Studying Dance in Canada: Schools, Auditions and Combined Programs

What place do you want dance to have in your studies?

Before looking for a school, define your goal: deepen your contemporary dance practice, develop a choreographic voice or continue dance training alongside another field. Your answer will help you distinguish programs that serve different purposes.

Concordia’s program description emphasizes choreographic research, creation and performance, including in works by other students. Western, for its part, offers a minor open to students from across the university. The point is not to rank these two options, but to understand where each fits in a study plan.

Write a few lines about what you want to learn, then compare them with the courses on offer. This will be a better filter than an appealing program title.

Universities and programs

Concordia: contemporary dance as the main field of study

The BFA Major in Contemporary Dance at Concordia University is listed as a three- to four-year program, with entry in the fall. This duration is indicative: it does not mean that all candidates will follow exactly the same path. The program combines creative research, choreography and performance.

Pay particular attention when reading the credit requirements. The guide for 2026 entry distinguishes a 60-credit major from BFA structures of 90, 108 or 120 credits. The 60 dance credits therefore do not make up the complete degree. Ask which structure applies to your previous education rather than calculating your study length based only on the major.

Western: dance as a complement to another program

The Minor in Dance at Western University can be declared starting in second year. The faculty indicates that students must take eight courses out of ten to complete it. The minor is open to students from across the university, but enrolment priorities apply to certain groups, including dance, kinesiology and music students.

This is not a standalone bachelor’s degree in dance. Its value should be assessed in relation to the main program you are considering: what requirements can it accommodate, and when? Cross-faculty access does not guarantee that every combination is possible or that a place will be available in every course.

Compare the content and practical organization of your studies

Once you have chosen the type of program, examine what you will actually do. Western’s department describes courses in technique, improvisation, composition and production, among others. Concordia’s program description emphasizes creative processes and choreographic research. These orientations provide useful points of reference, but they do not replace reviewing the program sequence that applies to your entry year.

For each institution, ask for an example of a course sequence and, if possible, a timetable. Which courses are required? Which prerequisites determine what you can take next? When do rehearsals and performances take place? Will the courses that interest you be offered during your period of study? The fact that a course exists does not guarantee that it will be available every term.

Also ask the institution about access to studios, support in the event of physical difficulties and the effects an interruption may have on your progression. These are points to clarify, not services to assume are the same everywhere. For a combined program, this review should address the constraints of both dance and the other discipline.

University admission and artistic selection: two processes to follow

New applicants to Concordia must submit their university admission application before booking an audition or submitting a video. The artistic process also includes a questionnaire, a letter of intent and an interview. Preparing only a performance is therefore not enough: you must also follow the administrative steps set out by the university.

Concordia requires at least two years of experience in contemporary dance or a related form. There is no fee for the audition itself, which does not mean that the admission application is entirely free.

These requirements are not a Canadian standard. For comparison, Cégep du Vieux Montréal lists at least four years of practice among the specific requirements for its contemporary dance-performance program. A number of years of experience listed by one school should not be applied to another.

To organize your application, track two separate components:

• University or school admission: required documents, academic requirements and, where applicable, proof of language proficiency.
• Artistic selection: required experience, questionnaire, letter, video, audition and interview, according to the institution’s instructions.

For each item, note the deadline, submission method and confirmation of receipt. A program’s appearance in a catalogue does not mean you have been admitted or exempted from selection.

Prepare for the exact audition requested by the school

The goal is not to produce a generic performance, but to follow a specific process. For Concordia’s virtual option, the instructions include technique exercises, a two- to three-minute improvisation without music and an interview. Also prepare to explain your approach and motivations.

Turn the instructions into a checklist: sequence content, duration, music or silence, framing, file format and submission method. Do a technical test before making the final recording, then check that the files can be accessed. This helps ensure that a missing element does not undermine serious artistic preparation.

For 2027, École de danse contemporaine de Montréal requires applicants to submit their application for the first round, held by video, no later than January 31. Instructions for the video are sent after the form is submitted. Those selected are then invited to the final auditions on February 19 and 20 in Marseille or February 27 and 28 in Montreal. These dates apply only to this school; finalists must follow the instructions in their invitation.

For any other application, use the schedule for the relevant admissions cycle. Do not carry over a date from another school or a previous year.

Combined programs: minor, double major or two degrees?

These terms are not interchangeable. A minor complements a program; a double major brings together two main fields under the institution’s rules. At Concordia, the cross-faculty double major form explicitly states that this structure leads to one degree, not two separate degrees.

Adding a second major requires a reasoned application, a review by the relevant academic units and faculty approval. The form also states that cross-faculty double majors are rarely approved when faculties other than Arts and Science and Fine Arts are involved. Artistic requirements remain in effect, including an audition when required. Being already enrolled at the university therefore does not automatically give you access to dance.

Before choosing a combination, ask for a course plan showing the requirements for both fields, prerequisites, timetable conflicts and any additional terms. Have the feasibility of your plan confirmed in writing: no specific combination can be assumed to be possible simply because a double major application process exists.

If another discipline remains your priority, compare this arrangement with a minor. The best option is not necessarily the one that combines the most requirements, but the one that gives dance the place you actually want it to have.

Build a budget and distinguish financial requirements

Start with the tuition and fees that apply to your exact situation. Concordia offers an estimator that takes factors such as program and student status into account. A calculation made for a different degree or status is not a quote for your plan.

Then add your projected expenses: housing, transportation, insurance, equipment and any audition travel. For international students who need to apply for authorization, distinguish this personal budget from the administrative amounts required.

These amounts, consulted on October 26, 2026, are neither program tuition rates nor estimates of the actual cost in each city. They are not presented here as amounts announced for 2027.

IRCC requires applicants to demonstrate sufficient funds without relying on work in Canada. For a multi-year program, you must also explain how it will be funded overall. Avoid making your plan’s financial viability depend on a future job in the arts.

International students: check your stay and post-graduation options

Immigration procedures are separate from admission and apply to international students according to their circumstances. For a program of more than six months in Quebec, the general process includes admission, followed by the Quebec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ) and the federal study permit, subject to applicable exemptions. Passing an audition does not replace these authorizations.

A post-graduation work permit (PGWP) is not automatic either. Under IRCC rules consulted on October 26, 2026, holders of a bachelor’s degree are exempt from the field-of-study requirement, but for PGWP applications submitted on or after November 1, 2024, they must, among other requirements, achieve at least NCLC 7 in French or CLB 7 in English in each of the four skills. These are the scales of the Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens and the Canadian Language Benchmarks, not directly a test score. The other eligibility requirements still apply. This exemption from the field-of-study requirement should not automatically be applied to a non-university credential.

Before making a financial commitment, your decision sheet should therefore include answers to six questions: artistic goal, place of dance in the degree, selection preparation, course organization, funding and applicable immigration procedures. For anything uncertain, contact the relevant office.

This immigration information is general and does not constitute individual advice. The principle to remember is simple: first choose a program whose requirements you understand, have any combined course of study validated, then check admission, funding and immigration status separately.