Full Time | Dance Melbourne

F.I.I.T - Train smarter!

Flexible Intensive Industry Training @ The Space is a new and exciting addition to the Melbourne professional Dance Training Scene!

What is it?

F.I.I.T is the newest and most exciting form of professional dance training to hit Melbourne! Old school dance training and dance schools insist on students working from 8:30am to 4pm or sometimes even longer.

Dance is a physically demanding endeavour and no one can work their hardest for 8 to 10 hours a day, day after day. This inevitably leads to students "pacing themselves" during class, or risking injuries or mental health issues with the demands placed on them. Time after time, we've seen students drag themselves into class day after day - just getting through the day without the required commitment and intensity to get the most out of their training.

Professional athletes typically don't train for 8 to 10 hours a day at maximum intensity, and neither should you!

That's why The Space have developed a new method of training, designed for time and energy efficiency and to maximise your dance improvement in a more time efficient way.

Running from 9am to approx 1pm Monday to Friday (with some 8:30am starts), F.I.I.T consists of training in Ballet, Contemporary, Jazz, Commercial, Hip Hop, Partnering and Physical Conditioning work honing you to be the best possible all rounded dancer you can be.

This leaves you time and energy for gym, other fitness and flexibility work; while still allowing you to work, and look after yourself; both physically and mentally.

For those with more time, energy and inclination; take advantage of our early bird special to gain unlimited access to all of The Space Dance & Arts Centre's casual dance classes - including over 80 additional classes of week in a huge variety of styles and levels.

Who is it for?

With multiple levels in all styles, F.I.I.T is for a variety of dancers seeking to improve:

Professional dancers who have completed significant training elsewhere and want to improve and maintain technique, flexibility, strength and overall dance ability,

Singers and actors wanting to improve their dance level and fitness,

Pre-professional dancers wanting to bring their level up to a professional standard.

Does everyone have to be the same level? Do I have to be the same level in all styles?

No! All styles are split into levels and you will be assigned to the appropriate class. You may be assigned to different levels for different styles depending on your individual requirements.

What do I get?

Multi-level, Multi-genre, Flexible, Intensive Dance Training; catering to your needs and abilities.

Choreographic coaching and assessments to help you refine and develop your style.

Week long and full day intensives with top industry professionals.

Included access to the extensive casual class timetable at The Space (early bird special).

Three performance seasons per year including participation in the student created Fringe Festival work.

Guidance and mentoring in creating your own work.

Access to industry professionals at one of Melbourne's pre-eminent dance studios, on Chapel St in the heart of Prahran.

How much does it cost?

There are a number of payment options to suit everyone's needs:

1. One off upfront payment of $6,965 (= annual Space casual class membership ($4,465), plus the $1,000 non-refundable deposit, plus the $1,500 course payment). Includes access to the entire programme for the year and unlimited classes from The Space Dance & Arts Centre casual class timetable.

2. Pay per term = $1880 per term. Train for one term or for the whole year (Total cost is $7,520 for the year). Payment plans available to approved applicants.

3. Students opting for accreditation pay an additional $3,430 per year (1 year for Cert IV in Dance, 2 years for Diploma in Dance)

Do I have to audition?

You do have to audition to make sure you have the ability, desire and commitment required to participate in the F.I.I.T Programme.

We are not evaluating your dance level in the audition, only your dance ability - where we think you can get to after training at The Space.

Why The Space?

The Space is one of Melbourne's pre-eminent dance studios. We are located on Chapel St, in the heart of Prahran, with 8 great studios on site.

Established in 2001, The Space has been running professional dance training courses for over ten years with incredible success. Graduates have danced or had secondments at major dance companies, created their own works, started their own companies, been employed on major musicals, cruise ships, television, film and other commercial work; and past students have continued their studies at VCA, Sydney Dance Company, Federation Uni, and NIDA.

Other pathways for graduates include production work and management, teaching and stage management.

Many of the industry's current renowned dancers, teachers, choreographers and directors trained at The Space.

Are there performances?

There are performances throughout the year, including mentored, student devised performances. Our students perform both student devised performances and works choreographed on them by a variety of top industry professionals.

The Fringe Festival show is always a highlight of our training courses at The Space!

Under our expert guidance and mentorship, students create all aspects of a dance work including:

Devising, making, choreographing and dancing in the work
Producing the work - including: set, costumes, lighting, audio and sound design
Marketing the work
Looking after the budget and all aspects of making your idea come to life!

Who are the 2020 teachers?

Guest Teachers

See 'Times and Dates' for the full timetable!

Don't I need to train all day?

Our experience at The Space (with more than ten years of full time training courses here), has been that students reach their full potential through a balanced approach to training. Our timetable provides students with all the technique classes they need, in addition to choreographic coaching, performance and production skills. You do not need to train all day, but if that is your preference, students who take advantage of our early bird offer have unlimited access to over 80 casual classes per week (including school holidays) to add to their training schedule. You may also use our casual class timetable to add more of your preferred genre to your timetable - more commercial, musical theatre or contemporary classes, for example.

Won't I get better faster if I train more?

No, you will not get better faster by training more. Training more actually means training less in each class. A student cannot put in 100% effort for 8 hours per day. Students pace themselves, tire throughout the day and towards the end of the week, and are more prone to injury when training more. Our new structure at The Space is actually a return to the 'full time' courses of 10 years ago - many of the performance industry's current leaders actually undertook half day training, which was considered full time at the time - as this is the ideal amount of dance training per day for most dancers.

Will I be pushed?

The students we are seeking will be self-directed and self-motivated. At The Space, we provide the platform to achieve your dance career goals - but only you can make that happen! We have a high level of expectation of our dance students in regards to attendance, effort and class etiquette. However, our philosophy is to holistically build dancers up; in technique, creative skills and confidence - not to push our dancers through negative practices. The vibrant, welcoming, professional, and stimulating environment where students are free to create and make mistakes is something we are very proud of at The Space.

Is this course accredited?

In our Flexible Intensive Industry Training, we give YOU the option to choose whether or not you want to work towards accreditation. Students can elect to achieve a formal qualification in :

CUA40113 Cert IV in Dance (Elite Performance)
CUA50113 Diploma of Dance (Elite Performance)

Students working towards accreditation will undertake an extra 3 hour coursework class per week, at an additional cost each year. Qualifications are delivered in partnership with Australian Teachers of Dancing (RTO#31624).

This course will be conducted under a partnership with Australian Teachers of Dancing (ATOD), a not-for-profit organisation and one of the leading providers of nationally accredited dance teaching in Australia.

Statement Of Inclusivity

At The Space we recognise that we have a diverse group of staff, teachers, parents, students and hirers. We embrace and value the diversity of our community and as such it is our policy to be inclusive and mindful of this diversity in our policies, programs, studios, and interactions with others. We embrace all people regardless of their age, culture, disabilities, ethnic origin, gender, gender identity, marital status, nationality, race, religion, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status. We continually challenge ourselves, and others, in an environment of mutual concern and respect for the free expression of all individuals.

Qualifications are delivered in partnership with Australian Teachers of Dancing (RTO# 31624)