Advanced professional program • Movement Directing
Movement Directing Diploma - 18-Month Professional Program
An 18-month program for experienced movement practitioners who want to formalise their expertise, deepen their directing skills, and create a signature movement score for the stage through a learning-by-doing approach.
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Format: Distance / Blended (distance + in-person practice)
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Duration: 18 months
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Final examination: Staging a performance based on your original movement score
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Outcome: Diploma confirming your professional qualification as a Movement Director
Practitioners transitioning to movement direction
Who This Programme Is For
The Movement Directing Diploma is designed for advanced practitioners who already live and think through movement and now want to step into authorship as movement directors.
Actors & Dancers
For performers who want to move from “I execute choreography” to “I build the movement language of the whole performance.”
Movement Teachers & Coaches
For educators who want to connect their pedagogical work with directing practice and develop a distinctive method for working with ensembles.
Theatre & Movement Directors
For directors with a strong interest in physical storytelling who want a structured, practice-oriented path to professional movement directing qualification.
Career Outcomes
From Specialist to Authorial Movement Director
Over 18 months, the program helps you consolidate your previous experience into a coherent directing method. Instead of a written thesis, your final project is a fully staged performance and a detailed movement score.
1. A Strong, Stage-Ready Portfolio
You graduate with video documentation of your performance, a detailed movement score, and a clear Director’s Statement that articulates your artistic vision and working principles with actors.
2. Deepened Specialisation in Movement Directing
The curriculum supports you in strengthening three key areas:
- Psychophysical approach to working with the actor’s body and attention.
- Spatial composition and partnering between movement, space, and architecture of the stage.
- Integration of movement with text, light, sound, and multimedia, so physical storytelling carries the main dramaturgical weight.
3. Tangible Professional ROI
The diploma and portfolio materials can be used in applications for directing positions, teaching posts, residencies, and grants, as well as in discussions with theatres and independent companies.
Structure & Format
How You Study
The Movement Directing Diploma follows a clear learning-by-doing structure. Each concept you meet in the program is immediately tested in practical tasks, rehearsal labs, or production work, so theory and practice stay connected.
1. Distance Learning Modules
You work through structured distance-learning modules with clear tasks, reading, and individual feedback from tutors. Each module focuses on a core aspect of movement directing.
2. In-Studio Labs (Blended Format)
If you choose the blended format, small-group labs in Germany or Austria provide intensive studio time.
3. Study Project & Graduation Performance
Across the 18 months you develop, rehearse, and present a full performance. The premiere functions as your final exam and public presentation of your movement directing concept and movement score.
Designed for working professionals
The schedule is built so that you can continue your artistic, teaching, or leadership work while studying. Wherever possible, distance assignments are integrated into your ongoing projects, so you are not simply “doing homework”, but strengthening the productions you are already responsible for.
Our Approach
Learning by Doing
From Your Very First Day, You Create.
At NIPAI, movement training is rooted in a tradition that dates back to pioneers like Vsevolod Meyerhold, while also embracing eclecticism and innovation. As a student, you will become part of this prestigious legacy, benefiting from a program that balances time-honored techniques with contemporary practices.
Scholarships
Partial Funding
The Movement Directing Diploma is a long-term investment in your professional status and creative independence. .
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Partial scholarships up to €6,000 for selected candidates.
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Scholarship decisions are based on artistic potential, professional background, and motivation.
Full tuition details are shared individually with accepted candidates, so that your financial plan can be discussed in a realistic and transparent way.
If you are seriously considering the program but need to clarify financial options, you can request a short individual consultation with our admissions team. Together, you review your situation, deadlines, and possible funding paths.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Here are answers to some of the questions we receive most often from prospective Theatre Directing Diploma candidates.
Yes. The diploma is delivered in blended and distance formats, with a strong emphasis on independent and project-based work. Most participants combine the program with their professional practice, and many use their ongoing projects as material for assignments, where appropriate
Need more details? View full Diploma FAQ ↗
Resources
Deepen Your Knowledge
Explore our articles on professional directing techniques.
