Teaching choreography in higher education: a process continuum model

TLDR

Choreography education for the twenty‑first century should be broad and balanced, equipping tertiary students with diverse skills and knowledge, while emphasizing the interrelationship of artistic and social processes between choreographers and dancers across varied dance‑making approaches. This study proposes a new paradigm for learning and teaching choreography in higher education and examines its implications for teachers and tutors. Using mixed methodologies, the authors synthesized historical, theoretical, and experiential perspectives, identified choreographic tendencies from professional and educational cultures, and developed a diagrammatic continuum called the Didactic‑Democratic Spectrum. The model is illustrated through five generic choreographic processes and five short case studies demonstrating its application in studio practice.

Abstract

This study proposes a new paradigm for the learning and teaching of choreography in the tertiary sector. It is based on the rationale that the choreography curriculum for the twenty‐first century should be broad and balanced, and that tertiary students will benefit from a range of skills, knowledge and understanding germane to possible future career prospects in a changing and complex arts environment. The paper presents the questions that initiated the author's Ph.D. research and the mixed methodologies utilized. Of particular interest is the interrelationship of artistic and social processes that occur between choreographer and dancer(s) within differing dance‐making approaches. Brief insight is provided into the range of contexts investigated, as a number of historical, theoretical and experiential perspectives were researched and synthesized to inform the model. Choreographic tendencies and differing processes were identified from both professional and educational dance cultures, and from personal practitioner praxis as choreography tutor in a specific higher education programme in the United Kingdom. The framework is presented diagrammatically in the form of a continuum termed the Didactic‐Democratic Spectrum. An indicative description of five generic choreographic processes, and five short case studies are given as exemplars of application in the studio. In conclusion the paper questions any implications for teachers/tutors in the higher education context.