Associate Professor in Dance & Choreography – Head of MFA Program

The Danish National School of Performing Arts (DASPA) seeks an Associate Professor (lektor) functioning as Head of Program for the MFA in dance and Choreography, at the campus in Copenhagen

As Head of program, you will be responsible for planning and facilitating the content of the program, as well as teaching in it. You will be responsible for projects and productions and for securing the coherence between the artistic and pedagogical content in relation to the curriculum of the program. You will have a key role as the go to person for the students, the involved teachers and potential collaborators. Coordination and communication with guest teachers are important parts of your tasks - in collaboration with the school's study administration - and you must guarantee a committed professional dialogue, where the development of the students is in focus. You are present in your management style, and we emphasize that you will be available to both the students and the employees.

You will also be responsible for the budget and finances in connection with the operation of the program and in general you should expect that administrative tasks constitute a significant part of your working hours. Therefore, skills in planning, administration and finance are also a prerequisite for being considered.

Finally, the position requires that you contribute to the knowledge base and the continued development of the program through pedagogical and/or artistic development activities.

We are looking for a colleague with a relevant professional background who has strong teaching skills and experience with teaching in artistic programs. You have solid knowledge of the subject's working methods and insight into the interaction between the two main subjects in the program: dance and participatory work processes. We emphasize that by virtue of your background you can strengthen the connection between education and the professional field, and guide the students in navigating different working communities and contexts that you are part of as a performing artist in this domain of work.

The Danish School of Performing Arts focuses on creating a good working environment. We expect that you can navigate in an artistic learning environment and want to contribute to the collegial community and collaboration both locally in Copenhagen and across the school's campuses in Fredericia, Odense, Aarhus and Holstebro.

The work assignment concerns planning and facilitating teaching modules within the MFA Programme in Dance and Participation. The work focuses mostly on this programme, but may also include teaching and supervision in other programmes in the school.

The primary tasks and responsibilities are

• to teach, coordinate and facilitate dance courses at the MFA in Dance and Participation
• coordination with the student administration regarding pedagogical activities in the mentioned programme.
• individually and in-group supervision and coaching of the students.
• to assist in the organisation and carrying out of examinations and evaluations.
• participation in pedagogical and artistic development together with colleagues in the programme as well as the school in its entirety.
• teaching and development within the other educational programmes at the school.

Qualifications

• Experience of planning and facilitating teaching in higher education on the highest international level.
• Extensive professional experience at high level within the field of contemporary dance and choreography with the relevant experience in participatory working methods and processes.
• Strong knowledge of contemporary dance as subject – its history, development, working methods and production formats.
• Ability and willingness to engage in close collaborations with colleagues and students and contribute actively to creating a vibrant school of performing arts.
• Willingness to experiment with teaching methods.
• Good abilities to collaborate with different professionals and personalities within an organisation.
• Experience with and a desire to work inter-disciplinarily would be valued.
• All dance programmes are offered in English, and it is a prerequisite that you have good English skills. The administrative language at the school is Danish. If you do not already speak/write Danish, you should be willing to learn it at a basic level.

Job title

Head of Program, Associate Professor

Salary and terms of employment

The position is set to 50% of a full-time position - the average weekly working time is 18.5 hours. The precise schedule of working hours will vary and will be agreed on together with the head of program. The nature of the work demands continuous presence at the campus in Copenhagen. Occasional trips to the school's other campuses in Aarhus, Odense, Fredericia and Holstebro may occur.

The salary is subject to the collective agreement between the Ministry of Finance and Government-Employed Academics (Akademikere i Staten). It will be possible to negotiate individual, qualification-based allowances.

The position begins on the 1. of August 2026 and runs until the 30th of June 2028, with possibility of extension twice with up to 2 years.

Your immediate manager will be head of dance in Copenhagen, Rasmus Ölme.

A****PPLICATION

To apply for the position, upload your application and relevant documents no later than the 27th of February 2026. Applications received after this date will not be considered.

The application must include:

• an application stating your motivation for applying, in which you explain your vision for the subject area
• a CV with a detailed overview of your artistic work
• relevant certificates and/or professional evaluations
• a teaching portfolio with a short description of your educational/pedagogical experience (max. 3 pages of 2,400 characters, incl. spaces).

For further information about the position and recruitment procedure, please contact the Head of Dance and Choreography, Rasmus Ölme, raol@scenekunstskolen.dk

The Danish National School of Performing Arts considers diversity a strength and encourages all qualified applicants to apply, regardless of age, gender, religion or ethnicity.

RECRUITMENT PROCEDURE

The position is classified as associate professor (lektor), cf. the structure of positions for artistic/academic staff at The Danish National School of Performing Arts. An assessment committee appointed by the school’s principal will examine all applications. The assessment committee will make an independent assessment of whether the applicant's qualifications meet the requirements for appointment as associate professor (lektor). The assessment committee does not recommend specific candidates for the position. All applicants will be notified of the outcome of this process.

A selection of applicants will be invited for an interview. More detailed information about this will be communicated to those who are called. The interviews will take place between the 8th and 10th of April 2026.

NB. Applicants will be informed on the assessment process, but will only be informed about the recruitment process, as it has ended. This means that the only ones who will hear from the school before this are the applicants who are called for interview. The school will not be able to provide more information during the process.

THE DANISH NATIONAL SCHOOL OF PERFORMING ARTS

The Danish National School of Performing Arts is an artistic educational institution under the Ministry of Culture. The school is home to a modern, artistic learning environment that inspires new ways of thinking, artistic expressions and social engagement.

With higher education at bachelor’s, Master’s and diploma levels across campuses in Aarhus, Fredericia, Holstebro, Odense and Copenhagen, the school educates leading performing artists with a solid foundation of practical and theoretical competences and a critical awareness of the role of art in society.

Through research and the development of new works, knowledge and methods within a wide range of performing arts disciplines, the school’s teachers and students continuously develop the disciplines of the performing arts and make an impact on art and cultural life, both nationally and internationally. Read more at ddsks.dk.