all professional notators practising at the highest level.

Entry Requirements

  • Successful completion of the Certificate in Benesh Movement Notation, or equivalent.
  • Appropriate executant skill in dance/movement to be able to communicate physically a wide range of notated material at an appropriate level. Applicants are normally auditioned, but may be exempt in some circumstances. As a guide, we would expect applicants to be of at least RAD Advanced standard, or equivalent.
  • The potential to benefit from the programme, as evidenced by the overall mark gained for CBMN, and the suitability for professional level studies, judged by interview with the programme leader. Please note: places on DPBMN are limited and passing CBMN does not give automatic entry onto the programme.


Award
Successful completion of the programme leads to the award of the Diploma for Professional Benesh Movement Notators, validated by the Royal Academy f Dance.

Employment prospects
Recent graduates are working in dance companies, in dance research and as freelance notators. Past graduates have gone on to become rehearsal directors and even directors of Dance Companies. For freelance notators there is a growing market in the electronic preservation of ‘heritage works’ using the Benesh Notation Editor software and a shortage of notators with the appropriate skills.

For full programme details apply to the Faculty of Education faculty@rad.org.uk

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