NATIONAL ACADEMY OF THEATRE ARTS IN KRAKOW, DANCE THEATRE DEPARTMENT IN BYTOM

About

The Dance Theatre Department in Bytom is a place where dance and acting meet to redefine the language of contemporary performance. Established in the academic year 2007/2008, the Bytom branch of the National Academy of Theatre Arts in Krakow offers a unique, nine-semester Master's degree programme in acting with a specialization in dance theatre, responding to a need for specialized academic education in this field in Poland. Rooted in the legacy of German Tanztheater, the programme embraces both tradition and transformation, exploring forms that resist fixed definitions. It adopts an interdisciplinary approach in which physical practice, artistic research, and critical thought continuously intersect. Students engage in an intensive process combining dance, physical and dramatic acting, improvisation, directing, and composition with theoretical and contextual studies, including the history and theory of theatre and dance, anthropology, art studies, philosophy, aesthetics, music, anatomy, biomechanics, and new media. This dialogue between body and thought fosters the development of autonomous, critically aware artists. At the heart of the programme is a commitment to experimentation and creative exploration. Rather than distinguishing between actors and dancers, the Department seeks to develop a common language and new forms of expression. Its mission is to continuously expand the boundaries of interdisciplinarity and explore innovative approaches to both education and the creation of performing arts, including through the fusion of dance and acting. Through collaborative learning environments and initiatives such as the Laboratory of Inspiration and Creative Innovation (LIIT), students are encouraged to challenge conventions, expand their artistic horizons, and shape their own creative trajectories within the evolving field of the performing arts.

International programmes

• ERASMUS+
• CEEPUS Programme
• WDEA Programme