Jake, an alumni of our BA (Hons) Dance and Performance degree, recently shared with us the highlights of his time at BNU, as well as what he’s been up to since graduating.

Now working as a291 performer at Chessington World of Adventures as part of Merlin Entertainments, Jake has taken industry-life in his stride, not to mention also continuing to learn and grow as he does. He states “I have worked there since 2019 and have completed every seasonal show on offer. My main roles have been dance based, however I have also taken on acting focused roles within their shows. Since graduating, I have completed my PGCE and QTS for secondary education teaching dance. I also performed as a principal actor at Lapland UK.”

When looking for the right university, Jake wanted to make sure the place he picked was open and friendly. BNU initially stood out to him for this reason. “It was very important to me that I felt comfortable in the environment and that the campus wasn’t too big. I loved the small-scale location and student cohort, you always knew that whatever day you were in studying you would see many people from other courses that you knew.” He goes on to explain that he wanted to study a course that fulfilled him and prepared him for real-life. “I also wanted a course that would give me the training I desired and that sounded exciting in every year of study. I found that BNU ticked all of these boxes for me.”

Since leaving BNU, Jake has been able to put his learnt skills into action. He mentions that BNU not only prepared him on the knowledge and skills you need for a job but also how to get one. “Due to the nature of my course and my job, I have used the physical skills I developed and learnt in my training with BNU. All those jazz technique lessons I went to over the years have really made me feel confident in my abilities and shown that I can succeed in professional jobs. There were also a variety of modules where I felt I developed leadership skills and again I have taken this forward into my life since leaving university. Buckinghamshire New University also taught me how to approach auditions and how to give myself the best chance in those situations, something I have been very grateful for since leaving as I have attended multiple auditions.”

When asked why Jake would recommend this course to considering students, his first response was the uniqueness of the modules. “This course has a taste of everything and even though I took that for granted at times during my studies, I really cannot recommend it enough. We were so lucky to have specific training in jazz dance, a style that very little universities focus on and this instantly makes it stand alone as a course.” He also mentioned the academic side of the course, which gave him priceless skills and knowledge “The business modules were amazing because we physically put on a large-scale event that raised money for charity by ourselves, the skills we gained were just invaluable. We were also very lucky to build upon our anatomy knowledge every year, which as dancers was so helpful for understanding our own injuries and how we can prevent them or help recover in those situations.”

“There are so many aspects of the BA (Hons) Dance and Performance course that in my opinion you cannot find in many other universities and I absolutely loved my time on it. I will always be grateful to BNU for these memories.”