Dance 2026 personal statement guide

Tutors want to know about you, your practice, your inspirations, and your aspirations. Your personal statement will act as a written accompaniment to your performance at audition and interview.

As Barbie Movie Choreographer, Jennifer White, puts it: ‘Dance has been such a natural thing for me since I was a little girl that it’s taken a while to realise its impact on how I live my life and the benefits of it on my mental and physical health.’

When writing your statement, focus on explaining how and why you’re suited to studying dance and the impact you hope it will have on your future. 

General advice about writing your personal statement

What do admissions staff at universities, colleges, and conservatoires want to see?

Guidance and examples you can use

Question 1: Why do you want to study this course or subject?

This is your opportunity to showcase your passion and knowledge of your chosen subject area and to demonstrate to universities, colleges, and conservatoires why it’s a good fit for you and your future ambitions.

Examples:

• Give evidence of your interest in dance. According to De Montfort University, admissions tutors want to see your 'genuine enthusiasm for all aspects of performance and an appreciation for each of the factors that contribute to it’. They’d also like examples of how your own experiences or wider reading about dance have fed into this.
• Talk about performances you’ve watched and – crucially – how you've analysed them yourself or developed an opinion about the overall interpretation, or how a specific element of it made an impact on you and why.
• If you have a particular style of dance or a career you’re aspiring to – whether that’s a dancer, choreographer, teacher, or director – explain how you believe studying this course will help you get there.
• De Montfort University also stresses the importance of not resorting to the clichés many students come out with, like 'I was born to dance' or 'I come alive on stage’.

Question 2: How have your qualifications and studies helped you to prepare for this course or subject?

This is your chance to shout about the relevant or transferable skills you’ve gained from your formal education and highlight your understanding of how they will help you succeed in this subject area.

Examples:

• If you’ve taken part in performances at school or college, be specific about the type of dance or musical theatre you were involved in, and how it changed or improve your practice. 
• If you’re involved in a dance group or you’ve had first-hand experience of planning and performing a production, describe and reflect on what you learned from this. 
• Think about skills you’ve picked up from other subjects, such as teamwork and physical fitness in sport, interpreting and editing text or scripts in English, or working to a brief in art or textiles lessons.
• Have you done any online courses to boost your knowledge in the subject? For example, why not try Subject Spotlights or Virtual Work Experiences from Springpod to grow your skills and interest? 

Question 3: What else have you done to prepare outside of education, and why are these experiences useful?

This is your chance to talk about any other activities you have undertaken outside of your formal education, or personal experiences which further demonstrate your suitability for the course. This section is likely to be highly personal to you and anything you do include should reflect on why you’re including it.

Examples:

• You’ll gain many transferable skills while studying dance, but think which ones you’re already bringing with you, such as good communication skills and time management from part-time jobs or studying. 
• Give examples of times you’ve worked on solo projects and when you’ve worked as part of a team or larger group, and what you learned from those experiences that you can bring to a dance course.
• For its dance and drama with musical theatre course, Edge Hill University is looking for you to demonstrate your wider experience of 'movement disciplines', which could include sport, martial arts, circus skills or 'dance in any style'. Try and link any activities like these to what motivates you to study your chosen course.

How to set yourself apart

The key to setting yourself apart in your application is to remember how important the ‘personal’ bit is to your personal statement. What makes you, you?

What hobbies do you enjoy in your spare time, such as music, drawing, painting or ceramics? How do you relax outside of your dance studies? Maybe you love film, or you love cycling places. Maybe you can link your love of film back to a dance scene you love and what it was that appealed to you about the choreography. Or maybe you can critique how the fight scenes are choreographed in the Marvel movies. 

You may also have been through a life-changing personal experience, whether an accident that affected you physically or something that impacted your mental health. How has that changed or informed your dance practice, and where do you see your dance going next? 

Some more tips to consider

1. Research the course: Why do you want to study dance, what specific aspects of the course interest you, how does it relate to your academic studies, and what additional reading or other activities have led you to apply?  
2. Examples of your relevant skills: Describe situations where you’ve demonstrated skills like critical thinking, teamwork, problem-solving and creativity.
3. Making your dance experience count: It’s not just what you've done but how you've reflected on it. If you work-shadowed at a theatre, dance studio or school, that's great, but be clear about what you personally gained from it. 
4. Transferable skills: Whether through extracurricular or supercurricular activities, work experience or a part-time job, you’ll have lots of skills that will be relevant to your course. Think laterally – if you’re a part-time waiter or waitress, can you explain how that has given you good communication and organisational skills, and helped with your self-motivation and time management? 

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